Hamilton Heights and Sugar Hill: Alexander Hamilton's Old Harlem Neighborhood Through the Centuries - Paperback

by Davida Siwisa James (Author)

Explores four centuries of colonization, land divisions, and urban development around this historic landmark neighborhood in West Harlem

It was the neighborhood where Alexander Hamilton built his country home, George Gershwin wrote his first hit, a young Norman Rockwell discovered he liked to draw, and Ralph Ellison wrote Invisible Man. Through words and pictures, Hamilton Heights and Sugar Hill traces the transition of this picturesque section of Harlem from lush farmland in the early 1600s to its modern-day growth as a unique Manhattan neighborhood highlighted by stunning architecture, Harlem Renaissance gatherings, and the famous residents who called it home.

Stretching from approximately 135th Street and Edgecombe Avenue to around 165th, all the way to the Hudson River, this small section in the Heights of West Harlem is home to so many significant events, so many extraordinary people, and so much of New York's most stunning architecture, it's hard to believe one place could contain all that majesty. Author Davida Siwisa James brings to compelling literary life the unique residents and dwelling places of this Harlem neighborhood that stands at the heart of the country's founding. Here she uncovers the long-lost history of the transitions to Hamilton Grange in the aftermath of Alexander Hamilton's death and the building boom from about 1885 to 1930 that made it one of Manhattan's most historic and architecturally desirable neighborhoods, now and a century ago. The book also shares the story of the LaGuardia High School of Music & Art, one of the fi rst in the nation to focus on arts and music. The author chronicles the history of the James A. Bailey House, as well as the Morris-Jumel Mansion, Manhattan's oldest surviving residence and famously known as George Washington's headquarters at the start of the American Revolution.

By telling the history of its vibrant people and the beautiful architecture of this lovely, well-maintained historic landmark neighborhood, James also dispels the misconception that Harlem was primarily a ghetto wasteland. The book also touches upon the Great Migration of Blacks leaving the South who landed in Harlem, helping it become the mecca for African Americans, including such Harlem Renaissance artists and luminaries as Thurgood Marshall, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Mary Lou Williams, Paul Robeson, Regina Anderson Andrews, and W. E. B. Du Bois.

Back Jacket

Hamilton Heights and Sugar Hill explores four centuries of colonization, urban development, and architectural splendor in this historic landmark West Harlem neighborhood. Home to Alexander Hamilton's country estate, the creative spark of George Gershwin and Norman Rockwell, the literary genius of Ralph Ellison, and countless other luminaries, this picturesque enclave has long been a hub of cultural and artistic innovation. Davida Siwisa James brings to life its evolution--from lush farmland in the 1600s, the Harlem Renaissance, to its modern-day history--highlighting its remarkable residents, stunning architecture, and enduring legacy as a cornerstone of New York history.

"Strings of sentences sing so poetically. Old Hamiltonian New York and twentieth-century Harlem come alive with the stories in each chapter. We lovers of New York City thank you."--Ron Howell, Associate Professor of Journalism, Brooklyn College, author of One Hundred Jobs: A Panorama of Work in the American City

"Her story of the geography, history, architecture, and cultural life of the area covers its origins as the land of the Lenape people, colonization by the Dutch and British, the construction of Alexander Hamilton's country estate, the Harlem Renaissance, ... gentrification, and the present day. James describes the social connections between Harlem residents while supplying readers with context for each person she discusses, expertly capturing a sense of life in Harlem. A fascinating record of the history and culture of influential neighborhoods in Harlem."--Amy Trendler, Library Journal

DAVIDA SIWISA JAMES is a Philadelphia native and lived in Manhattan's Morningside Heights and Sugar Hill. She has a BA in English from UCLA and attended Penn State Dickinson Law in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. She has been a university public relations director, a freelance journalist for the twice Pulitzer Prize-winning Virgin Islands Daily News, and has a twenty-year management career in performing arts finance and marketing. An accomplished writer, she has published nonfiction books, short stories and poetry. She resides in Los Angeles, CA.

Author Biography

DAVIDA SIWISA JAMES lived in Morningside Heights as a child and Sugar Hill as a young woman. She has a BA in English from UCLA and attended Penn State Dickinson Law in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. She has been a university public relations director, a freelance journalist for the twice Pulitzer Prize-winning Virgin Islands Daily News, and has a twenty-year management career in performing arts finance and marketing. She has published nonfiction books, essays, poems, a play, and an award-winning short story, "The Commute."