Hidden Underground Railroad Passage in NYC

0:00A hidden passageway from the Underground Railroad has been confirmed at the Merchants House Museum in Manhattan's No-Home Neighborhood. Built in 1832, the home belonged to Joseph Brewster, an abolitionist who helped enslave people escaped to freedom. Historians call it the first intact side of its kind, found in New York City in more than 160 years. The narrow tunnel starts under a small wooden hatch on the second floor and drops 15 feet down a shaft with a ladder. It was spotted back in the 1930s when the house became a museum, but researchers only recently linked it to Brewster's secret work-aiding, fugitives. Visitors have poured in since the news broke, making February the busiest month in over a year for the site. Black activists in preservationists see it as a vital piece of American history, with civil rights leader Al Sharpton warning that threats to the building endanger. Black heritage. Now, a proposed nine-story mixed-use development next door has everyone on edge.

1:00Museum leaders say engineers warn it could crack the walls and foundation, while project consultants claim the impact would be minor. The city's landmarks preservation commission is still deciding on approval. As the debate heats up, the museum stands as a rare window into the risk's abolitionist faced by bounty hunters and violent mobs all while drawing. New crowds eager to connect with this hidden chapter of courage. Watch your update from Durham News Today, powered by AI.