This is a must see in New York City if for no other reason than just because it is unique in being the only building from the nineteenth century, with classic features to have survived the ravages of time and progress. Almost all of its contents including furniture, furnishings, portraits in oil, personal belongings, and artefacts are perfectly preserved, and intact. This therefore represents an amazing time capsule of the period. It is what makes this the most unusual museum of lived history.When we visited it the exterior was covered in netting and scaffolding. Major restoration of the outside was in progress. The scaffolding was expected to be removed by December 2026This place was built in 1832 by the abolitionist Joseph Brewster, a builder by trade, to showcase wealth, grandeur and pomp at the time. The inside of the building retains its structure and character, for instance, its expensive black marble fireplace. The hallway at the entrance has hand painted walls (using a feather to give them a faux marble appearance). The house has ornamental ceilings and purely decorative doors placed for symmetry, not serving any useful function. The chandeliers suspended from the ceiling could be moved down and up on a system of pulleys and counterweights to light or extinguish the candles, and later perhaps gas lamps at a time when electricity had not arrived in homes. There was some peeling in the ceiling in one of the bedrooms, attributed to casein (milk protein) used in the paint.The kitchen boasts of an impressive cooker with twin stacks which would be the envy of the modern housewife. A beehive oven was used to bake bread and pies. The discoloured lower few inches of the wooden legs of the pie-safe is the result of being immersed in bowls containing poison. This was to prevent rats from clambering up those wooden legs and accessing the pies. There was an arrangement of calling bells with differential rings/tones in the kitchen from the various rooms in the house to summon the Irish maids who worked here. The maids themselves had the use of the penthouse on the fifth floor to be their living quarters.Three years later the house was bought by the merchant Seaway Tredwell accounting for the moniker it acquired as Merchant’s House. It remained with the Tredwells for the better part of a century.When their seventh child Sarah Tredwell injured her ankle, the family brought home a hand cranked chair lift for her use. This chair lift can be seen parked on the fifth floor.Gertrude who was eighth child of the family was born here in 1840. She remained single and never moved out. Gertrude Tredwell having outlived her siblings died in the house in 1933 at the age of 93. Merchant’s House then opened as a museum in 1936.This is a town house constructed over five floors. It opens for pre-booked conducted tours, Wednesday through Sunday (tickets $20.50) at 12 noon,. These guided tours are informative and well worth the extra money that one pays for it. Our guide showed us pictures, on an iPad, of the house and its environs, as it was then and now, and also NYC itself as it has grown from being a small seaport to becoming a bustling metropolis.Walk-ins for self-guided tours is possible from 1 pm (tickets $15.50, Seniors and students with ID $10.50). Docents may be on hand. The museum closes at 5 pm; last entry 4.30 pm.A secret, narrow passageway was a late discovery, hidden behind a cupboard and drawers in the first floor bedroom. It consisted of a square opening 2x2 feet that went two floors (15 feet) down the west wall, ending at the basement. There is a ladder leading down the opening to what has mysteriously been called the New York Underground Railroad. (Of course it has nothing to do with the NY Subway system which came into existence only in 1904). Interestingly, when the opening was first uncovered it was hailed as “not serving any known domestic purpose …an architectural anomaly: no other 1830s house has similar passageways.”The passageway was obviously the brainchild of the abolitionist Brewster. It was actually connected to a network of safe houses that sheltered freedom seekers as they journeyed north. The railroad terminology was a useful code where safe houses were “stations” and were helped along by so called “conductors”. It was said that the discovery of the secret passageway allowed the Merchant’s House Museum to retell the story of “New York City’s early abolitionist movement and the beginnings of the Underground Railroad “.The building itself is currently owned by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. The museum is operated independently by a non-profit organisation - The Old Merchant's House of New York, Inc. which maintains the museum.

Great experience, would highly recommend. We were the only ones in the house at the time and enjoyed the history of the family and period. The Underground Railroad detail was very interesting and really enjoyed that part.Very similar to the Roosevelt house in a very well persevered period house.

