Hidden Underground Railroad Passage Discovered at Manhattan's Merchant's House Museum

The 19th-century home-turned-museum reveals a secret 15-foot passageway that was used to conceal enslaved people seeking freedom.

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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A previously unknown site connected to the Underground Railroad was discovered in Manhattan this week at the Merchant's House Museum, a well-preserved 19th-century home-turned-museum on East 4th Street in Noho. Staff found a narrow passageway hidden beneath a built-in chest of drawers on the second floor that descends 15 feet to the ground floor, which researchers have determined was used by the home's abolitionist owner, Joseph Brewster, to conceal enslaved people seeking freedom, making it the earliest known Underground Railroad site in New York City.

Why it matters

The discovery of this hidden passageway provides rare physical evidence of New York City's role in the abolitionist movement and the Underground Railroad, which helped enslaved people escape to freedom in the decades before the Civil War. As one of the few remaining Underground Railroad sites in the city, the Merchant's House Museum will now be able to expand its story to highlight this important chapter of history.

The details

After two years of research by architects and preservationists, the museum determined that Brewster, a noted abolitionist, had built the secret 15-foot passageway when he constructed the house in 1832 to conceal enslaved people seeking freedom. The passageway is described as an 'architectural anomaly' as no other houses from the same era have similar corridors.

  • The Merchant's House Museum was built in 1832 by Joseph Brewster.
  • The hidden passageway was discovered by museum staff in 2026.

The players

Merchant's House Museum

A well-preserved 19th-century home-turned-museum on East 4th Street in Noho, New York City.

Joseph Brewster

The abolitionist who built the Merchant's House Museum in 1832 and constructed the hidden passageway to conceal enslaved people seeking freedom.

Camille Czerkowicz

The curator for the Merchant's House Museum.

Patrick Ciccone

An architectural historian.

Michael Devonshire

An architectural conservator and Landmarks Preservation Commission commissioner.

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What they’re saying

“Given how very, very few physical traces of the Underground Railroad survive anywhere in the U.S., the existence and physical integrity of this space give the 1832 landmark Merchant's House additional magnitudes of incalculable historic significance.”

— Patrick Ciccone, Architectural historian (NY1)

“Many New Yorkers forget that we were a part of the abolitionist movement, part of the Civil Rights movement. This hidden passageway is physical evidence that really shows New York City's connection to what happened in the south, what happened during the Civil War, and what's still happening today. … It has to be protected.”

— Christopher Marte, Council Member (NY1)

What’s next

The Merchant's House Museum plans to expand the story of the building to include the abolitionist movement and the early Underground Railroad, highlighting this newly discovered passageway as a rare surviving physical trace of this important history.

The takeaway

The discovery of this hidden Underground Railroad passage at the Merchant's House Museum provides a tangible connection to New York City's role in the abolitionist movement and the fight against slavery, reminding us of the city's complex history and the need to preserve these important historical sites.