The Morris-Jumel Mansion (MJM) was built by British Colonel Roger Morris in 1765. He and his wealthy American wife, Mary Philipse Morris, used it as a summer, country house. Morris was the son of a successful English architect. The Palladian style – featuring a front portico and columns — of the house reflects the influence of famed Italian architect Palladio and his influence on English architecture. The first floor of the 8,500 square foot house features rooms for family and social gatherings, and includes the parlor in which Madame Eliza Jumel married Aaron Burr in 1833. Across the hall stands the dining room where Washington likely entertained his guests in 1790. At the far end of the hall, the octagonal drawing room, or withdrawing room as it is properly known, provided a grand setting for social gatherings. Bedrooms on the second floor include those of George Washington, Eliza Jumel, and Aaron Burr. The basement houses the colonial-era kitchen and tells the story of domestic servitude at the Mansion. The room features the original hearth and a bee-hive oven as well as a collection of early American cooking utensils.
Through architecture and a diverse collection of decorative arts objects, each room of the Morris-Jumel Mansion reveals a specific aspect of its colorful history from the 18th through the 19th centuries.
