The Merchant’s House Museum is a NoHo legend, a piece of living history in New York City, with one of the only preserved interiors from the early 1800s. But did you know this landmark is under threat? In December, the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to approve a potential development next door. The work is likely to cause irreparable damage to the preserved interiors of the museum. They’ve launched an email campaign to get city officials to act! Click here to learn more about their campaign to save the Merchant’s House. Help preserve this piece of NoHo history that’s deeply tied to not only our neighborhood, but to women’s history too.
Gertrude Treadwell lived in Merchant’s House Museum longer than anybody else. For nearly 100 years, she lived in the house, until her passing in 1933. However, for most of her life, Gertrude lived in the house with her sisters Julia, Phebe, and Sarah. While it’s largely believed that the family was financially unable to follow their wealthy NYC neighbors uptown, NoHo’s lucky that the sisters made very few changes to the house while they lived there, so it stayed untouched all those years. The house is an original time capsule with the same plaster work, furniture, and interiors from the 1840s. It’s undeniable that without the sisters, this incredible landmark and glimpse into NYC’s past would have been lost to the ceaseless stream of development in Lower Manhattan by the turn of the century.
From the 1930s to 60s, the house was open to the public as a museum, but struggled. By 1965, the house was in terrible shape, and close to collapsing. There was a serious risk of losing it again, but thanks to the work of preservationists it was saved. Namely, Ada Louise Huxtable, a prominent and trailblazing female journalist and architecture critic who helped spearhead the initial preservation movement in NYC, wrote an expose of sorts that highlighted the conditions of the house. After years of campaigning, the house was saved, and declared the first landmark in NYC. Later, it was named one of the city’s first interior landmarks as well.
Now, here we are again at risk of losing the landmark, and once again an incredible, undeterred woman is spearheading the fight to save the Merchant’s House. Margaret Halsey Gardiner, known as Pi to most, has been the executive director of the museum since it reopened to the public in the 90s. Over the past decade, she has personally led the fight to save the museum and prevent the development next door. The New York Times recently had a great story on how she’s working to ensure future generations of New Yorkers can enjoy the beauty of the house for years to come. Read more about her fight here. So, help support this NoHo institution, support the Merchant’s House, save a site deeply tied to women’s history, and fill out this form.
