<P> In addition to its magnificent period rooms, the museum presents many performances, presentations, lectures, exhibits and special events throughout the year . Ongoing research and state - of - the - art documentation and conservation techniques assure that more is constantly being learned about the house, its furnishings and outstanding textile collections, and "what life was really like" for a 19th - century New York family . </P> <P> In 1991, in a joint effort with the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, the Merchant's House Museum launched the educational program, "Greenwich Village: History and Historic Preservation". The program was designed to teach students local history, architectural vocabulary, and the fundamentals of historic preservation . The program ran through the end of the 1990s at the museum, but eventually shifted its focus to the West Village, where it continues to reach out to students in the five boroughs . </P> <P> The Museum's collection of over 3,000 items comprises the possessions of the Tredwells, the wealthy merchant - class family who lived in the House from 1835 to 1933 . The collection includes furniture, decorative arts, clothing, photographs and books, household items, and personal items . Highlights include a suite of 12 mahogany side chairs attributed to renowned furniture maker Duncan Phyfe, a pair of matching six - globe gas chandeliers, and 40 dresses and numerous fashion accessories that belonged to the Tredwell women . </P>

Old merchant's house on 4th street in manhattan