On Monday, March 9, members of Community Board 12-Manhattan (CB12M) joined the celebration at Morris-Jumel Mansion marking the launch of its $10 million restoration project — a milestone that follows CB12M’s formal expression of support for the effort in 2022.
Nestled in Washington Heights, Morris-Jumel Mansion holds the distinction of being the oldest standing house in Manhattan. It served as George Washington’s headquarters during the Revolutionary War and has since become a museum dedicated to preserving that legacy.
Wayne Benjamin, Chair of CB12M’s Land Use Committee, spoke to the building’s singular significance. “I can think of no building in Washington Heights and Inwood, a community rich in history, with greater historic significance than the Morris-Jumel Mansion,” he said. “The 261-year-old mansion, a New York City and national landmark, is a hidden gem in a vibrant urban neighborhood.”
Benjamin also underscored the restoration’s timeliness, describing the project as “the first since 1990” and “a long-awaited undertaking that will help to ensure that the mansion will continue to play a role in the life of the community for generations to come.”
CB12M was represented at the event by Benjamin (who also serves on the mansion’s board of trustees as Vice President), Luana Ferreira (Chair of the Parks & Cultural Affairs Committee), and Alexis Marnel (CB12M Secretary). Ferreira delivered remarks on the board’s behalf, reaffirming its support for the project and conveying the community’s enthusiasm for seeing it realized.
Benjamin closed with a broader call to action: “As this important project advances, we look forward to greater attention to, and designation and protection of, historic buildings and places in Washington Heights and Inwood.”