Help Us Save the Merchant’s House Museum

As you may have heard by now if you follow us on social media, we’re gravely (no pun intended, seriously) concerned about the fate of the historic and irreplaceable Merchants House Museum, which is currently threatened by the proposed construction of an 8-story hotel to be built directly next door.

In order to fight the developers, the MHM needs lots of community support, but it also needs a legal team. To assist the Museum with their legal fees, we’ve added an option to donate $5 to the Museum with every Ultimate Greenwich Village Ghost Tour ticket purchase. Simply click the box to donate $5 when you buy your tickets, and we’ll give 100% of the net proceeds to the MHM’s legal defense fund.

More about the proposed construction

In 2014, the Landmarks Preservation Commission approved a plan for construction of an eight-story hotel next door to the Merchant’s House Museum, at 27 East 4th Street. The 1832 Merchant’s House is a city, state, and federal landmark. In New York City, it is one of only 119 buildings (and one of only six residences) that is both an exterior and an interior landmark. Remarkably, landmark status does not guarantee protection from adjacent construction.

  • The proposed hotel is in violation of the City’s Zoning Resolution. The developer’s application for a zoning text amendment – “spot zoning” – in effect would rewrite the law for a series of waivers that benefit the developer alone.
  • It is grossly incompatible with the surrounding buildings in the NoHo Historic District. At eight stories, the proposed hotel towers over the 4 ½ story Merchant’s House and blocks sunlight to the rear garden.
  • The museum’s fragile, 186-year-old building would suffer catastrophic structural damage and likely collapse during construction if the Planning Commission approves the application and the developer proceeds with the project. 

Read more here

So donate $5 to the Museum with your next Ultimate Greenwich Village Ghost Tour ticket purchase. Simply click the box to donate $5 when you buy your tickets, and we’ll give 100% of the net proceeds to the MHM’s legal defense fund. The ghost of Gertrude will thank you….