It took more than 200 years and two moves to finally establish a proper monument to Hamilton

Except for brief assignments in the military and government, Alexander Hamilton made New York City his home for the remainder of his life. Compared to other founding fathers, Hamilton did more to advance and defend the interests of New York. He and his expanding family, which eventually numbered eight children, resided in several rented residences in lower Manhattan for a considerable amount of time. Hamilton bought a 32-acre plot of land in modern-day Harlem, which at the time was regarded as a rural suburb of New York, after leaving the government in 1795. In commemoration of the Scottish ancestral home of his father, he gave it the name "the Grange." The sole residence Hamilton ever owned, the mansion was finished in 1802, nearly driving the family into bankruptcy.

After Hamilton's passing in 1804, the Grange's future underwent several unexpected changes, both literally and figuratively. On the condition that it be moved from its original location to a new plot 250 feet away, the home was gifted to a New York church in 1889. The National Park Service was given management of the house in the 1960s when it fell into serious disrepair. The agency was entrusted with locating a suitable location for the house and bringing it back to its former splendor. It took close to 30 years to carry on this promise due to severe budget cuts and community opposition. More than 200 years after Hamilton passed away, the Grange was successfully moved to neighboring St. NichoParkland, which is currently owned by the city but was previously part of the original 32-acre Hamilton estate, using hydraulic lifts in 2008. After receiving a $14.5 million makeover, it reopened to the public in September 2011.