Key Takeaways
- A dresser in Manhattan’s Merchant’s House Museum revealed a secret passage used in the Underground Railroad.
- This is the first Underground Railroad discovery in Manhattan in over 100 years.
- The passage’s small size and wax drippings offer a rare, physical glimpse into the journey to freedom.
We’re still uncovering new bits and pieces of history to this day. A dresser inside the Merchant’s House Museum was confirmed to conceal a hidden stop on the Underground Railroad.
In footage shared on Tuesday (Feb. 10), Spectrum News NY1 noted it was the first Underground Railroad passageway uncovered in Manhattan in more than a century. “This was the path to freedom for so many who escaped slavery in the South,” reporter Cheryl Wills said, as the camera showed a small opening in the floorboards leading to a narrow, enclosed space that was roughly 2-by-2 feet.
Camille Czerkowicz, the museum’s curator, explained that the home was built by Joseph Brewster, who also helped establish another secret stop at a church on Rivington Street. “Being an abolitionist was incredibly rare among white New Yorkers, especially wealthy white New Yorkers,” architectural historian Patrick Ciccone told the news outlet. “[Brewster] was the builder of the house, and he was able to make these choices and design it.”
The narrow path to freedom: A closer look inside the hidden Underground Railroad passage
Perhaps the reason the secret stop went unnoticed for so long is that it’s incredibly small. At first glance, the hidden compartment appears to be nothing more than a bottom drawer, and as shown in the video shared by NY1, it seems like it would have been quite a challenge to enter and exit. “That hole is so small, it could barely fit an adult,” Wills said.
“Oh, my God. They would do anything to be free,” she added emotionally. “I’ve seen a lot of things in my life… This is easily the most incredible.” Looking down into the hole, Wills noted you would have to descend about two stories via a ladder.
Preservation attorney Michael Hiller also pointed out the wax drippings on the hatch. “They carried candles, and you will see wax drippings here as well as various places as you traverse the pathway,” he told the reporter. Take a look inside below.
In the video’s comments section, some viewers praised Brewster as “a real one,” while others noted that the hiding spot was “so good, it took [over] 100 years to find.” One user penned, “Amazing. I can’t imagine what our ancestors had to go through.” It’s an incredible discovery, especially for Black History Month!