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Show (i fr iM $ H$'& 4m-- iJf h mHhyAWTr . KJ0STT2327 I n 1804, two of Americas foundfathers ing paired off in a duel to the death, and when the smoke cleared Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton lay fatally wounded and Vice President Aaron Burr stood tiiumphant Many Americans consider Burr a ruthless villain and Hamilton a truly great force in shaping the nation. But youd never know this by visiting their old mansions only a few blocks apart in New York City. Burrs dignified Georgian home has been completely renovated, refurnished, It is as handsome and married its widwhen as Burr today owed owner, Eliza Jumel, a century and a half ago. But Hamiltons mansion, the Grange. F has fared poorly through the years. Unpainted, rotting, shutters askew, the building is jammed between an apartment house and a church. The identifying sign outside is so rusted it can hardly be read, and even the American tom! Perhaps recognition will catch up with history this year, the 200th anniversary of Hamiltons birth. The American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society, which owns the Grange, hopes to raise $350,000 from various bicentennial celebrations. The money would be used to repair the house and move it to a wooded site, a token of respect to a man who, both in life and in death, lost to one of the most controversial figures of the Revolution. Inside Hamilton's home, a crumbling ceiling offers little protection to exhibits of our early history. flag is i r ""jj ii U- U " fell VSJjt- a , - a' The home of Aaron Burr is well maintained, yet he killed Hamilton, was not as historically. important Family Weekly, Auyiut 11, 1 957 9 |