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Life at Home in Old New York

 Last night, we time traveled to East Fourth Street in the mid-19th century.
 
For our annual Alumni Parents Council cultural event, Saint David’s alumni and alumni parent community were treated to a virtual tour of The Merchant’s House Museum, led by Museum Historian and our very own Alumni Parents Council Co-Chair Ann Haddad P ’09, ’12. Annie provided a firsthand look at the domestic lives of the Tredwells, a wealthy merchant class family and their Irish servants who lived in this home, our nation’s first structure to receive national historic landmark status.
 
The tour was fascinating, taking us through the entire late-Federal and Greek Revival row house, featuring the “jewel box” parlor level with beautiful architectural details, furniture, and other personal belongings from the Tredwell family. Throughout the tour, Annie provided a glimpse into life in Old New York, when the city’s destiny was determined by its proximity to the seaport and its northern boundary stopped at what is now Astor Place. We learned of the domestic customs of the day, be they the required “calling card” meetings among members of high society women or the morning bell ringing/bath running rituals, as well as the long hours of hard work put in by the servants.

In acknowledgment of the servants’ vital role, Annie closed with this takeaway: “There was no way that the Tredwell family and families like them could have maintained their lifestyles without the backbreaking work of their servants, who were in the family but not of the family.”
 
Thank you to Annie and to APC Co-Chair Winnie Feng P ’99 for keeping our alumni parent community connected through illuminating cultural events such as these. We are blessed that our alumni parents remain so actively involved and committed to their sons’ elementary school and so generously use their skills, experiences, and accomplishments to support and enhance the mission of Saint David’s. Thanks also to J.P. Hormillosa, Assistant Director of Development and Alumni Relations, for making the evening come to fruition.
 
For more information on the Merchant’s House Museum, visit their website: www.merchantshouse.org


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