Despite living in the shadow of New York City for over a decade, we never spent any significant time exploring the city.  Today we decided to visit a few NPS sites in and around Manhattan.

On the way to the GWB, we filled up on cheap Jersey diesel.  I’ve heard New Jersey has the lowest fuel tax in the US, while New York has the highest, which explains why diesel is over a dollar per gallon cheaper in New Jersey:

Crossing the GWB:

After dropping off the truck at a parking garage in Harlem, we walked to Hamilton Grange National Memorial:

This house, built by Alexander Hamilton, Aide-de-camp to General George Washington and first US Secretary of the Treasury among other achievements, was built in a different location by Hamilton in 1802.  The house was purchased to be used as a church and moved to another location in 1889, then moved here by the park service in 2006.  All three locations where this building has stood are within the boundaries of Hamilton’s original 37-acre estate here in Harlem:

A mourning scarf worn at Hamilton’s funeral after his fatal duel with Aaron Burr:

We toured the home:

The kids completed their Junior Ranger workbooks, but the site was out of badges, so they will be mailing them to us:

As we left the house, we could see the church building built in 1892 to replace the house as the church:

We walked around the corner to view the site where the house stood from 1889 to 2006.  The church was built partially around the house, so the house had to be raised three stories, rolled on elevated rails to the street, then lowered down onto dollies for the move around the block:

We walked west and south through Harlem:

We arrived at our next stop, General Grant National Memorial, colloquially known as Grant’s Tomb:

Grant’s Tomb is the largest mausoleum in North America:

In the lower level, busts of Grant’s lieutenant generals ring the chamber:

The kids completed their Junior Ranger books and received their badges:

Our last stop today was Saint Paul’s Church National Historic Site, which preserves an 18th century church used as a military base and hospital by the British and Colonials in the Revolutionary War, as well as a cemetery dating back to the early 1700s. This area is also the site of the “Great Election” in 1733, which raised the issues of Freedom of Religion and Press and led to legislation that removed the need to pledge an oath when voting. In 1980, the church was formally declared to no longer be a religious site by the Episcopal Diocese and given to the NPS as a historic site.

We watched a video about the history and significance of the site:

The Junior Ranger workbook had the kids exploring the grounds and cemetery:

The kids completed their Junior Ranger books and received their badges:

See the trip map for today’s drive.