The houses at Weeksville Heritage Center are living history
NEW YORK -- It's not exactly hidden, but is certainly a gem. Weeksville Heritage Center is tucked away in the midst of a residential community in Crown Heights, and stands as a testament of the living history of Black Americans in New York City.
The bright, modern, 21st century building seen from Buffalo Avenue is a hub of arts and culture. Dr. Raymond Condrington, President and Chief Executive Officer of the center says when you step out of the contemporary glass building, you step back in time.
"Weeksville Historic Community started in 1838, 11 years after the abolition of slavery in New York State. And it was really established to give free Blacks the right to vote through property ownership," he explains to CBS 2's Hannah Kliger. It used to be one of the largest free Black communities in pre-Civil War America.
But the main crown jewels of the museum are the historic Hunterfly Road houses, built around the 1830's. Now landmarked and furnished from different time periods, they stand as a testament to historic preservation, and are meant to show visitors what life may have looked like when his community was thriving.
The community had churches, schools, stores, a home for senior citizens, an orphanage, and even its own newspaper called the Freedman's Torchlight, Codrington says.
As the community was absorbed into Brooklyn, these remaining houses were rediscovered in the 1960's. Restored, preserved, and landmarked, now they're part of a museum to ensure their history will never be forgotten.
"There's something to be said about being where, walking where, your ancestors lived," Codrington says. "And the homes really make the connection between the history through the physical structures that they are."
The center faced significant financial challenges in 2019, and almost had to close its doors, until the community stepped in with a massive crowdfunding campaign.
"But then something interesting happened out of that, was Weeksville became part of what is called the CIG. Which is the Cultural Institutions Group," he says. The Cultural Institutions group is 34 cultural institutions in the city that receive funding from the city.
Along with massive and iconic institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Bronx Botanical Garden, the center was finally recognized as a cultural gem. After decades of preservation work, leaders say it's also a recognition that Black History is American history, New York history, and is worth saving.
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