The Merchant's House — Old New York's Haunted Gem — Paranormal History

Is the Merchant’s House Haunted?

The Merchant’s House at 29 East Fourth Street in Manhattan, New York, is an intact 1832 rowhouse — the only preserved domestic interior from the early 19th century in New York. It is haunted by the ghost of Gertrude Tredwell — the daughter of the home’s owner. The Merchant’s House is one of the most remarkable and most haunted historic sites in New York City — a time capsule of 19th-century life that has been preserved with extraordinary fidelity.

The house sits on a quiet block in the NoHo neighborhood, surrounded by modern apartment buildings and trendy shops. Its Federal-style brick facade, with its fanlight window and columned doorway, looks as it did when it was built nearly two centuries ago. Inside, the house contains over 2,000 original Tredwell family objects — furniture, clothing, dishes, books, and personal items that paint a vivid picture of daily life in 19th-century New York.

History

Seabury Tredwell and the Building of the House (1832)

The Merchant’s House was built in 1832 by Seabury Tredwell — a wealthy merchant who had made his fortune in the import trade. Tredwell was born in 1780 in Huntington, Long Island, and came to New York as a young man to seek his fortune. He became a successful importer of dry goods and amassed a considerable fortune.

Tredwell purchased the lot at 29 East Fourth Street and commissioned a Federal-style rowhouse — a two-story brick building with a basement and an attic. The house was designed to reflect Tredwell’s status as a prosperous merchant. The interior featured elegant Federal-style furniture, marble mantels, and decorative plasterwork.

The Tredwell family moved into the house in 1835 and lived there for nearly 100 years. Seabury and his wife, Elizabeth, had eight children, and the house was filled with the sounds of a large, active family.

The Tredwell Family (1835-1933)

The Tredwell family lived in the house for nearly a century. Seabury Tredwell died in 1844, and Elizabeth Tredwell continued to live in the house until her death in 1857. After Elizabeth’s death, the house passed to their son, Samuel Tredwell, who lived there with his wife and children.

The last surviving member of the Tredwell family was Gertrude Tredwell — Seabury’s youngest daughter. Gertrude was born in the house in 1840 and never married. She lived her entire life within its walls, venturing out less and less as she aged. By the early 20th century, Gertrude had become a recluse, rarely leaving the house and refusing to make any changes to the interior.

When Gertrude died in 1933, at the age of 93, the house was found to be a remarkably intact time capsule. The furniture, dishes, clothing, and personal items of the Tredwell family were all in place — exactly as they had been when the family lived there. The house was purchased by a preservation society and opened as a museum in 1936.

Preservation and Restoration

The Merchant’s House has been operated as a museum since 1936. The museum has maintained the house’s original interior with extraordinary fidelity — the furniture, decorations, and personal items are all in their original positions. The house was designated a New York City Landmark in 1966, a National Historic Landmark in 1967, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In recent years, the Merchant’s House has faced threats from proposed construction projects on adjacent lots. Preservation advocates have fought to protect the house from vibration damage and other threats, and the museum has undertaken extensive structural stabilization work.

The Mystery / Paranormal Activity

Gertrude Tredwell

The most commonly reported apparition at the Merchant’s House is the ghost of Gertrude Tredwell. Witnesses describe a woman in a long 19th-century dress — typically described as dark-colored — walking the hallways of the house. The figure is described as translucent but distinctly female, with a straight-backed posture and a dignified bearing that matches historical descriptions of Gertrude.

The apparition is most commonly reported on the second floor, in the hallway that connects the bedrooms. Gertrude has also been seen on the staircase, ascending or descending with slow, deliberate steps. Some witnesses have reported seeing her standing at the window of her bedroom — the room where she was born and where she died.

The figure does not interact with witnesses. She walks as if she is unaware of their presence — going about her routine, as she did for 93 years within these walls.

