▁part ▁of ▁town . ▁Bur den ed ▁with ▁severe ▁financial ▁hard ship ▁in ▁her ▁last ▁years , ▁she ▁somehow ▁managed ▁to ▁keep ▁the ▁beautiful ▁home ▁in ▁nearly ▁original ▁condition , ▁long ▁after ▁all ▁the ▁neighbor ing ▁private ▁homes ▁had ▁been ▁demol ished ▁or ▁converted ▁into ▁room ing ▁houses , ▁ten ements , ▁or ▁commercial ▁structures . ▁ ▁After ▁her ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 3 , ▁a ▁distant ▁cousin , ▁George ▁Chap man , ▁purchased ▁the ▁building , ▁saving ▁it ▁from ▁forec los ure ▁and ▁demol ition . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 6 , ▁after ▁needed ▁repair ▁and ▁renov ation , ▁the ▁house ▁opened ▁as ▁a ▁museum ▁and ▁has ▁remained ▁one ▁since . ▁The ▁Mer chant ' s ▁House ▁Museum ▁remains ▁a ▁unique ▁time ▁caps ule ▁of ▁the ▁lives ▁of ▁a ▁typical ▁aff lu ent ▁New ▁York ▁merchant ▁family ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁complete ▁with ▁the ▁original ▁poss essions ▁of ▁the ▁family . ▁ ▁Architecture ▁and ▁design ▁Its ▁fac ade ▁is ▁rem in is cent ▁of ▁earlier ▁Federal - style ▁homes , ▁but ▁the ▁interior , ▁especially ▁the ▁formal ▁double ▁parl ors , ▁represent ▁New ▁York ' s ▁fin est ▁example ▁of ▁Greek ▁rev ival ▁architecture . ▁ ▁The ▁interior ▁also ▁contains ▁the ▁T red well ▁family ' s ▁original ▁furn ish ings , ▁including ▁pieces ▁from ▁prominent ▁New ▁York ▁cabinet m akers , ▁like ▁Dun can ▁Ph y fe ▁and ▁Joseph ▁Me eks . ▁ ▁Consider ed ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁fin est ▁surv iving ▁Greek ▁Rev