Mayor Mamdani Announces Completion of Weeksville Restoration, Preserving One of the Nation’s Oldest Free Black Communities

 

Four pre-Civil War homes restored months ahead of schedule in Crown Heights

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.  

“Weeksville tells the story of Black New Yorkers who built freedom for themselves in a country that tried to deny them it,” said Mayor Mamdani. “It was a sanctuary that offered safety, dignity, and opportunity in the face of economic injustice and systemic racism. It was nearly erased by urban renewal. By restoring the Hunterfly Road Houses, we are preserving not just historic buildings but a living legacy of resilience and self-determination.” 

"Weeksville is a treasured part of our city's cultural community, an organization that both preserves an important part of our city's Black story and keeps it alive, relevant, and vital for future generations," said DCLA Deputy Commissioner Alton Murray. "Together with our partners at DDC, DCLA is proud of our support for this important project to restore the historic Hunterfly Road Houses so they can continue to anchor Weeksville's extraordinary mission and tell a key part of our city's Black history."  

“This project was designed and completed with the greatest respect for the legacy of this community and this important part of the City’s African American history,” said Department of Design and Construction Acting Commissioner Eduardo del Valle. “We are proud to have finished the restoration two months ahead of schedule, and to be able to celebrate the completion of this project for the center, the largest African American cultural institution in Brooklyn, during Black History Month.” 

“The restoration of the Hunterfly Road Houses is a major milestone for Weeksville and for Brooklyn’s cultural landscape,” said Dr. Raymond Codrington, President and CEO of Weeksville Heritage Center. “We are deeply grateful to our partners at the City of New York, including the Mayor’s Office, the Department of Cultural Affairs, the Brooklyn Borough President’s Office, the New York City Council, and the Department of Design and Construction, for making this work possible and helping ensure these historic homes are preserved for generations to come.”

“I am proud to celebrate the restoration of the Hunterfly Road Houses at the Weeksville Heritage Center. Weeksville stands as a testament to Black self-determination, resilience, and cultural excellence in the face of systemic exclusion," said NYC Chief Equity Officer and NYC Mayor’s Office of Equity & Racial Justice Commissioner Afua Atta-Mensah. “We must ensure that preservation and growth move forward together, strengthening rather than displacing the communities that shaped our city. This restoration safeguards more than historic structures; it preserves a legacy of freedom, community-building, and possibility that continues to shape and inspire New York City’s future." 

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.