2015 Programs
All performances are SOLD OUT. Mark your calendars for December 2016!
Return engagement of
A CHRISTMAS CAROL at the MERCHANT’S HOUSE, Charles Dickens in New York, 1867
Starring John Kevin Jones as Mr. Dickens
Come celebrate the season with this unique retelling of a holiday classic, set in the Museum’s Greek Revival double parlor decorated in 19th century holiday style. Perfect for families.
NEW this year! Toast the season before the performance with mulled wine and light fare.
“The Christmas Carol becomes doubly enchanting when one hears it performed by Dickens.” New York Herald, 1867
TimeOut New York: “One of the 10 Best Plays to see this holiday season”
Limited engagement December 10 to December 24. Performance added Saturday, December 19, 5 p.m.
Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.
“Masterful storytelling” and a “tour de force”
“Stays true to Dickens’s voice”
“Perfectly suited to the season”
Wednesday, December 2, 6 to 8 p.m.
Annual 19th-Century Holiday Party
With special performance previews of ‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL at the MERCHANT’S HOUSE, Charles Dickens in New York, 1867’ throughout the evening by star John Kevin Jones
The House will be in festive mid-19th century holiday dress with a table top tree, poinsettias, and greenery decking the halls. Join us for tours of the house, caroling, and a collation of Dickensian fare as we celebrate the holidays in Old New-York. Holiday raffle.
$25. Click here to purchase tickets. FREE for Museum Members (Join Now!)
Members please call 212-777-1089 or email nyc1832@merchantshouse.org to reserve.
Through November 2015
Manhattan’s First Landmark: The Merchant’s House Museum
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the City’s groundbreaking Landmarks Law signed on April 19, 1965
Sunday, November 8, 12:30 p.m. Last Walking Tour until March 2016!
Special Walking Tour: 19th Century Landmark Treasures of Noho (Second Sunday of the Month)
Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the passing of the Landmarks law in NYC in 1965.
On this one-hour walking tour of the Noho Historic District, promenaders will see 11 buildings designated as individual New York City landmarks. The tour begins at the 1832 Merchant’s House and within a few blocks traces 100 years of social, economic and technological changes in New York during the 19th century, from a residential enclave for the wealthy merchant families of Old New York to a center of manufacturing and busy cultural center. The tour will feature stories of famous as well as infamous residents and builders of these landmarks and the renowned architects who designed them. Stops will include Colonnade Row, the DeVinne Press Building, Astor Library, The Cooper Union, and the Bayard-Condict Building.
Promenaders will return to the Museum in time to take the 2 p.m. Guided Tour if they wish.
$10, $5 Students & Seniors, FREE for Members.
This program is part of NYC Landmarks50 Alliance, the multi-year celebration of the 50th anniversary of New York City’s Preservation Landmarks Law (April 19, 1965). All proceeds go directly to helping defray legal and engineering expenses incurred to protect the House from the impending construction next door. Learn more here.
Friday, November 13, 6:30 p.m.
Open Mic Nite in the Parlor III
Our August and September Open Mic Nites were such a success, we’re doing it again. In the 19th century, literary salons gathered great thinkers, artists, and writers under one roof for a night of socialization and “improving conversation.” In that same spirit, the Merchant’s House is celebrating the works of today’s new writers, performance artists, and musicians. Come share your work or simply enjoy. Wine & light refreshments will be served.
If you’d like to perform, please bring no more than 5 minutes of material. A sign-up sheet will be available upon entry.
Admission $10, Students & Seniors $5, FREE for Members. Reservations are not necessary.
Sunday, November 15, 11 a.m. Last Walking Tour until March 2016!
A Walking Tour of Historic 19th Century Noho (Third Sunday of the Month)
See below for information.
Friday, November 20, 6:30 & 7 p.m. SOLD OUT (Next Ghost Tour Friday, January 15!)
Pre-Thanksgiving Candlelight Ghost Tour
of “Manhattan’s Most Haunted House”
Haunted by the prospect of your relatives at Thanksgiving? Join us on a Candlelight Ghost Tour to get in the mood. Doors slam, floorboards creak, voices call into the dead of night. Venture into the shadows of history to see the house where eight family members died (and The New York Times called “Manhattan’s Most Haunted”) by flickering candlelight and hear true tales of inexplicable occurrences from the people who actually experienced them.
50 minutes. $20, $10 Members.
“#1 Most Haunted Place in NYC” (TimeOut New York, October 27, 2015)
Thursday, October 8 – Monday, November 2
Exhibition – “Truly We Live in a Dying World:” A 19th Century Home in Mourning
Including rarely exhibited items of Tredwell family mourning dress and accessories from the collection.
Step back in time to 1865, when family patriarch Seabury Tredwell died at home in his second floor bedroom. Poignant scenes of death and grief recreated in the House will explore mid-19th century mourning customs. Pay your last respects at his deathbed upstairs, or join the mourning in the double parlor, hung with black crepe curtains and set for a mid-19th century funeral. Also on exhibit, Tredwell family photographs and mourning attire and accessories, including jewelry made of hair and jet, a black net veil, several bodices and shawls, and two 1870s mourning gowns.
BESPOOKED!
RESERVATIONS required for all events unless otherwise noted.
Tuesday, October 13, 6:30 p.m.