This is a must see in New York City if for no other reason than just because it is unique in being the only building from the nineteenth century, with classic features to have survived the ravages of time and progress. Almost all of its contents including furniture, furnishings, personal belongings and artefacts are perfectly preserved, and intact. This therefore represents an amazing time capsule of the period. It is what makes this the most unusual museum of lived history. When we visited it was covered in netting and scaffolding. Major restoration of the outside was in progress. The scaffolding was expected to be removed by December 2026This place was built in 1832 by the abolitionist Joseph Brewster, a builder by trade, to showcase wealth, grandeur and pomp at the time. The inside of the building retains its structure and character like its expensive black marble fireplace. The hallway at the entrance has hand painted walls (with a feather to give them a faux marble appearance). The house has ornamental ceilings and purely decorative doors placed for symmetry, not serving any useful function. The chandeliers suspended from the ceiling could be moved down and up on a system of pulleys and counterweights to light or extinguish the candles, and later perhaps gas lamps at a time when electricity had not arrived in homes. There was some peeling in the ceiling in one of the bedrooms, attributed to casein (milk protein) used in the paint.The kitchen boasts of an impressive cooker with twin stacks which would be the envy of the modern housewife. A beehive oven was used to bake bread and pies. The discoloured lower few inches of the wooden legs of the pie-safe are witness to being immersed in bowls containing poison. This was to prevent rats from clambering up those kegs accessing the pies. There was an arrangement of calling bells with differential rings/tones from the various rooms in the house to summon the Irish maids who worked here. The maids themselves had the use of the penthouse on the fifth floor to be their living quarters.Three years later it was bought by the merchant Seaway Tredwell accounting for the moniker it acquired as Merchant’s House. It remained with the Tredwells for the better part of a century. When their seventh child Sarah Tredwell injured her ankle, the family brought home a hand cranked chair lift for her use. This chair lift can be seen on the fifth floor.Gertrude who was eighth child of the family was born here in 1840 She remained single and never moved out. Gertrude Tredwell having outlived her siblings died here in 1933 at the age of 93. Merchant’s House then opened as a museum in 1936.This is town house constructed over five floors. It opens for pre-booked conducted tours, Wednesday through Sunday (tickets $20.50) at 12 noon,. These guided tours are informative and well worth the extra money that one pays for it. Our guide showed us pictures, on an iPad, of the house and its environs, as it was then and now, and also NYC itself as it has grown from being a small seaport to becoming a bustling metropolis.Walk-ins for self-guided tours is possible from 1 pm (tickets $15.50, Seniors and Students with ID $10.50) Docents may be on hand. The museum closes at 5 pm; last entry 4.30 pm.A secret, narrow passageway was a late discovery, hidden behind a cupboard and drawers in the first floor bedroom. It consisted of a square opening 2x2 feet that went 15 feet down the west wall, ending at the ground floor. There is a ladder leading down the opening to what has mysteriously been called the New York Underground Railroad. (Of course it has nothing to do with the NY Subway system which came into existence only in 1904). Interestingly, when the opening was first uncovered it was hailed as “not serving any known domestic purpose …an architectural anomaly: no other 1830s house has similar passageways.”The passageway was obviously the brainchild of the abolitionist Brewster. It was actually connected to a network of safe houses that sheltered freedom seekers as they journeyed north. The railroad terminology was a useful code where safe houses were “stations” and were helped along by so called “conductors”. It was said that the discovery of the secret passageway allowed the Merchant’s House Museum to retell the story of “New York City’s early abolitionist movement and the beginnings of the Underground Railroad “.The building itself is currently owned by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. The museum is operated independently by a non-profit organisation - The Old Merchant's House of New York, Inc. which maintains the museum.The imminent challenge threatening the very existence of this beautiful ancient building is an unwelcome proposal for a new multi-storey building to be raised immediately next door at 27 East 4th Street. The vibrations from construction work, once it begins along with the din of jackhammers and clanging heavy machinery and cranes etc. would literally shake the very foundations of this heritage building on 29 East 4th Street. One can imagine it getting reduced to a pile of rubble beside the shiny new edifice, burying history for all time. It will be a sad outcome for us all and for the generations to come. Therefore, Merchant’s House Museum needs protection and preservation at all cost. Appeals are being made to Mayor Zohran Mamdani to block/veto forever the proposed new build. We pray he hears the cries of his people and that he will take steps, before it is too late, to stop the new building - after all it is the City that owns the building. Will the Mayor act? The answer, as they say, is blowing in the wind…

