Downtown Brooklyn has sprouted up due to its 2004 rezoning. A key part of the plan involved confiscating and demolishing the home of Mama Joy at 227 Duffield. She fought City Hall and won, and her home is the last remaining abolitionist home in the neighborhood. Her fight was reminiscent of the 19th century when the neighborhood was home to opposition to a remarkable African-American elite. Join Raul Rothblatt and Shawné Lee of Friends of Abolitionist Place on a walk exploring the stunning achievements of this elite, which is nearly erased by waves of redevelopment. Our City was built as if abolitionists were its enemies. We will walk in their footsteps and explore how this history can elevate new buildings with forgotten meaning. We still start at Abolitionist Place Park, explore the stunning but nearly forgotten landmarks, and end up at the home of Mama Joy at 227 Duffield. The neighborhood remains at a crossroads. Let’s work to make sure it lives up to its potential.
Dozens of new skyscrapers have sprouted up across Downtown Brooklyn since the area was rezoned in 2004—but the home of Mama Joy at 227 Duffield, originally slated for demolition, remains. Today it is the last remaining abolitionist home in the neighborhood. Mama Joy’s fight to save this historic building recalls the neighborhood’s role as a hub of abolitionist activity in the 19th century, when it was home to a remarkable African American elite. Join Raul Rothblatt and Shawné Lee of Friends of Abolitionist Place on a walk to explore the achievements of this elite, which was nearly erased by waves of redevelopment.
Our city was built as if abolitionists were its enemies. On this tour, walk in their footsteps and explore how the history of the abolition movement can elevate new buildings by drawing on forgotten local legacies. We still start at Abolitionist Place Park, explore stunning but overlooked landmarks, and end up at the home of Mama Joy at 227 Duffield.
Today, Downtown Brooklyn is at a crossroads. Let’s work to make sure it lives up to its potential.
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1849; architect unknown; Abolitionist Place Park opened in 2024: Hargreaves Jones
404 Albee Square
Abolitionist Park Place at Willoughby, Brooklyn, NY 11201
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