The Merchant's House Museum in New York discovered a hidden passageway within a set of drawers, used to conceal people escaping slavery via the Underground Railroad. The find, linked to the home's original abolitionist owner Joseph Brewster, has significantly increased public interest in the historic site.
The discovery has intensified a long-running preservation battle, as the passageway abuts a neighboring lot where a developer plans to construct an office building. Museum officials and preservationists fear construction vibrations could destroy the fragile, historically significant passageway and the museum's original plasterwork, prompting calls for the city to intervene and purchase the threatened property.