BY KEVIN DUGGAN
The city’s Landmarks Preservation
Commission voted
unanimously on Tuesday to
grant landmark status to the
Downtown Brooklyn house
where prominent abolitionists
Harriet and Thomas Truesdell
lived during the 19th century
— marking a long-awaited victory
for local history buffs and
activists alike.
The 11-member panel cast
votes in favor of preserving
the three-story row-house at
227 Duffi eld St., between Willoughby
and Fulton streets,
saying that, despite some later
additions to the building’s
lower two fl oors, the structure
still kept its historic character.
“This is an exciting day,”
said LPC chairperson Sarah
Carroll at a Feb. 2 virtual hearing.
“This property is signifi -
cant for its long association
with Harriet and Thomas
Truesdell, who were noted abolitionists
in Downtown Brooklyn
and Brooklyn Heights and
who also continued their work
while living at this house, and
it retains much of its fabric and
that fabric still conveys the period
COURIER L 6 IFE, FEBRUARY 5-11, 2021
of their association and
the period in which Downtown
Brooklyn was very active with
abolitionist activity.”
The townhouse was home
to the Truesdells from 1851 to
1863 after they moved into the
then-newly-constructed building
from their previous abode
in Brooklyn Heights.
Later owners constructed
a luncheonette and storefront
addition to the lower two stories
of the building in 1933.
The Truesdells founded several
abolitionist organizations
in New England and were also
acquaintances of prominent
abolitionist and suffragist journalist
William Lloyd Garrison,
who co-founded the American
Anti-Slavery Society.
The home, along with several
others along Duffi eld and
Gold streets, may have served
as stops along the Underground
Railroad, according to
local lore — although LPC researcher
Kate Lemos HcHale
found no evidence of the escape
networks, but noted that the
clandestine routes were often
hard to document or verify.
The LPC vote means that
any alteration, reconstruction,
demolition, or new construction
affecting the structure
will have to be approved by the
agency fi rst.
The building’s current
owner and developer, Samiel
Hasanab, fi led for demolition
in 2019 with plans to erect a
10-story apartment tower in
its place, along with a museum
dedicated to Black history —
but those plans will now be
halted, given the newly-imposed
regulations.
An attorney for the developer
said LPC’s move was no
surprise, and that, while they
supported commemorating the
abolitionist history, the new
construction limits will be fi -
nancially “devastating” for his
client.
“From a fi nancial perspective
this is devastating for my
227 Duffi eld St. in Downtown Brooklyn. Photo by Susan De Vries
client,” Garfi eld Heslop told
Brooklyn Paper. “Nonetheless
we accept the Commission’s
decision, and we’ll see what
happens.”
Heslop said he has yet not
discussed future plans for the
site with Hasanab.
The city’s quasi-public Economic
Development Corporation
also almost razed the
building via eminent domain
in 2007 while looking to make
way for Willoughby Square
Park as part of the major 2004
Downtown Brooklyn upzoning,
but offi cials backed off after
a lawsuit by activists and
one of the building’s owners,
the late Joy Chatel.
Landmark event
City landmarks Downtown abolitionist house
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