An underground railway corridor has been found in New York City and may be threatened by development

The section in Merchant House Museum In Manhattan’s NoHo neighborhood, it is believed to have been part of a secret network of routes that helped enslaved black Americans escape to freedom.

The structure is described as “about two feet square and hidden beneath a built-in chest of drawers on the second floor, (and) descends 15 feet to the ground floor,” according to a statement from the Merchant’s House Museum.

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Although the house dates to 1832, it is unclear when the driveway was built.

However, the house was built by abolitionist, Joseph Brewster, and Hidden passage “It serves no known local purpose,” according to the museum.

A newly identified corridor in a historic Manhattan home is believed to have played a role in helping enslaved black Americans escape to freedom via secret routes. (Max Toohey/Merchant House Museum via AP; Three Lions/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The passage was first found in the 1930s. Historians did not know until recently that Brewster was an abolitionist.

Museum officials said that site analysis took place Two years of “intensive research”, And now the site is in danger. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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These concerns are related to the proposed development of a nine-story mixed-use building that could damage the walls and foundations of the Merchants House Museum, according to the Associated Press.

Emily Hale-Wright, the museum’s director of operations, recently told the AP that engineers had raised concerns about potential structural damage.

A hidden passage beneath a chest of drawers on the second floor descends approximately 15 feet to ground level. (Max Toohey/Merchant House Museum via AP)

“What our engineers are saying is that there is no real way to build a building of this size directly next to the museum without causing significant structural damage to our historic building,” she said.

Museum officials also said that the discovery had been brought about More visitors In recent months.

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The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission is set to make a decision on the development, but community members are raising concerns.

In a statement last week, the Rev. Al Sharpton warned that the site was at risk of “irreparable damage.”

Researchers say the hidden space serves no known domestic purpose inside the historic New York City home. (Max Toohey/Merchant House Museum via AP)

“When engineers tell me that an African American heritage site is at risk of structural settlement or other type of irreparable damage, I listen,” Sharpton said in a statement.

A private developer, Kalodop II Park Corp., wants to replace the single-story garage it owns at 27 East 4th St. The nine-storey office building includes ground floor space that will likely be used for a restaurant or art gallery. New York Post I mentioned.

“Bounty hunters were everywhere in New York City.”

The developer had submitted two previous applications to build on the plot of land; The newspaper also said the most recent one was approved for 2023. But Kalodoup never started construction, and in December, he submitted new plans andOr another two-story building.

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Jacob Morris, director of the Harlem Historical Society, told the Associated Press that helping the slaves would have come at a great cost to Brewster.

“Bounty hunters were everywhere in New York City,” Morris said. “They made their living hunting black people searching for freedom.”

Historians say the Merchant’s House Museum was originally built in 1832 by abolitionist Joseph Brewster. (Lawrence Thornton/Archive Photos/Getty Images)

“If you were caught helping black people escape slavery, a mob might come and burn your house and beat you. Maybe even tar and feather you, or worse.”

The discovery of the trail is one of many recent archaeological discoveries relating to African American history.

Last June, a tourist from South Carolina found it It remains “of historical importance.” On Edisto Island, once home to a community of African-American farmers.

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Also, last summer, archaeologists in Williamsburg, Virginia, discovered artifacts from The oldest surviving school For black children.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.