Weeksville Heritage Center

In the heart of Crown Heights, tucked between brownstones sits a place where history is tangibly present. The four Hunterfly Road Houses make it possible to imagine what life was like nearly two centuries ago for the free Black community of Weeksville.

Weeksville, founded in 1838, became a place of opportunity and self-determination for free and formerly enslaved Black people. Today, that legacy lives on through the Weeksville Heritage Center, which serves as both a steward and a storyteller of this history.

“We exist to make sure the story of Weeksville is told,” says President and CEO Raymond Codrington. “Preservation matters because communities like this don’t always get the opportunity to preserve their monuments or their stories.”

After decades of being hidden in plain sight, the homes have been carefully restored by the Weeksville Heritage Center and staged to reflect different eras of Weeksville’s history, allowing visitors to step directly into the lives of the families who once lived there.

But Weeksville is not only about preserving the past. It is about connecting history to the present.

The center invites visitors to engage with Black history through exhibitions, public art, performances, and educational programs. Artists-in-residence, augmented reality installations and community festivals create new entry points for audiences of all ages, meeting people where they are and expanding how history can be experienced.

The work of preserving Weeksville’s historic homes while sustaining year-round public programming is both deeply meaningful and increasingly complex. Cultural institutions centered on Black history face mounting challenges: funding instability, the high cost of maintaining historic buildings, and broader debates about whose stories are valued and preserved. Yet Weeksville continues forward with a strong sense of purpose.

“Every day is Black history,” Codrington says. “We have a responsibility to continue the work.”

That responsibility increasingly includes looking toward the future. As climate change reshapes urban environments, Weeksville is exploring how historic preservation can intersect with sustainability and community resilience. From climate-conscious infrastructure improvements to implementing shade structures that respond to rising temperatures, the site continues to adapt to a changing city. As both a cultural institution and a community space, Weeksville serves as a public gathering place and a site for education, creativity and civic engagement.

Codrington’s vision for Weeksville is expansive: to grow its national and international recognition while remaining deeply rooted in Brooklyn. The goal is not simply to preserve history but to remain a space where education, the arts and community can continue to thrive.

Support from Brooklyn Org has helped provide the stability needed to pursue that vision.

“When times are challenging, knowing you have a partner like Brooklyn Org matters. Their support isn’t just financial, it’s the feeling that you’re not doing this work alone. They understand Brooklyn, and they stand with organizations like ours for the long term.” says Codrington.

By providing not only funding but also strategic support and partnership, Brooklyn Org has helped Weeksville translate vision into lasting impact for Brooklyn’s cultural identity.

Nearly two centuries after its founding, Weeksville remains what it has always been: a place built by community and shaped by the belief that history belongs to everyone. Walking through the grounds today, visitors encounter a living story that continues to grow with each generation.

And here, in this corner of Brooklyn, that story is still unfolding.

 

This story was written by Victoria Liverpool, Brooklyn Org’s 2026 Strategic Communications Philanthropy Fellow.