Merchants House Museum

The Merchants House Museum is a 19th century family home in New York City which is now preserved as a public museum.

History

The red-brick row house was built in 1832 by Joseph Brewster on East 4th Street near Washington Square. In 1835 it became the home of Seabury Tredwell, a wealthy New York merchant, and his family. Tredwell's daughter Gertrude was born in 1840 lived in the house until her death in an upstairs bedroom in 1933. Three years later, the perfectly preserved house opened to the public as a museum. It is located at 29 East 4th Street, between Lafayatte Street and Bowery.

Exterior and interior

The building's facade is reminiscent of earlier Federal-style homes, but the interior, especially the formal parlors, is New York's finest example of Greek revival architecture. The interior also contains the Tredwell family's original furnishings, including pieces from New York's finest cabinetmakers, such as and Duncan Phyfe and Joseph Meeks.

Landmark designations

Due to its architectural and historic importance, the Merchants House has been recongized by the following landmark designations:

• 1936 - Documented by the Historic American Buildings Survey.
• 1965 - Designated by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission as one of the first 20 New York City landmarks.
• 1965 - Designated as a National Historic Landmark.
• 1981 - Designated as a New York City interior landmark.
• Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Recent News & Events

House Tour: Merchants House Museum
Sandwiched between a construction zone for the New York City Water Tunnel No. 3 and a storage garage for hot dog carts, Merchants House Museum is one of twenty-one homes in New York City's Historic House Trust. It offers a glimpse of what it was like to live in New York City over a hundred years ago.