This is a must see in New York City if for no other reason than just because it is unique in being the only building from the nineteenth century, with period features to have survived the ravages of time and progress. Almost all of its contents including furniture, furnishings, personal belongings and artefacts are well preserved, and intact. That makes this an amazing time capsule of history. When we visited it was covered in netting and scaffolding. Major restoration of the outside was in progress. The scaffolding was expected to be removed by December 2026 This place was built in 1832 by the abolitionist Joseph Brewster, a builder by trade, to showcase wealth, grandeur and pomp at the time. The inside of the building retains its structure and character like the expensive black marble fireplace. The hallway at the entrance has hand painted walls (with a feather to give a faux marble appearance). The house ornamental ceilings and purely decorative doors placed for symmetry, not serving any useful function. There was some peeling in the ceiling attributed to casein (milk protein) used in the paint. The kitchen boasts of a large cooker with twin stacks which would be the envy of the modern housewife. And there was a system of calling bells from the different rooms in the house to summon the Irish maids who worked here. The maids themselves had the use of the penthouse on the fifth floor to be their living quarters. Three years later it was bought by the merchant Seaway Tredwell accounting for the moniker it acquired as Merchant’s House. It remained with the Tredwells for nearly a century. Their eighth child Gertrude was born here in 1840 She remained single and never moved out. Gertrude Tredwell having outlived her siblings died here in 1933 at the age of 93. Merchant’s House then opened as a museum in 1936. This is town house constructed over five floors. It opens for pre-booked conducted tours (tickets $20.50) at 12 noon, Wednesday through Sunday. These guided tours are informative and well worth the extra that one pays for it. Our guide showed on an iPad pictures of the house and its environs, then and now, as also NYC itself as it has grown from a small seaport to becoming a bustling metropolis. Walk-ins for self-guided tours is possible from 1 pm (tickets $15.50, Seniors and Students with ID $10.50) Docents may be on hand. The museum closes at 5 pm; last entry 4.30 pm. When their seventh child Sarah Tredwell injured an ankle, the family brought home a hand cranked chair lift for her use. This chair lift can be seen on the fifth floor. A secret, narrow passageway was a late discovery, hidden behind a cupboard and drawers in the first floor. It consisted of a square opening 2x2 feet that goes 15 feet down the west wall ending at the ground floor. There is a ladder leading down the opening to what has mysteriously been called the New York Underground Railroad. (Of course it has nothing to do with the NY Subway system which came into existence only in 1904). Interestingly, when the opening was first uncovered it was hailed as “not serving any known domestic purpose …an architectural anomaly: no other 1830s house has similar passageways.” That passageway was obviously the brainchild of the abolitionist Brewster. The passageway was actually connected to a network of safe houses that sheltered freedom seekers as they journeyed north. The railroad terminology was a useful code where safe houses were “stations” and were helped along by so called “conductors”. It was said that the discovery of the secret passageway allowed the Merchant’s museum retell the story of “New York City’s early abolitionist movement and the beginnings of the Underground Railroad “.The building itself is currently owned by New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. The museum is operated independently by a non-profit organisation - The Old Merchant's House of New York, Inc. which maintains the museum.The challenge threatening the very existence of this beautiful ancient building is an unwelcome proposal for a new multi-storey office building to be raised immediately next door at 27 East 4th Street. The vibrations from construction work, once it begins along with jackhammers and heavy machinery and cranes etc. would shake the very foundations of this heritage building on 29 East 4th Street. Merchant’s House Museum needs protection and preservation at all cost. Appeals are being made to Mayor Zohran Mamdani to block/veto forever the proposed new build. We pray he hears the cries of his people and that he will take steps, before it is too late, to stop the new build - after all it is the City that owns the building. Will the Mayor act? The answer, as they say, is blowing in the wind…

Visited the Merchant's House Museum on a Wednesday during my New York trip, and it completely exceeded my expectations. Yes, the facade was under scaffolding for restoration work at the time (the entrance is currently tucked behind green construction walls), but don't let that deter you — once you're inside, you're stepped straight back into the 1850s.The house is remarkably well preserved, right down to the original furniture, portraits, and even a hidden wall cavity you can peek into showing the original construction. One of the most fascinating details: the family had a hand-cranked elevator installed in the 1870s for a daughter who'd been injured, predating a lot of the modern accessibility conversation by decades. There's a great exhibit on the museum's ties to an integrated church and abolitionist history too, which added real depth beyond just admiring the antiques.The garden out back is a quiet, unexpected escape from the city, and the docents clearly know their stuff. And yes — this house has a reputation for being haunted, which only added to the atmosphere wandering through the dim upstairs bedrooms and servants' quarters. Whether or not you believe in that sort of thing, it's easy to feel the weight of history here.Highly recommend for anyone interested in NYC history, historic homes, or just looking for something off the beaten path. I'll definitely be bringing my family next time.Highly recommend for anyone interested in NYC history, historic homes, or just looking for something off the beaten path. I'll definitely be bringing my family next time.