Secret Passageway Linked to Underground Railroad Discovered in East Village Home

The 2-by-2-foot unique space hidden under the floorboards of the Merchant House Museum in the East Village was recognized for years. What wasn’t known was that it was built as an escape route for slaves on the run from the South as part of the underground railroad in 19th century Manhattan.

Even though NY state abolished slavery in 1827, the Fugitive Slave Law enacted by Congress a few years after the American Revolution, allowed bounty hunters to track down escaped slaves. New York was already a big mercantile center. And as the New York Historical Society noted, “much of New York’s bustling economy benefited directly from the brutal slave economies of the South.” There were, of course, committed abolitionists who helped runaway slaves in their quest for freedom. The current discovery was clearly a product of one of such person, Joseph Brewster.

“It’s really important to know that New York plays such a vital role in this, and the merchant house is such a critical place. It’s our responsibility and obligation to talk about this, to save this location, to make sure we highlight this issue,” said councilmember Harvey Epstein. Standing next to him were Council members Chris Marte, Chris Banks, and Selvena Brooks-Powers.

Brewster, a fervent abolitionist, built the four story brick house on E. 4th St. in 1832. He was an elder of three anti-slavery churches, one of which Brewster approved the construction of a false floor, “We have the handwritten minutes in 1836 where they approved a hiding place in the pews of that Church,” said Patrick Ciccone, architectural historian and preservationist.

Unfortunately, the churches no longer exist, and there is no physical evidence. Given the substantial evidence of Brewster’s participation in the abolitionist movement in NYC from the 1820s to the 1840s, “I see no other conclusion that is plausible except...that this passageway...was intended as a space to hide freedom-seekers in the early days of the Underground Railroad,” commented Ciccone. The house was sold three years after being built to the Tredwell family. They were not supportive of the abolitionist movement and were unaware of the intention behind the underground passageway Brewster had constructed.where freedom seeking slaves could descend down a 15 ft. ladder.

The passageway extends from the second-floor bedroom level, past the first-floor parlor level, and all the way down to the ground-floor level, which leads to a door that provides direct access to the backyard. Due to the narrow size of the passageway, it was used purely for last-minute escapes, rather than to act as a long-term hiding spot.

“This is clearly a place where freedom seekers would situate themselves to avoid detection on the street...when I went down, my chest was hitting against the front and my back was against the back wall,” commented Ciccone.

This discovery is monumental to the history of NYC, demonstrating how much the city played a role in the slave trade as well as how some leaders sought to thwart it. Council member Chris Marte said “Some of us are born with freedoms. Others have to fight for it...Some people had to stay in a two-by-15 little vent in the back of a shelf. It just shows you the struggle that Americans have gone through to call themselves American and be able to fight for civil rights, which we are currently still fighting for.”