Merchants House Museum
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The Merchants House Museum is a 19th century family home in New York City which is now preserved as a public museum.
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History
The red-brick row house was built in 1832 by Seabury Tredwell, a wealthy New York merchant, on East 4th Street near Washington Square. His daughter Gertrude lived in the house from 1845 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 the 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.
