18. Abolitionist Place: 227 and 233 Duffield Street, 436 Gold Street, Downtown Brooklyn
The houses at 227 and 233 Duffield Street, as well as at 436 Gold Street, were reportedly stops on the New York Underground Railroad. As documented in the lawsuit FUREE v. Bloomberg, residents claim there is a tunnel connecting the basements of the houses on Duffield Street. The Downtown Brooklyn and Brooklyn Heights neighborhoods were major focal points of the abolitionist movement. Thomas and Harriet Truesdell, both staunch abolitionists, lived at 227 Duffield. Thomas Truesdell attended the 1836 Rhode Island Anti-Slavery Convention, while Harriet Truesdell was an active member of the Providence Female Anti-Slavery Society and a planning committee member of the Anti-Slavery Convention of American Women in 1838. The Greek Revival rowhouse was built between 1847 and 1850, and the home was where William Lloyd Garrison stayed before attending London’s World Anti-Slavery Convention. 233 Duffield Street may have been a “feeding station” for escaped slaves, though records are less conclusive.
These properties were the center of controversy between residents and developers who wanted to demolish the buildings through eminent domain to make way for the Atlantic Yards (now the Pacific Park) development project. Non-profit organization FUREE (Families United for Racial and Economic Equality) entered into a lawsuit with resident Joy Chatel against Mayor Bloomberg, members of his staff, the Economic Development Corporation, the City of New York, the Department of Housing and Preservation, and the City Council of New York City. In the brief, the plaintiffs contested the NYC Economic Development Corporation-commissioned report for lack of thoroughness and incomplete research methodology, including failure to hire an archaeologist to examine the basements. While 227 Duffield Street gained landmark status recently, other buildings on the street have been demolished. Plans for the development of Albee Square, called City Point, are still in development. You can celebrate the anniversary of the landmark designation on Wednesday, February 22nd at a panel talk with activists at the Heritage Center!