Celebrating Victory for Merchant’s House Museum

September 2018

This month, I again submitted testimony regarding a Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) application for 27 East 4th Street, a lot with a single story building that directly abuts the Merchant’s House Museum and threatens to destroy this indispensable historic home in New York City.
The proposal would allow the construction of an 8-floor hotel with ground floor restaurant and share a party wall with the completely landmarked Merchant’s House Museum structure next door.
The Merchant’s House Museum which maintains City, State, and National Landmark status is one of the few structures with interior and exterior Landmark designation. It is managed by the New York City Parks Department, is held in the public trust, and tells the unique story of the merchant Treadwell family and their place in New York City history. There does not exist such a vivid historical record, including the Treadwell family’s clothing, furniture, and personal possessions, anywhere else in New York City, and the threat of development next door could destroy that record and history permanently.
I am pleased to see that the New York City Council voted to deny this ULURP application because of the immense significance of the historic structure next door. This is a positive for our community and shows that development at all costs does not mean destroying a beloved historic home and museum that exists within the public trust.