The Tredwell Children

The ghosts of the Tredwell children have been heard playing in the house — even though the children died long ago. Visitors and staff report hearing the sounds of children laughing, running, and playing games in the upstairs rooms. The sounds are described as faint but unmistakable — the joyful noise of children at play.

The children’s ghosts are most commonly reported in the late afternoon, when the light filtering through the windows creates a warm, golden atmosphere that seems to transport visitors back to the 19th century.

The Cold

The Merchant’s House is consistently described as cold — even in summer. The house has no modern heating system, and its thick brick walls and drafty windows create a naturally cool environment. But visitors report that the cold is more than just the building’s age — it comes in waves, with sudden drops in temperature that seem to move through the rooms.

The cold is most intense on the second floor, particularly in Gertrude’s bedroom and in the hallway outside. Some visitors have reported seeing their breath in these areas, even in the middle of a New York summer.

The Sounds

The Merchant’s House is one of the noisiest haunted locations in New York. Visitors and staff report hearing:

Footsteps — slow, deliberate footsteps on the wooden floors, particularly on the second floor and on the staircase
Whispered voices — indistinct speech that seems to come from empty rooms
A piano playing — the sound of a piano in the parlor, playing songs that no one is playing
Doors opening and closing — the sound of doors moving on their own, particularly on the second floor

The piano is one of the most commonly reported phenomena. The house contains a period piano, and visitors report hearing it play — softly, hesitantly — even when no one is near it.

“I was standing in the parlor when I saw a woman walking up the stairs. She was wearing a long dress — 19th century style. She looked at me and continued walking. She vanished at the top of the stairs.” — Visitor, Merchant’s House, 2019

Evidence and Investigations

The Merchant’s House has been investigated by several paranormal research teams. Its combination of documented history, preserved interior, and consistent witness reports make it a compelling location for investigation.

The New York City Ghost Hunters conducted an investigation of the house in 2016. Their team spent one night in the museum, concentrating their equipment on the second floor and in the parlor. They captured several pieces of evidence:

EVP recordings of whispered voices on the second floor — voices that did not correspond to any member of the investigation team
Thermal imaging showing a human-shaped heat signature walking the second-floor hallway
Audio recordings of what sounded like a piano playing — recorded in the parlor when no one was present
EMF readings that spiked in Gertrude’s bedroom, consistent with reports of paranormal activity in that area

“The evidence we collected at the Merchant’s House was among the most compelling we’ve ever recorded. The EVPs — whispered voices — were clear and distinct. And the piano — recorded playing in an empty room — was undeniable. Gertrude Tredwell is still in that house.” — Lead investigator, New York City Ghost Hunters

Professional skeptics have offered alternative explanations, including the house’s age, the natural settling of its structure, and the influence of the house’s well-documented history on the perception of visitors. But the consistency of the reports — spanning decades and coming from visitors with no prior knowledge of the hauntings — makes the Merchant’s House one of the more credible haunted locations in Manhattan.

What Do You Think?

The Merchant’s House is a time capsule — an 1832 rowhouse preserved in the middle of Manhattan. Gertrude Tredwell lived and died there. Her father lived and died there. Eight members of the Tredwell family spent their entire lives within these walls. And Gertrude’s ghost, many believe, remains.

Is the house haunted by Gertrude’s spirit? By the echoes of a lifetime spent within these walls? Or is the house simply so perfectly preserved that it creates the illusion of ghosts — the mind’s response to a space that feels frozen in time?

The Merchant’s House is open for tours. Gertrude waits. The piano plays. And the 19th century lives on.

Summary

The Merchant’s House is an intact 1832 rowhouse in Manhattan, New York — a National Historic Landmark
The Tredwell family lived there for nearly 100 years — eight members died in the house
The ghost of Gertrude Tredwell — who never married and lived her entire life in the house — has been seen walking the halls
Visitors report cold spots, whispered voices, and the sound of a piano playing by itself
Over 2,000 original Tredwell family objects are preserved in the house
Bottom line: The Merchant’s House is one of the most haunted and best-preserved historic houses in Manhattan