Nothing could seemingly be more opposite, but you may be surprised to know that some of our area’s most intriguing, little known and unique sites are part of our National Park Service.  Let’s stop right here, before you get the impression that we’ll be talking about greenery, beaches and park land.  We are absolutely not!  We’re talking about our city and our local area.  It’s highly unlikely that these are places for Ranger Bob and “Smokey the Bear” images.

It seems that our area has some wonderful places that most of us have never visited.  Each site is manned (“personned”) by National Park Service rangers, dressed in khaki and green, who spend their days talking to visitors about these prominent places.  We highly recommend visiting these historic locations and engaging the rangers in a dialog. Admissions are free or nominal, so they classify, as bargains for us die hard New Yorkers.

Let’s begin in Harlem with our first historic building, Hamilton Grange, the summer home of the wealthy Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, who unfortunately died in a duel in 1804 with the, then, Vice President of the United States, Aaron Burr.  Burr became an outcast, and Hamilton wound up in our pockets with a high frequency!  A tragic circumstance is that Hamilton’s son, Philip, was killed in a duel three years before, defending his father’s honor.  Dueling became outlawed in New York, but New Jersey was still only a boat ride away. 

The Grange was a home set on thirty-two suburban acres and was Hamilton’s only real permanent residence. Some find it hard to believe that Harlem was once “the Westchester” of its time.  An enthusiastic park ranger will lead you through this federal style mansion and fill you in on Hamilton’s fascinating life.  Situated on Convent Avenue and 141st street in the area called Hamilton Heights and Sugar Hill, which became an affluent African-American community, step into a classy restaurant called “the Sugar Hill Bistro” on 145th Street, which is often frequented by Bill Clinton.

Next, let’s take a trip down to Castle Clinton.  Not familiar with the name?  We’ll bet you’ve been there several times.  It is the roofless fortress where you purchase the tickets for the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Ferry.  Now you remember!  Well, this fort has gone through numerous lives from the original fortress designed to defend New York Harbor from invasion, to a restaurant and an entertainment center (with a roof), then an immigration depot (prior to Ellis Island), to the New York City Aquarium and finally its present life.  By the way, there was never a shot fired from the fort.
 
Let’s walk up Broadway and visit Federal Hall, where the statue of George Washington stands symbolically in memorial of the location of Washington’s oath of office.  A great Rotunda dominates this fantastic facility. Closed on Saturday, so try to pick a non-holiday visit to the #20 Wall Street location.

By the way, across the street is the former J.P. Moran Bank, once the location of a terrorist bombing in 1920. The walls of the bank still have the explosive effects of that tragic day. The Morgan Bank never had a sign on it, probably because the $100,000 minimum depositor didn’t have to ask where the bank was.  J.P. Morgan himself coined the phrase, “If you have to ask how much it costs, you can’t afford it.”

Next stop is 28 East 20th Street off 5th Avenue, the birthplace of one of New York’s greatest figures, Theodore Roosevelt. He was the Police Commissioner of New York City, Vice-President of the U.S. and, after President McKinley’s assassination, became President.  Because of his compassion toward a small bear cub’s mother, forever became memorialized with the name sake for all toy bears, “The Teddy Bear”.

Venture into the Roosevelt home, which we found most fascinating.  Learn how President Roosevelt survived an attempted assassination.  He was actually shot and the bullet pierced his coat pocket, shirt, and eyeglass case and lodged in his folded speech. Though partially wounded and bleeding, he continued on with his speech. The shirt, eyeglass case and speech are today on display in the museum.

Let’s move up to Grant’s tomb. (We all know that Grant is not buried there!) He and his wife, Julia, are entombed in the magnificent building which resembles the Tomb of Napoleon in Paris. It is located in Riverside Park near W. 122nd St. and Riverside Drive. The building is a masterpiece of architectural splendor and well worth the visit.  Urge the Park Rangers to tell you the tragic story of Grant, his conflict in public office and his bouts of depression and alcoholism.  Many Civil War generals suffered similar fates after this bloody  conflict between brothers.

St. Paul’s Church, in Westchester’s own Mount Vernon, is our last stop of our National Parks historic tour.  This historic church, built in 1665, was once a landmark location for the freedom of the press battle, the Freedom Bell (cousin to the Liberty Bell) and Bill of Rights Museum. The Church is located at 897 S. Columbus Avenue, Mt. Vernon and the phone is (914) 667-4116.

There, you have just visited history, and you didn’t spend virtually anything.  How can you beat that?!  So, let’s start off the New Year with some cultural stimulus. Ask questions, be curious and you will be entertained with the personalities that are all throughout our great area.  Enjoy these treasures!!