What significant historical evidence was discovered in Manhattan?

A concealed opening, likely used as part of the Underground Railroad, was discovered beneath a dresser in a Manhattan row house, now the Merchant's House Museum.

Where was the Underground Railroad evidence found?

The evidence was found in the Merchant's House Museum on East Fourth Street in Manhattan, hidden beneath a dresser on the second floor.

Why is this discovery important for New York City's history?

This discovery provides rare physical proof of New York's role in the abolitionist movement and the Underground Railroad, a chapter often overshadowed by events in the South.

Home / Crime and Justice / Hidden NYC Passage Reveals Underground Railroad Secret

Hidden NYC Passage Reveals Underground Railroad Secret

12 Feb

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Summary

A secret opening under a dresser was found in a Manhattan house.
The passage likely served as a route for enslaved people escaping South.
This discovery offers rare physical proof of New York's abolitionist history.

Hidden NYC Passage Reveals Underground Railroad Secret

A concealed opening, found beneath a dresser in a Manhattan row house, has emerged as significant evidence of New York City's role in the Underground Railroad.

The discovery was made within the Merchant's House Museum on East Fourth Street, a historic four-story building. Researchers uncovered the roughly cut, two-by-two-foot shaft in the floorboards, which leads to a vertical space with a ladder descending to the ground floor.

Architectural historian Patrick Ciccone noted that the design was intended to evade slave hunters and city marshals, highlighting the rarity of abolitionist sentiment among wealthy New Yorkers at the time. Joseph Brewster, the house's original builder in 1832, was an abolitionist.