▁History ▁ ▁Joseph ▁B rew ster , ▁the ▁builder , ▁sold ▁the ▁house ▁to ▁Se ab ury ▁T red well , ▁a ▁wealth y ▁New ▁York ▁merchant , ▁for ▁$ 1 8 , 0 0 0 . ▁T red well ' s ▁daughter , ▁Ger tr ude , ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁the ▁house ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 0 . ▁ ▁Ger tr ude ▁and ▁her ▁seven ▁sib lings , ▁two ▁brothers ▁and ▁five ▁sister s , ▁all ▁lived ▁in ▁the ▁house ▁together ▁with ▁their ▁parents , ▁four ▁servants , ▁and ▁an ▁ever - ch anging ▁ass ort ment ▁of ▁nie ces , ▁nep he ws , ▁c ous ins , ▁a un ts ▁and ▁other ▁relatives . ▁Only ▁two ▁daughters ▁and ▁one ▁son ▁ever ▁married , ▁which ▁was ▁unusual ▁for ▁that ▁era ▁and ▁for ▁an ▁aff lu ent ▁family ▁with ▁social ▁position . ▁ ▁Se ab ury ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 5 ▁and ▁the ▁remaining ▁family ▁lived ▁at ▁the ▁home ▁into ▁old ▁age . ▁Ger tr ude , ▁the ▁young est ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁immediate ▁family , ▁lived ▁here ▁alone ▁for ▁ 2 4 ▁years ▁after ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁her ▁sister ▁Julia ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 9 . ▁As ▁she ▁grew ▁older ▁and ▁more ▁ecc ent ric ▁she ▁became ▁obs essed ▁with ▁holding ▁on ▁to ▁the ▁elegant ▁home ▁in ▁a ▁neighborhood ▁that ▁had ▁become , ▁by ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁a ▁run - down , ▁semi - indust rial , ▁and ▁dis re put able