2. History
• Built in 1765, Morris-Jumel Mansion is Manhattan’s oldest house,
built as a country home for British Colonel, Roger Morris and his
wife Mary Philipse
• George Washington took up the house as his headquarters in
September and October of 1776, taking advantage of the
strategic views of Harlem, the Bronx, Manhattan, the Hudson, the
southern harbor, and New Jersey
• In 1810 the house was purchased by a wine importer, Stephen
Jumel, and his wife Eliza, who went on to marry US VP, Aaron
Burr, upon the untimely death of Stephen Jumel in 1832
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3. The neighborhood
• Washington Heights
• Currently predominately Latin American
immigrants
– Dominican
– Puerto Rican
• Largely Spanish speaking
• Lots of families
4. The interpretation
• Previously the house was interpreted
primarily as the Morris mansion, focusing on
the house’s role during the colonial era
• Currently, the house is interpreted in three
distinct time periods:
– The Morris Period
– The Jumel Period
– The Museum Period (post 1904)
5. The audience
Two Target audience groups:
– Children/Schools QuickTimeª and a
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• Teachers
• Classes
– Adults/Public Programs
• Community members, new and old
• Adults from a broader community
6. Goals QuickTimeª and a
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• Connect to the local community
– Get adults/parents interested
– Make the museum Spanish friendly
– Present low or no-cost programming to
bring in individuals from the community
• PR outreach
– Get the name out
– Provide appropriate educational and
cultural programming without excessive
budget strain
7. Possible role of technology
• Cell-phone based guided tour of the house
• Digitized books
• Touch screens with properly curated and
documented collection artifacts
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8. Gallery
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キHow does it relate to the neighboring surroundings?キWhat is the relationship of the site to the current community living in the neighborhood?
キHow is the house currently interpreted (what communication / information is available to the public and what does this information assume about the public?
キWho is the key audience and is the house designed to engage the key audience?
キIn what way can the research project the museum is exploring expand an audience, better connect the museum to the local community, and provide a window into the past from a perspective that incorporates the present?