Illustrated Lecture: “Of All Nights in the Year:” The Secret and the Sacred in a 19th Century Hallowe’en
What would a proper middle class family have done to celebrate Hallowe’en in 19th century New York? How would their children have spent All Hallow’s Eve? And what does a 26-year old librarian have to do with it all?
Drawing on an astonishing and long-forgotten work of scholarship by Ruth Edna Kelley, The Book of Hallowe’en (1919), this illustrated lecture will show how the cards and costumes, carvings and capering we often associate with Hallowe’en customs prevalent in 19th century America betray a primeval urge to indulge our wild, albeit hidden, natures.
Presented by ghost tour guide, horror writer, and Hallowe’en enthusiast Andrea Janes, this lively and fascinating look at our most primal celebrations reminds us why Hallowe’en is among the most beloved and bewitching “of all nights in the year!”
$10, $5 MHM Members.
Friday, October 16, 7 p.m.
Chant Macabre: Songs from the Crypt
Ghosts, ghouls, and goblins haunt the lyrics of the 19th century. Come be spooked by these harrowing tales as the Bond Street Euterpean Singing Society bewitches your imagination and sings shivers down your spine, echoing sumptuous, rarely performed songs in an authentic period parlor. Singers Anthony Bellov, Amy Gluck, Jane Elizabeth Rady, and Dayle Vander Sande. Music by Schubert, Liszt, Debussy, Duparc, Loewe, Mussorgsky, and others. 75 minutes. $25, $15 MHM Members.
Candlelight Ghost Tours
Of ‘Manhattan’s Most Haunted House’ (The New York Times)
Updated with the latest eerie happenings!
Eight family members died in the house; their funerals were held in the front parlor hung with black crepe. We invite you to venture into the dark and ghostly shadows of history by flickering candlelight to hear chilling tales of restless phantoms, voices calling into the night, and otherworldly occurrences from the people who actually experienced them.
50-minute tours begin every half hour from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Friday, October 23 & Saturday, October 24
Super Spooky Tour (includes 4th Floor Servants’ Quarters): 6:30, 8 & 9:30 p.m. $35
Spooky Tour: 7, 7:30, 8:30, 9 p.m. $25
MHM Members $15 all times.
Wednesday, October 28; Thursday, October 29; Friday, October 30
Super Spooky Tour (includes 4th Floor Servants’ Quarters): 6:30, 8 & 9:30 p.m. $40
Spooky Tour: 7, 7:30, 8:30, 9 p.m. $30
MHM Members $15 all times.
Sunday, October 25, 4 to 5:30 p.m. SOLD OUT
From Parlor to Grave: 1865 Funeral Reenactment and Graveyard Procession
In the 19th century, death and funerals took place at home. Join us in the Museum’s double parlor as we recreate the 1865 funeral service of Seabury Tredwell and discuss the funerary customs of 19th century New York City. After the service, mourners follow the coffin to nearby New York City Marble Cemetery – rarely open to the public – for the graveside service and cemetery talk. 19th century mourning attire is encouraged.
VIP tickets include front-row seating, black armbands (and the opportunity to lead the graveyard procession as a pallbearer).
$40, $55 VIP Seats, $25 MHM Members
Saturday, October 31, 7 p.m. SOLD OUT
Tales from the Crypt: Horror on Hallowe’en
Patriarch Seabury Tredwell has died. His coffin sits in the front parlor surrounded by lilies and flickering candles; black crepe covers the mirrors. Join us for dramatic readings from the darkest of 19th Gothic literature and true ghost stories as reported by museum visitors of the unsettling and unexplainable. $25, $15 MHM Members.
Sunday, October 18, 11 a.m.
A Walking Tour of Historic 19th Century Noho (Third Sunday of the Month)
See below for information.
Sunday, October 11, 12:30 p.m.
Special Walking Tour: 19th Century Landmark Treasures of Noho (Second Sunday of the Month)
Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the passing of the Landmarks law in NYC in 1965.
See below for information.
Thursday, August 20, through Monday, October 5
Lessons Learned: The Tredwell Daughters’ Schoolbooks
A fashionable education for New York City’s well-to-do young ladies covered a variety of subjects, including geography, mathematics, composition, and French; their studies also went far beyond traditional academics with lessons in music, dancing, and other social graces.
The five older Tredwell daughters attended Mrs. Okill’s Academy, one of the most elite private female academies of the time, located on Eighth Street. The school was housed in two connecting buildings each with a floor plan similar to that of the Merchant’s House. Here boarding students from as far away as Ohio and Louisiana joined day students like the Tredwells.
On display from the collection, a variety of rarely exhibited lessons and schoolbooks, some bearing the comments and signature of Mrs. Okill herself.
Sunday, September 27, 12:30 p.m.
Special Walking Tour: 19th Century Landmark Treasures of Noho
Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the passing of the Landmarks law in NYC in 1965.
See below for information.
Friday, September 25, 6:30 p.m.
Candlelight Ghost Tour
Of “Manhattan’s Most Haunted House” (The New York Times)
Eight family members died in the house; their funerals were held in the front parlor hung with black crepe. We invite you to venture into the dark and ghostly shadows of history to hear chilling tales of restless phantoms, voices calling into the night, and other-worldy occurrences from the people who actually experienced them.
50 minutes. $20, $10 Members. Reservations required; click here to purchase tickets.
September 20 through 27
NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission SITE OF THE WEEK: Merchant’s House Museum
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Commission in 2015, each week the LPC is highlighting an individual landmark. LPC has launched a new website — www.landmarks.nyc, encompassing a year-long series of digital features and events at landmark sites throughout New York City.
Through Friday, September 25
Out of Their Boxes: The Tredwell Costume Collection on Display
One-piece Summer Day Dress, c. 1858 (MHM 2002.0815)
On display in Eliza Tredwell’s bedroom: a one-piece, summer day dress of white cotton printed with flowers and blue dots. Light, semi-sheer cotton such as the kind used for this dress would have been ideal for surviving the heat in New York City’s notoriously hot and humid summers. A cotton day dress like the one on display would have been of the utmost necessity for fashionable women like the Tredwells.
At left: detail of sleeves, featuring white embroidered trim.
The Tredwell Costume Collection comprises more than 400 articles of clothing, primarily women’s dresses and their accompanying chemisettes, collars, undersleeves, and petticoats. The core of the collection is a remarkable 39 dresses documented to have been owned and worn by the women of the family. Many are outstanding examples of the 19th-century dressmaker’s art, composed of fine and delicate fabrics and ornamentation. Individual dresses are displayed on a rotating basis throughout the year.
Thursday, September 24, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Open Mic Nite in the Garden II
Our August Open Mic Nite was such a success, we’re doing it again. In the 19th century, literary salons gathered great thinkers, artists, and writers under one roof for a night of socialization and “improving conversation.” In that same spirit, the Merchant’s House is celebrating the works of today’s new writers, performance artists, and musicians with an Open Mic Nite in the Garden. Come share your work or simply enjoy. Refreshments will be served.
If you’d like to perform, please bring no more than 5 minutes of material. A sign-up sheet will be available upon entry.
Admission $10, Students & Seniors $5, FREE for Members. Reservations are not necessary.
Sunday, September 20, 11 a.m.
A Walking Tour of Historic 19th Century Noho (Third Sunday of the Month)
See below for information.
Monday, September 21, 10 to 11:30 a.m. and 12 to 1:30 p.m.
A Walking Tour of the Noho Historic District
Co-sponsored by the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
These tours have reached capacity; we are no longer accepting reservations.
On September 21, 1965, the Landmarks Preservation Commission held its inaugural meeting following the passing of the Landmarks Law in April. At that meeting, the 1832 Merchant’s House was designated the first landmark in the borough of Manhattan. In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the meeting, the Merchant’s House and GVSHP will give walking tours of 19th century landmark treasures of the NoHo Historic District.
On this one-hour walking tour, promenaders will see 11 buildings designated as individual New York City landmarks. In 1832, when the Merchant’s House was built, elegant Greek Revival row houses of red brick and white marble flanked the tree-lines streets of this fashionable residential enclave, known as the Bond Street area. At mid-century, cast iron made its first appearance and commercial buildings and factories came to dominate the area. By century’s end, Louis Sullivan’s 12-story steel-framed office building was scraping the sky on Bleecker Street.
We will be outdoors and on our feet the entire time, so please wear comfortable shoes and dress accordingly.
This program is part of NYC Landmarks50 Alliance, the multi-year celebration of the 50th anniversary of New York City’s Preservation Landmarks Law (April 19, 1965). All proceeds go directly to helping defray legal and engineering expenses incurred to protect the House from the impending construction next door. Learn more here.
Wednesday, September 16, 7 to 9:30 p.m.
1832 Society Benefit: 5th Annual COCKTAILS in the GARDEN
Host Sponsor STUDIO SOFIELD
The Younger Members of the Merchant’s House Museum (40 and under) invite you to an early fall evening of cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and music in our 19th century garden.
Click here to purchase tickets.
Saturday, September 12, 3 p.m.
Exhibition Talk –
Tredwell Costume Collection/One-piece Summer Day Dress, ca. 1858
On display through Friday, September 25.
With Pamela Long, Textile Conservator
Tuesday, August 25, 6 to 8 p.m.
Open Mic Nite in the Garden
In the 19th century, literary salons gathered great thinkers, artists, and writers under one roof for a night of socialization and “improving conversation.” In that same spirit, the Merchant’s House is celebrating the works of today’s new writers, performance artists, and musicians with an Open Mic Nite in the Garden. Come share your work or simply enjoy. Refreshments will be served.
If you’d like to perform, please bring no more than 5 minutes of material. A sign-up sheet will be available upon entry.
Admission $10, Students & Seniors $5, FREE for Members. Reservations are not necessary.
Sunday, August 16, 11 a.m.
A Walking Tour of Historic 19th Century Noho (Third Sunday of the Month)
See below for information.
Wednesday, August 19, 6:30 p.m.
This program has reached capacity; we are no longer accepting reservations.
Lecture and Slideshow
The Merchant’s Misfortune: The Merchant’s House Museum – A Tale of Survival
With Michael Devonshire
Co-sponsored by the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
Built in 1832, the Merchant’s House at 29 East 4th Street is the City’s only family home to have survived intact – inside and out – from the 19th century. Home to a prosperous merchant family and their Irish servants for almost 100 years and open as a museum since 1936, the late-Federal and Greek Revival Merchant’s House is considered one of the finest surviving examples of domestic architecture from the period.
The Merchant’s House was the first building in Manhattan designated a landmark in 1965 and now also one of only 117 interior landmarks in the city. The Landmarks Law in 1965 may have saved it from the wrecker’s ball, but not the inevitable ravages of time.
Michael Devonshire, Director of Conservation at the firm Jan Hird Pokorny Associates, which has overseen all restoration work on the building since 1990, will present a detailed restoration history of this remarkable historic house. He is also a commissioner at the Landmarks Preservation Commission.
Free; reservations required.
LOCATION: The Parlour at the Salmagundi Club
47 5th Avenue, between 11th and 12th Streets
[This venue is not wheelchair accessible]
This program is part of NYC Landmarks50 Alliance, the multi-year celebration of the 50th anniversary of New York City’s Landmarks Law.
Sunday, August 9, 12:30 p.m.
Special Walking Tour: 19th Century Landmark Treasures of Noho (Second Sunday of the Month)
Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the passing of the Landmarks law in NYC in 1965.
Every Thursday in July/Museum & Garden Open until 8 p.m. (Last entry 7:30 p.m.)
SUMMER EVENINGS in the GARDEN
Talks & Tours, 6:30 p.m. Light Refreshments. Rain or Shine.
July 2 – Trivia in the Garden
9 – Summer Getaways: Taking the Waters in Saratoga Springs
16 – Cutting Gardens & Plantings for 19th Century Home Décor
23 – Dining at Home in the 19th Century
30 – Trivia in the Garden
Admission $10, $5 Students & Seniors, FREE for Members.
Sunday, July 19, 11 a.m.
A Walking Tour of Historic 19th Century Noho (Third Sunday of the Month)
Join us for a journey back in time to the elite ‘Bond Street area,’ home to Astors, Vanderbilts, Delanos — and the Tredwells, who lived in the Merchant’s House. You’ll walk the footsteps of these wealthy mercantile families whose elegant Federal mansions once lined the tranquil cobblestone streets. Our tour passes by iconic landmarks such as the imposing Colonnade Row, the Public Theater, and The Cooper Union, where Lincoln gave his ‘right makes might’ speech. On the bustling Astor Place, imagine the drama of events that led to the Opera House riot of 1849, among the bloodiest in American history. And visit the site of the scandalous 1857 Bond Street murder of Harvey Burdell, one of the City’s still unsolved crimes.
$10, $5 Students & Seniors, FREE for Members.
Limited to 20 people. Reservations not required.
NOTE: Tours are canceled in the case of heavy rain, snow, or extreme heat and cold advisories.
Upcoming Walking Tours: Sunday, August 23, September 20, October 18, November 22.
Friday, July 17, 6:30 p.m.
Candlelight Ghost Tour
Doors slam, floorboards creak, voices call into the night. Venture into the shadows of history to see the house where eight family members died (and The New York Times called “Manhattan’s Most Haunted House”) by flickering candlelight and hear true tales of inexplicable occurrences from the people who actually experienced them.
50 minutes. $20, $10 Members.
Click here for tickets.
Sunday, July 12
Special Walking Tour: 19th Century Landmark Treasures of Noho
See below for information
April 2 through June 29
Exhibition: Out of Their Boxes: The Tredwell Costume Collection on Display
On display in Eliza’s Tredwell’s bedroom: a two-piece day ensemble, ca. 1858, made of green silk taffeta trimmed with wide bands of black cut-silk velvet and narrow ruffles of cream-colored bobbin lace. It is likely this dress had an additional bodice with a lower neckline and shorter sleeves, which would have changed it into an evening ensemble. This dress is documented in the Index of American Design (IAD) at the National Gallery of Art, 1943.8.1472.
Also on exhibit is a theater handbill from 1860, which was discovered in the early 1960s in the pocket of the dress. The handbill is from Laura Keene’s Theatre, then located at 624 Broadway, just blocks from the Tredwells’ home. Keene may be best known as the actress performing in Our American Cousin at Ford’s Theatre the night Abraham Lincoln was shot in April 1865. Keene rushed with water to the President’s side and cradled Lincoln’s head in her lap while waiting for help to arrive. One of her blood-stained dress cuffs is in the collection of the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.
April 2 through June 29
Exhibition: “All Broadway is Black with Mourning:” The 150th Anniversary of the Assassination and Funeral of Abraham Lincoln, April 1865
The assassination of Abraham Lincoln on April 14, 1865, shocked the nation. In New York City, the outpouring of grief was immediate and palpable. Ten days later, Lincoln’s body arrived in New York on its way to Illinois for burial. His body lay in state for 24 hours at City Hall, where an estimated 150,000 New Yorkers filed by the open casket to pay their respects. On April 25, hundreds of thousands lined the streets to watch the magnificent funeral carriage – led by 16 grey horses – proceed up Broadway through the Tredwells’ neighborhood to Union Square.
Lincoln’s funeral activities in New York overwhelmed the city’s residents, no doubt including the Tredwell family, who were already in mourning for husband and father Seabury, who had died just a month before. On view will be several Tredwell possessions in the Museum’s collection relating to Lincoln’s death and funeral, including two newspapers, The New York Times and The New York Herald, and Mrs. Tredwell’s inscribed copy of a sermon memorializing Lincoln from St. Paul’s Chapel. (Click the links for full text of articles and sermon.)
“All Broadway is black with mourning – the facades of the houses are festooned with black …” (Walt Whitman, April 1865).
March 1 through June 29
Exhibition: “Sacred to the Memory:” The 150th Anniversary of the Death of Seabury Tredwell
This year marks the 150th anniversary of the death of Seabury Tredwell, the patriarch of the family who lived at 29 East 4th Street for nearly 100 years. Come pay your last respects as we celebrate the life (and commemorate the death) of “one of New York’s oldest and most respected merchants” (New York Post, 1865).
Every Thursday in June and July/Museum & Garden Open until 8 p.m. (Last entry 7:30 p.m.)
SUMMER EVENINGS in the GARDEN
Tours & Talks, 6:30 p.m. Light Refreshments. Rain or Shine.
June 4 – Opening Celebration. Free admission. Guided house tour
11 – Saratoga Springs: America’s 19th Century Club Med, with author & historian Benjamin Feldman
18 – 19th Century Garden Beds and Borders, with Merchant’s House Head Gardener John Rommel
25 – Dining Out: NYC’s First Restaurants, with professional chef and culinary educator Carl Raymond
Admission $10, $5 Students & Seniors, FREE for Members.
Sunday, June 21, 11 a.m.
A Walking Tour of Historic 19th Century Noho (Third Sunday of the Month)
Join us for a journey back in time to the elite ‘Bond Street area,’ home to Astors, Vanderbilts, Delanos — and the Tredwells, who lived in the Merchant’s House. You’ll walk the footsteps of these wealthy mercantile families whose elegant Federal mansions once lined the tranquil cobblestone streets. Our tour passes by iconic landmarks such as the imposing Colonnade Row, the Public Theater, and The Cooper Union, where Lincoln gave his ‘right makes might’ speech. On the bustling Astor Place, imagine the drama of events that led to the Opera House riot of 1849, among the bloodiest in American history. And visit the site of the scandalous 1857 Bond Street murder of Harvey Burdell, one of the City’s still unsolved crimes.
$10, $5 Students & Seniors, FREE for Members.
Limited to 20 people. Reservations not required.
NOTE: Tours are canceled in the case of heavy rain, snow, or extreme heat and cold advisories.
Next Walking Tour: Sunday, July 19
Saturday, June 20, 3 p.m.
Special Interactive Tour for Families: A Child’s View of Life in 19th Century New York
29 East Fourth Street was home not only to the eight Tredwell children, but also to two young granddaughters. Come tour the house and learn what life was like for children (and adults) in the 1850s, from schoolwork and chores to games and play. Could you carry a bucket of coal up steep stairs? Do you have a calling card? A top hat? What, no hoop skirt? How did you take a bath? And penmanship really, really mattered.
Best for children 8 to 12 years old. $15, one adult, one child. $20, one adult, two children (max.).
Reservations required; click here for tickets.
Friday, June 19, 6:30 p.m. & 7 p.m.
Candlelight Ghost Tour
Click here for tickets.
Next Ghost Tour: Friday, July 17.
Sunday, June 14, 12:30 p.m.
Second Sunday Walking Tour: 19th Century Landmark Treasures of Noho
See below for information
Tuesday, June 9, 6:30 p.m. POSTPONED to Fall 2915 due to speaker conflict. Date TBA.
Illustrated Lecture: Conserving the Merchant’s House Gas Chandeliers
As well as being the first designated exterior landmark in Manhattan, the Merchant’s House is one of only 117 interior landmarks in New York City (1981). A significant presence in the House’s interior is a pair of gas chandeliers in the Greek Revival double parlor – possibly the oldest gaseliers remaining in situ in the Northeast. Conservator Julie Baker speaks on her 2006-7 project of dismantling, conserving, researching and documenting, and re-mounting these unique lighting fixtures with state-of-the-art fiber-optic illumination.
$10. $5 MHM Members. Click here for tickets
Tuesday, June 2, 8 p.m.
Illustrated Lecture:
The Merchant’s House Museum: A Culinary Exploration of Old New York
A collaboration with the National Arts Club
In this illustrated talk, culinary educator, professionally trained chef and museum guide Carl Raymond will present a virtual culinary tour of this extraordinary historic house museum, from the intimate family dining room and kitchen with its original servant call bells on the lowest level, to the richly appointed Greek Revival double parlor with formal dining room, all the way to the 4th floor Irish servants’ quarters. Your journey through nearly 100 years of New York City’s 19th century culinary history will cover the city’s market culture, recipes and dishes likely served at the Tredwell table including formal dinner parties, celebrations, and receptions and the essential rules of dining etiquette.
Free, reservations not required.
NOTE LOCATION: The National Arts Club, 15 Gramercy Park South. The Club encourages proper attire for ladies and gentlemen at all times.
Thursday, May 7, NEW HOURS: House & Garden OPEN Thursdays until 8 p.m.
Guided Tour at 6:30 p.m. Free with admission.
May is Lower East Side History Month
Lower East Side History Month is an annual celebration of the rich and diverse history of the Lower East Side. Conceived by LES-based arts and community groups, LES History Month is an umbrella for a variety of public events, exhibits, tours, and learning opportunities — aiming to connect our present to our past, exploring how our history can inform and inspire our future. See the full schedule of events at www.leshistorymonth.org
Saturday, May 23, 3 p.m.
Exhibition Talk –
Tredwell Costume Collection/Two-piece Day Ensemble, ca. 1858
With Pamela Long, Textile Conservator
Saturday, May 16, 10:30 a.m. SOLD OUT!
“Behind the Ropes” Tour of the Merchant’s House 1832 Ornamental Plasterwork
with Historic Plaster Specialist David Flaharty
The Merchant’s House Museum’s original Greek Revival decorative plasterwork is considered by many to be the most important extant in a pre-Civil War residential interior in the United States. Its survival is now jeopardized by two major construction projects on East Fourth Street. Plaster restoration expert David Flaharty, who initially repaired portions of the Museum’s plaster in a major 1970s stabilization, will lead a unique “behind the ropes” tour and fascinating exploration of this outstanding 19th century craftsmanship. Flaharty will also discuss and demonstrate DIY decorative plaster techniques to create your own Merchant’s House.
David Flaharty, sculptor and ornamental plasterer, has worked on the restoration and new construction of ornamental plasterwork in the American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum, the Diplomatic Reception Rooms at the U.S. Department of State, and The White House. He has been involved in the preservation and restoration of the Merchant’s House for almost 40 years.
$20, Members $10. 75 minutes.
Friday, May 15, 6:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. SOLD OUT!
Candlelight Ghost Tour of “Manhattan’s Most Haunted House” (The New York Times)
Click here for tickets.
Next Ghost Tour: Friday, June 19
Sunday, May 10, 12:30 p.m.
Special Mother’s Day Walking Tour: 19th Century Landmark Treasures of Noho
Celebrate with Mom and join us on this one-hour promenade through the NoHo Historic District.
See below for information
Starting Thursday, May 7, House & Garden OPEN until 8 p.m.
Thursday Evening Hours Begin
Guided Tour at 6:30 p.m. Free with admission.
Sunday, April 26, 6 p.m.
Concert – Farewell, Father, Friend and Guardian: A Musical Elegy Commemorating President Lincoln’s Death
In commemoration of President Lincoln’s assassination 150 years ago, the Bond Street Euterpean Singing Society presents music composed in 1865 offering solace to a newly reunited nation in shock and grief. The program title comes from a popular song by celebrated American composer George F. Root, most famous for his Civil War songs. An illustrated lecture about the history of Lincoln’s assassination, its aftermath, and the funeral train that transported the president from Washington, D.C. to his final resting place in Springfield, Illinois intertwines iconography and period photos to make this a unique and edifying multimedia presentation.
$30, $20 Members; click here for tickets.
Tuesday April 21, 8:30 p.m.
30 Glorious Minutes of the Merchant’s House Museum on TV!
Tune in to see the Merchant’s House episode on Blueprint: New York City.
Channel 25, NYC Life, the City of New York’s lifestyle channel, Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment. Originally aired on March 17.
Blueprint: New York City “offers viewers a chance to look past the bricks and mortar and discover the history of some of the most famous buildings in New York.”
Friday, April 17, 6:30 p.m. SOLD OUT!
‘April is the Cruellest Month’ Candlelight Ghost Tour
Doors slam, floorboards creak, voices call into the night. Venture into the shadows of history to see the house where eight family members died (and The New York Times called “Manhattan’s Most Haunted House”) by flickering candlelight and hear true tales of inexplicable occurrences from the people who actually experienced them.
50 minutes. $20, $10 Members. Upcoming Ghost Tours: Friday, May 15 and June 19.
Sunday, April 19, 12:30 p.m.
50th Anniversary Celebration of the Passing of the Landmarks Law on April 19, 1965
Special Walking Tour: 19th Century Landmark Treasures of Noho
On this one-hour walking tour of the Noho Historic District, promenaders will see 11 buildings designated as individual New York City landmarks. The tour begins at the 1832 Merchant’s House – Manhattan’s first landmark in 1965 – and within a few blocks traces 100 years of social, economic and technological changes during the 19th century, from a residential enclave for the wealthy merchant families of Old New York to a center of manufacturing and busy cultural center. The tour will feature stories of famous as well as infamous residents and builders of these landmarks and the renowned architects who designed them. Stops will include LaGrange Terrace, the DeVinne Press Building, Astor Library, The Cooper Union, and the Bayard-Condict Building.
$10, $5 Students & Seniors, FREE for Members. Reservations not required.
Saturday, April 11, 3 p.m. SOLD OUT!
Special Interactive Tour for Families: A Child’s View of Life in 19th Century New York
29 East Fourth Street was home not only to the eight Tredwell children, but also to two young granddaughters. Come tour the house and learn what life was like for children (and adults) in the 1850s, from schoolwork and chores to games and play. Could you carry a bucket of coal up steep stairs? Do you have a calling card? A top hat? What, no hoop skirt? How did you take a bath? And penmanship really, really mattered.
Best for children 8 to 12 years old. $15, one adult, one child. $20, one adult, two children (max.).
Reservations required.
Tuesday, April 7, 6:30 p.m. POSTPONED
First Annual Ada Louise Huxtable Lecture:
Preservation, Who Needs It Anyway?
Hugh Hardy, FAIA, Founding Partner, H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture
Preservationists were once welcomed in urban environments as the lynchpin for stabilization and recovery and the key to balanced and intelligent development. Now they’re often portrayed as adversaries and obstacles to growth. Why this flip-flop? Is this accurate? Does the preservation movement still have an important positive role to play in New York City? And what is that role?
Hugh Hardy is the founding partner of H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture, known for design of distinctive new buildings, restoration of historic structures, and planning projects for the public realm across America. A major presence in New York, H3 has completed restoration of Radio City Music Hall, multiple projects for the Brooklyn Academy of Music and New York Botanical Garden’s Leon Levy Visitor Center together with restoration of Bryant Park. Their faithful recreations of the New Victory and the New Amsterdam theaters on 42nd Street were pivotal to reemergence of this famed street as one of New York’s premier places of entertainment. Mr. Hardy’s work is consistently recognized by civic, architectural, and preservation organizations for a progressive spirit and sensitive understanding of context.
Reception to follow.
$25, $15 Members.
Ada Louise Huxtable (1921-2013) was a champion of preservation, pioneer of architectural criticism, and stalwart advocate for the Merchant’s House Museum. As architecture critic for The New York Times, she wrote: “The distinction of this house — and it is a powerful one — is that it is the real thing. One simply walks thrugh the beautiful doorway, into another time and place in New York.” Annually, the Merchant’s House invites an outstanding member of the New York City preservation community to share his or her insights, expertise, and knowledge at the Ada Louise Huxtable lecture.
This program is part of NYC Landmarks50 Alliance, the multi-year celebration of the 50th anniversary
of New York City’s Preservation Landmarks Law (April 19, 1965). All proceeds go directly to
helping defray legal and engineering expenses incurred to protect the House from the impending
construction next door. Learn more here.
Monday, February 2, through Friday, April 3
Exhibition – Out of their Boxes: The Tredwell Costume Collection on Display
On display, a one-piece spring and summer dress, 1859-1864, made of cream-colored sheer muslin with woven cream stripes and a printed black, tan, and red floral pattern. Printing with synthetic aniline dyes, which were discovered and initially produced in 1856, was a less costly way to replicate the look of more expensive, more intricately woven fabrics. This dress, because of its fragile condition, is rarely exhibited.
Of note, this dress is documented in the Index of American Design (IAD) at the National Gallery of Art. The IAD, a program of the New Deal Federal Art Project, was formed in 1935 to illustrate through watercolor renderings the history of American design in the applied and decorative arts. In 1937, the IAD documented 13 items in the Museum’s collection, including 8 of the 39 dresses.
Friday, March 13, 6:30 p.m.
“Spirit of the Irish” Candlelight Ghost Tour SOLD OUT!
Doors slam, floorboards creak, voices call into the night. For more than seven decades, mystifying and mysterious tales have surrounded the Merchant’s House, leading The New York Times to call it “Manhattan’s Most Haunted House.” On this candle-lit tour, venture into the shadows of history to see the house where eight people died, and hear true tales of inexplicable occurrences from those who actually experienced them. Many of the most peculiar occurrences have been related to the Tredwells’ Irish servants, and so this special tour will include the 4th floor Servants’ Quarters.
50 minutes. $25, $15 Members. (Upcoming Ghost Tours: Friday, April 17, May 15, and June 17.)
Sunday, March 15, Walking Tour at 12:30 p.m., House Tour at 2 p.m.
St. Patrick’s Day Celebration: A Tribute to the Tredwells’ Irish Servants
Join us for a walking tour, ‘In the Footsteps of Bridget Murphy,’ and a back-stairs look at the Merchant’s House, “arguably the oldest intact site of Irish habitation in New York City” (Time Out New York).
In our 45-minute walking tour of the neighborhood surrounding the Merchant’s House, we’ll explore the world of the Irish immigrants who worked as domestic servants for the Tredwells and other wealthy families of the Bond Street area. What did they do on their day off? Where did they shop? Go to church? How did they find employment when they first arrived? We’ll explore all of these questions and see sites associated with a servant’s life outside the walls of her employer’s home.
Then come climb the narrow staircase to the just-restored fourth-floor servants’ quarters and see where the Tredwells’ four Irish servants lived and did some of their work. You’ll learn why it would have been impossible to run a home like the Merchant’s House without them. Included with regular admission. Reservations not required.
Tuesday, March 10, 6:30 p.m.
Illustrated Lecture
Creating Landmarks: Revival Style Townhouses of 19th Century Manhattan
The 19th century European and American passion for historic, romantic, and picturesque architecture combined to create a profusion of revival styles, including the Greek, Gothic, Renaissance, Italian, French, and English. A rapidly expanding population with increasing wealth during this period made the emerging ‘Empire City’ a uniquely fertile site for architects, craftsmen, and home goods manufacturers to develop their arts and display their sophistication. The resultant urban landscape became a fantastic mix of styles, colors, patterns, and decoration – and ultimately the beloved stuff of today’s historic districts and individual landmarks.
Curtis Estes, architect and lecturer, returns for the final installment in his three-part series exploring the development of that most essential of all urban building types – the townhouse.
$10, $5 Members.
This program is part of NYC Landmarks50 Alliance, the multi-year celebration of the 50th anniversary
of New York City’s Preservation Landmarks Law (April 19, 1965). All proceeds go directly to
helping defray legal and engineering expenses incurred to protect the House from the impending
construction next door. Learn more here.
Sunday, March 8, 12:30 p.m.
Special Walking Tour: 19th Century Landmark Treasures of Noho
See below for more information.
Saturday, February 21, 3:30 p.m.
Special Interactive Tour for Families: A Child’s View of Life in 19th Century New York
29 East Fourth Street was home not only to the eight Tredwell children, but also to two young granddaughters. Come tour the house and learn what life was like for children (and adults) in the 1850s, from schoolwork and chores to games and play. Could you carry a bucket of coal up steep stairs? Do you have a calling card? A top hat? What, no hoop skirt? How did you take a bath? And penmanship really, really mattered.
Best for children 8 to 12 years old. $15, one adult, one child. $20, one adult, two children (max.).
Reservations not required.
Friday, February 20, 6:30 p.m.
Dark Days of Winter Candlelight Ghost Tour SOLD OUT!
Doors slam, floorboards creak, voices call into the dead of night. Venture into the shadows of history to see the house where eight family members died (and The New York Times called “Manhattan’s Most Haunted”) by flickering candlelight and hear true tales of inexplicable occurrences from the people who actually experienced them. 50 minutes. $20, $10 MHM Members.
Reservations required. This tour is sold out.
Upcoming Ghost Tours: Friday, March 13, April 17, May 15, and June 17.
Saturday, February 14, 7:30 p.m.
Love in the Parlors: A Valentine in Concert SOLD OUT!
The Bond Street Euterpean Singing Society presents lush, romantic vocal music of the world’s greatest 19th-century composers performed in the Museum’s Greek Revival parlors. Singers Anthony Bellov, Rosalind Gnatt, Jane Elizabeth Rady, and Dayle Vander Sande with pianist Jai Jeffryes perform rarely heard gems by Rossini, Schumann, Brahms, Liszt, Delibes, Chaminade, Johann Strauss II, and others. Chosen by NBC Online and TimeOut NY as a top pick for Valentine’s Day. 75 minutes. $30, $20 Members. VIP Front Row tickets $40.
Tuesday, February 10, 6:30 p.m.
Screening of The Heiress (1949), starring Olivia de Haviland, Montgomery Clift, and the Merchant’s House
Based on Washington Square, Henry James’s classic novel of mid-19th century New York City, this Academy Award winning and haunting film tells the story of young love — and a dominating father who didn’t approve. The similarities between James’s Catherine Sloper and our own Gertrude Tredwell are uncanny. Like Catherine, Gertrude never married, and according to family legend was forbidden from marrying her sweetheart, Luis Walton. We recently uncovered new information about Luis – and even a previously unidentified photograph in the Museum’s archives. The film and our new discoveries will be introduced by Merchant’s House board member Anthony Bellov. And you’ll see the Merchant’s House as you watch in the Greek Revival double parlor. The filmmakers designed the sets based on our period rooms. 114 minutes. $20, $10 Members.
Tuesday, January 20, 6:30 p.m.
Illustrated Lecture SOLD OUT!
Standing the Test of Time: The Merchant’s House and a Neighborhood Transformed
Francis Morrone discusses the 1832 Merchant’s House throughout the history of the neighborhood, at a time when new changes threaten the house once again. We’ll look at exclusive Lafayette Place and the first residential district developed solely for the affluent; the role of families such as the Astors and Schermerhorns in the area’s growth (including the construction of the Astor Library and the Astor Place Opera House); the post-Civil War growth of lofts and factories (including many now-landmarked structures); and the neighborhood’s revival as Noho, a highly desirable residential address. And through it all, how 29 East 4th Street has remained stalwart — and intact.
This is event is co-sponsored by the American Friends of the Georgian Group and the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art.
$15 General Public, $8 GG, ICAA, and MHM members. Seating is limited. Reservations are required.
Francis Morrone is a renowned architectural historian and writer. The author of eleven books, including, most recently, “Guide to New York City Urban Landscapes” (W.W. Norton, 2013). Morrone has also written highly-regarded architectural guidebooks to Philadelphia, and Brooklyn. His writings have appeared in many publications, including the Wall Street Journal, the New Criterion, City Journal, Humanities and the New York Sun, where he was an art and architecture critic. He teaches architectural and urban history at New York University, and is the recipient of the university’s Excellence in Teaching Award. Travel + Leisure magazine named him as one of the 13 best tour guides in the world. Other awards include the Arthur Ross Award of the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art.
Friday, January 16, 6:30 p.m.
Dark Days of Winter Candlelight Ghost Tour SOLD OUT!
Doors slam, floorboards creak, voices call into the dead of night. Venture into the shadows of history to see the house where eight family members died (and The New York Times called “Manhattan’s Most Haunted”) by flickering candlelight and hear true tales of inexplicable occurrences from the people who actually experienced them. 50 minutes. $20, $10 MHM Members.
NEW YEAR’S DAY, Thursday, January 1, 2 to 5 p.m.
‘Come Calling’ on New Year’s Day
Paying calls on friends and family on New Year’s Day was one of Old New York’s most cherished customs. Join us for tours of the house, 19th century readings about New Year’s Day celebrations, and punch and confectionery, as we continue the 19th century tradition of renewing, reviving, and reaffirming friendships. Holiday Raffle drawing at 4:30 p.m. “New York seemed to enjoy a general carnival. Broadway, from one end to the other, was alive with private carriages, omnibuses, cabs, and curricles, and lines of pedestrians fringed the carriageways.” From the Diary of Philip Hone, 1844. $20, $10 Members.
