Morris-Jumel Mansion Haunted?

The oldest house in Manhattan also has a reputation for being one of the most haunted in the state of New York. It is said that one of the house’s former owners, the prostitute and infamous actress Madame Eliza Jumel, refuses to leave the house. A lot of people say that even after her death she still remains in the mansion. It is reported that her first husband, who lived in the house with her, also refuses to leave it.

One of the house’s former curators sent for a psychic after she heard pitiful moans in the house. The famous psychic Hans Holzer answered the call and conducted a total of two séances in the mansion. During the second séance, the moaner appeared as if on cue. He revealed himself as none other than Stephen Jumel. He was reported to have said that his death was not an accident. He fell on a pitchfork but it was his wife who removed the bandages and watched in glee as her husband bled to death.

Another ghost which can be seen in the grounds is that of the revolutionary soldier. Curators, as well as reporters, have reportedly seen a few men in uniform having a party in the mansion’s dining room. On one occasion two schoolteachers on separate field trips were very much surprised to see an American soldier which stepped right out of the painting on the wall.

One of the house’s former residents and also one of Madame Jumel’s former husbands, Aaron Burr, is said to still haunt the mansion, still longing for his wife.

There is also the story of the jilted maidservant. A woman who is said to be exploring the third floor of the mansion was allegedly very much frightened by the ghost of a maid that she died of a heart attack. This maid can often be seen on the third floor, where the servants’ quarters is. It is said that she had committed suicide in the mansion.

History

Built by Roger Morris in 1765, the Morris-Jumel Mansion includes a large portico and pediment. It is supported by Tuscan columns and has a large two-story octagonal addition at the rear. The mansion overlooks Coogan’s Hollow and the Polo Grounds during its existence from the 1880s to the 1960s. Roger and his wife, Mary Philipse lived in the house for 10 years and when the Revolution succeeded they returned to England.

Between September and October 1776, General George Washington used the mansion as his temporary headquarters after he and his group were forced to evacuate Brooklyn Heights. The house is one of the remaining landmarks of the Battle of Harlem Heights.

Stephen Jumel and his wife Eliza purchased the house in 1870. After her husband’s death, Eliza married Aaron Burr who lived in the house with her in the 1830s. They married in the parlor, which can still be seen today. The house was purchased by the state of New York in 1903 and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1961.