Morris-Jumel Mansion Museum

Mount Morris was built as a summer villa by the British military officer Roger Morris and his American-born wife, Mary Philipse Morris. The house is an early example of the use of Palladian forms in North America; the double-height portico with a triangular pediment was an especially innovative feature in 1765. Historically, the house is famed for having served as George Washington’s headquarters for more than a month in 1776. Later used by the British, the house was confiscated at the end of the war. In 1810 Stephen Jumel, a wealthy French immigrant merchant, purchased the property and moved in with his wife (formerly his mistress), Eliza Bowen. The Jumels undertook some remodeling, including the addition of the handsome entrance in the Federal style. The house was purchased by New York City in 1903 and converted into a museum; operations were handed over to a women’s group known as the Washington Headquarters Association. The mansion contains some of the finest Georgian interiors in America including what is generally believed to be the country’s first octagonal room. From the "Guide to New York City Landmarks", courtesy of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission.