Merchant's House Museum

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Built in 1832, the Merchant’s House is NYC's only family home preserved intact – inside and out – from the 19th century.
Before it was the Merchant's House, it was the Bre Before it was the Merchant's House, it was the Brewsters' home. In 1832, fervent abolitionist Joseph Brewster (1787–1851) built what would become "The Merchant's House" for him and his wife, Susannah Merritt Brewster (1784–1859). The house has unusual details, such as a hidden passageway concealed beneath a built-in chest of drawers between the two main bedrooms, and extra-wide pocket doors. When New York abolished slavery in 1827, the state quickly became a key waypoint for freedom-seekers and a center for abolitionist organizations and activity. However, the 1793 Fugitive Slave Act, as well as, the city’s legal and financial enmeshment with the South made New York a hostile place for anyone involved in anti-slavery work — especially for those who might have housed freedom seekers.
Venture into “Manhattan’s Most Haunted House” by f Venture into “Manhattan’s Most Haunted House” by flickering candlelight to hear chilling – and true – tales of decades of otherworldly activity in the house, the results of years of paranormal investigations – and the latest stunning scientific findings. The Tredwell family lived at 29 East 4th Street for nearly 100 years, and at least eight people died in the house. Reports of strange and inexplicable occurrences have been widespread since Gertrude, the last surviving Tredwell, died in 1933. Is it Gertrude who is watching over her family home? Join us and decide for yourself. Buy tickets at the link in our profile.
When the house was being turned into a museum in t When the house was being turned into a museum in the 1930s, someone found Seabury Tredwell's will in this secretary bookcase. Find out for yourself if more than Seabury’s will remains… Purchase tickets for October Ghost Tours at the link in our profile!
It's that time of year again! Happy back to school It's that time of year again! Happy back to school season. 🍎 Pictured here is Eliza Seabury Tredwell's 3rd grade diploma from Caroline Reed of Mrs Sylvanus Reed's School, which she received in 1869. 🐛 The second photo is Samuel Lenox Tredwell's school notebook from when he was 14 years old. One of the compositions inside is "The Death of Napoleon."
Did you know that New York City hosted the nation’ Did you know that New York City hosted the nation’s first official Labor Day parade on September 5, 1882? Labor Day became a federal holiday in the U.S. on June 28, 1896. As Labor Day approaches, revisit the history of labor resistance in New York City through the presence of the General Society of Mechanics & Tradesmen. Founded in 1785 by twenty two skilled craftsmen, the General Society of Mechanics & Tradesmen, of which Joseph Brewster was a member, has focused on providing educational and social services to the families of artisans. By 1792, the Society had grown to 432 members and established its charter in New York City. Masons, carpenters, stonecutters, and other artisans over age 21 were eligible. Between 1809 and 1819, these men and women organized strikes as wealth in the city became concentrated in non-corporate industries. Craftsmen found it increasingly difficult to find adequate wages in their trades, an issue that union workers also fought to resolve. Members seized the political moment and opened the Mechanics School in 1820, one of the city’s first tuition-free schools. Toward the end of the year, the General Society constructed a separate school for women, almost unheard of at the time. - 🎖Membership Certificate, General Society of Mechanics & Tradesmen (courtesy of the General Society of Mechanics & Tradesmen) 📜Certificate of Membership, General Society of Mechanics & Tradesmen, 1822. (courtesy of the New York Public Library) 💪“By hammer and hand all arts do stand”, General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen (courtesy of the General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen, People’s World magazine)
The Tredwell family lived at 29 East Fourth Street The Tredwell family lived at 29 East Fourth Street for nearly 100 years, and at least eight people died in the house. Reports of strange and inexplicable occurances have been widespread since Gertrude, the last surviving Tredwell, died in 1933. Is it Gertrude who is watching over her family home? Come inside and decide for yourself! Ghost Tours are scheduled for October 16-30 - tickets on sale now at the link in profile!
Joseph Brewster, the builder and original inhabita Joseph Brewster, the builder and original inhabitant of the Merchant’s House, sold the house in 1835 when he was called to be an elder at the newly formed Brainerd Presbyterian Church. Brewster purchased seven lots on Rivington Street – the full block between Orchard and Ludlow Streets. He granted the three central lots to Brainerd Church, and built houses on the others. He lived in one, to be close to the congregation, and rented another to Jonathan Levitt, a fellow congregant and abolitionist. Brainerd Church was integrated and did not demarcate race in its records. In 1836, as President of the Board of Trustees, Brewster approved the construction of a false floor in the upstairs gallery of Brainerd Church. Brewster thus had a pattern of designing hiding spaces in buildings. Neither Brainerd Church nor any other houses built by Brewster still stand. -- 🗺 Map of 10th & 13th Wards, Rivington Street, 1857, New York Public Library. 📖 Manual for the Communicants of the Brainerd Presbyterian Church, worshipping in Rivington Street, City of New York. No. 1. 1836, The Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary.
Come visit the Merchant's House this September! Come visit the Merchant's House this September! Link in our profile to register for these great events!
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Merchant's House Museum

29 East Fourth Street
New York, NY 10003

212 777 1089 | nyc1832@merchantshouse.org

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