Parked at Home 2026: 2, Hamilton Grange National Memorial
On Thursday, March 26 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., I attended the second installment of the 2026 of Parked at Home, hosted by Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park (BLRV) and other National Park Service sites. This hour-long session featured Allison Horrocks, a park ranger at Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park, along with guest rangers Callie Tominsky and Elizabeth Steinhour from Hamilton Grange National Memorial. The webinar explored the connections between Alexander Hamilton and Samuel Slater, as well as Hamilton’s legacy through his home, Hamilton Grange, and his influence on early American industry.
Ranger Horrocks began by drawing a fascinating parallel between Alexander Hamilton and Samuel Slater. She noted that Slater “could have been brothers” with Hamilton: both men were born in the 18th century — Hamilton around 1755 and Slater in 1768 — both had difficult childhoods, and both had significant influence on the young United States despite humble beginnings. Each lived without a father, grew up on islands, and sought to build fortunes against all odds. Hamilton is remembered as a “Father of National Institutions,” appearing on U.S. currency, while Slater is the “Father of the American Industrial Revolution”, as he ran the first cotton-spinning mill in the United States. Horrocks emphasized that, despite their accomplishments, both were human and flawed. Their legacies can be interpreted through historic sites such as Hamilton Grange and the Old Slater Mill.
Horrocks highlighted a specific connection between the two men. In October 1791, some of Slater’s first thread was sent to Alexander Hamilton, demonstrating a literal “thread that ties them together.” Moses Brown, who financed Slater’s mill, wrote to John Dexter about the young man’s work while Dexter, a Revolutionary War veteran, passed along the information to Hamilton to keep him informed about emerging industrial efforts. This small but meaningful correspondence underscored the intersection of finance, industry, and personal initiative during the early days of the United States.
Ranger Tominsky then shared the first part of the presentation, focusing on Hamilton Grange. She described Hamilton’s life after his political career began winding down around 1798. The first Secretary of the Treasury, former aide-de-camp to George Washington, and later a cabinet member, Hamilton shifted toward domestic life. He wrote to his wife, Eliza, about building a country estate in what was then rural Upper Manhattan, and the family moved into the house in 1802. Hamilton enjoyed hobbies such as gardening, entertaining friends and family, and spending time with his children. Tominsky showed an image of Harlem at the time, noting its farmland and forests, as well as an illustration of the Grange, a picturesque home with trees and cows in the front yard. At the time, it took roughly an hour by horse to travel the nine miles from Wall Street to the estate.
Hamilton’s enjoyment of the house was tragically short-lived. In July 1804, he was fatally shot in a duel with Aaron Burr and died on July 12. At the time of his death, Hamilton was deeply in debt, and his children ranged from ages 2 to 18. Friends helped Eliza purchase the house at half price, allowing her to remain there for 29 years until 1833. During this period, Manhattan changed rapidly: streets were laid out, rocks were dynamited, and low points filled in, leaving the Grange vulnerable. A nearby church congregation helped raise funds to move the house, altering its orientation, front door, portico, and staircase, and then held awkwardly situated services inside.
Tominsky described how the house was transferred to the National Scenic and Historic Preservation Society in 1924 with a $100,000 grant from J.P. Morgan and George F. Baker to become a museum. However, decades of deferred maintenance had rendered it unsafe. In 1962, the National Park Service took over preservation, but the Grange became “squished” between tall buildings. In 2008, the house was moved again to a new site on giant dollies, receiving a new foundation and modern basement, followed by extensive renovation from 2008 to 2011. Today, the house contains some original materials, restored parlor plaster, and repaired dining room floors and walls. Replica furniture, including Hamilton’s desk, provides a tangible connection to his life. The site hosts school programs, local performances, volunteer garden events, and ranger-led tours. Hamilton Grange remains the only memorial solely dedicated to Alexander Hamilton.
Ranger Steinhour discussed Hamilton’s work in manufacturing and early finance. As early as 1778, Hamilton had ideas about using water power at the Great Falls of the Passaic River in New Jersey, which he would act on eleven years later. Born on Nevis in the Caribbean and orphaned by age 13, Hamilton was largely educated by his mother and later by patrons who helped him attend King’s College (now Columbia University). He quickly became a writer, militia organizer, and Revolutionary War aide to George Washington. Experiencing supply shortages firsthand, Hamilton called the poor provisioning of soldiers an “extreme embarrassment.” He later authored 51 of the 85 Federalist Papers advocating for a strong central government capable of raising revenue.
Hamilton faced massive economic challenges in the early United States, including a struggling population, merchant class departure, state-level disunity, insufficient currency, massive war debt, and dependence on foreign loans. As Secretary of the Treasury starting in 1789, he implemented policies on public credit, a national bank, and a mint. Hamilton also advocated for industrial growth, using the strategies such as expanding manufacturing, promoting immigration, including more workers in the labor force, and supporting businesses through initiatives such as the Society for Establishing Useful Manufactures. These measures helped reduce federal debt, generate revenue, and improve public perception of government.
During the Q&A, rangers discussed the influence of Eliza Hamilton, including her founding of an orphanage (now known as Graham Windham) and the design of a private room in the Grange, likely occupied by her. Questions about moving the house revealed that Hamilton Grange now sits just a few hundred feet from its original site in what is today St. Nicholas Park. The rangers also addressed the popularity of the musical Hamilton, noting that while references are frequent, they provide an accessible vocabulary for discussing history. The house itself, with artifacts such as a bust of Hamilton in the foyer, serves as the primary point of connection for visitors, bringing history to life in tangible ways.
Ranger Horrocks concluded by noting that the Old Slater Mill, like Hamilton Grange, has been preserved as a museum since the early 20th century. While the buildings themselves are not the entirety of Hamilton and Slater’s legacies, they offer a physical way to connect with their stories. The next Parked at Home webinar will feature Cowpens National Battlefield.