Talk:Merchant's House Museum

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[edit] The family

Naturally, over the course of almost a century, this home witnessed its share of happy moments - - births, weddings, christenings, celebrations of all kinds. And, also as part of the natural order of things, there was sadness - - some believe an excessive amount. Stories abound that Seabury was a stern and domineering father, ruling his family with an unyielding nature. Tales - - none of which have ever been proven - - tell of Gertrude’s forbidden love for a young Catholic medical student (the Tredwells were devout Anglicans), of secret births, of hidden passageways and tunnels running to the East River, and more of the sort of stories one often hears when dealing with old houses and eccentric occupants. What is actually known is informative enough.

[edit] Is it haunted?

Whether or not the Merchant’s House Museum - - the Seabury Tredwell House - - is truly haunted is subject for opinion and conjecture. It’s probably the sort of thing that can never actually be proven. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter. If all the strange tales and weird happenings were suddenly explained away, the real importance of this House - - its architecture, collections, mission, and the light it sheds on a seminal period in New York City history, can never be denied or dismissed. That it survives at all amidst the tear-it-down-and-build-something-bigger ethos of “the city that’s never finished” makes it a treasure of the first magnitude - - something every one who calls themselves a New Yorker, either by birth, by address, or by inclination, can boast of as a jewel in the crown of this superb city. In producing this booklet, the Merchant’s House Museum continues its mission of informing a curious and interested public and simply adds another layer to the many that already make this one of the most beloved and fascinating “secret treasures” in the treasure trove that is New York.