BY SCOTT STIFFLER | On St. Patrick’s Day, climb the deep and very narrow stairway of the Merchant’s House Museum — to find a faithfully restored fourth floor servant’ quarters and hear how its Irish inhabitants lived and worked. As it turns out, domestic life in New York City from 1835-1865 as lived by the Tredwells and their servants was every bit as complex and fraught with class distinction dynamics as their “Downton Abbey” counterparts.
Get to know Irish servants, monied merchants
Merchant’s House has more bygone intrigue to serve up, every Sunday, in the form of their new walking tour of 19th century NoHo (which harkens back to a time gloriously bereft of such snazzy monikers). “Glamour & Greed, Money & Murder” takes you on a journey back in time to the elite Bond Street stomping grounds of the wealthy mercantile families whose grand Federal mansions once lined the area’s tranquil cobblestone streets.
The well-known homes of the Astors, Vanderbilts and Delanos may be gone — but the Tredwell home still stands, frozen in time, waiting for you to explore. That can be done at your leisure, once the NoHo tour has given you the historical skinny on Colonnade Row, the Public Theater, The Cooper Union, Astor Place (site of 1849’s bloody Opera House riot) and the site of the scandalous, still-unsolved 1857 Bond Street murder of Harvey Burdell.
The Irish Servants tribute is included with regular admission. The NoHo “Glamour & Greed” walking tour is approximately 50 minutes. Promenaders will return to the museum in time to take the 2pm Guided Tour, if they wish. For both events, reservations are not necessary.
A TRIBUTE TO THE TREDWELLS’ IRISH SERVANTS
Sun., March 17 at 12pm, 2pm & 4pm
Included with regular admission;
reservations not required
GLAMOUR & GREED, MONEY & MURDER TOUR OF NoHo
Sundays at 1pm
$15 ($20 includes museum admission)
At Merchant’s House Museum
29 E. Fourth St., btw. Lafayette& Bowery
Regular Museum Hours: Thurs.-Mon., 12-5pm
Admission: $10, $5 for students/seniors
For info, call 212-777-1089
Visit merchantshouse.org
