Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Preserves One of the Nation’s Oldest Free Black Communities
Four pre-Civil War homes restored months ahead of schedule in Crown Heights
BROOKLYN, NY — Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) and the New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) announced today the completion of a $4 million restoration of the historic Hunterfly Road Houses at the Weeksville Heritage Center in Brooklyn.
Construction began in fall 2024 and wrapped in February 2026 – two months ahead of schedule – preserving four wood-frame homes built in the 19th century that stand as the last remaining structures of one of the nation’s largest free Black communities before the Civil War.
The Hunterfly Road Houses are the only African American historic site in the Northeast located on its original site. The community of Weeksville, in present-day Crown Heights and Bedford-Stuyvesant, was founded in 1848 by James Weeks, a formerly enslaved man from Virginia who purchased the land with a group of free Black men. By the 1850s, Weeksville had grown to more than 500 residents, becoming a haven for Black New Yorkers seeking opportunity and safety. It also served as a refuge during periods of racist violence, including the 1863 Draft Riots in Manhattan.
Today, Weeksville Heritage Center educates the public about this history while serving as a vibrant space hosting yoga classes, arts and crafts, film screenings, exhibitions and intergenerational events that carry forward the spirit of self-determination that defined the original settlement.
As Crown Heights and Bedford-Stuyvesant face ongoing development and displacement pressures, the preservation of the Hunterfly Road Houses stands as a bastion of community memory – where everyday artifacts like spoons and hand-altered dolls, once mundane objects, now serve as sacred reminders of resilience, refuge, and the enduring power of Black self-creation.
The project restored the exterior of the houses, including the façades, siding, windows, doors and front-entry porches. The project also installed a climate-controlled storage room in the cellar of one of the homes to help preserve historical items. Upgrades also include new plumbing, exterior lighting, an upgraded fire alarm system equipped with smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors, and a new CCTV monitoring system. Funding for the project was provided by the NYC Mayor’s Office, the Brooklyn Borough President, and the New York City Council.
In 1968, local preservationists rediscovered the surviving houses, which had nearly been lost to urban renewal and development, and fought to preserve them for future generations. The Hunterfly Road Houses were designated a New York City Landmark in 1970 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.
158 Buffalo Avenue
Brooklyn
February 27, 2026
Preserves One of the Nation’s Oldest Free Black Communities
Four pre-Civil War homes restored months ahead of schedule in Crown Heights
BROOKLYN, NY — Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) and the New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) announced today the completion of a $4 million restoration of the historic Hunterfly Road Houses at the Weeksville Heritage Center in Brooklyn.
Construction began in fall 2024 and wrapped in February 2026 – two months ahead of schedule – preserving four wood-frame homes built in the 19th century that stand as the last remaining structures of one of the nation’s largest free Black communities before the Civil War.
The Hunterfly Road Houses are the only African American historic site in the Northeast located on its original site. The community of Weeksville, in present-day Crown Heights and Bedford-Stuyvesant, was founded in 1848 by James Weeks, a formerly enslaved man from Virginia who purchased the land with a group of free Black men. By the 1850s, Weeksville had grown to more than 500 residents, becoming a haven for Black New Yorkers seeking opportunity and safety. It also served as a refuge during periods of racist violence, including the 1863 Draft Riots in Manhattan.
Today, Weeksville Heritage Center educates the public about this history while serving as a vibrant space hosting yoga classes, arts and crafts, film screenings, exhibitions and intergenerational events that carry forward the spirit of self-determination that defined the original settlement.
As Crown Heights and Bedford-Stuyvesant face ongoing development and displacement pressures, the preservation of the Hunterfly Road Houses stands as a bastion of community memory – where everyday artifacts like spoons and hand-altered dolls, once mundane objects, now serve as sacred reminders of resilience, refuge, and the enduring power of Black self-creation.
The project restored the exterior of the houses, including the façades, siding, windows, doors and front-entry porches. The project also installed a climate-controlled storage room in the cellar of one of the homes to help preserve historical items. Upgrades also include new plumbing, exterior lighting, an upgraded fire alarm system equipped with smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors, and a new CCTV monitoring system. Funding for the project was provided by the NYC Mayor’s Office, the Brooklyn Borough President, and the New York City Council.
In 1968, local preservationists rediscovered the surviving houses, which had nearly been lost to urban renewal and development, and fought to preserve them for future generations. The Hunterfly Road Houses were designated a New York City Landmark in 1970 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.
158 Buffalo Avenue
Brooklyn
February 27, 2026
