Underground Railroad Hearing Set For Tomorrow
The clock is ticking over on Duffield Street, where the city wants to use eminent domain to seize several houses with strong connections to the Underground Railroad of the 19th Century in order to create a parking lot and public plaza. To review, the ESDC hired consulting firm AKRF to produce a report refuting preservationists’…

The clock is ticking over on Duffield Street, where the city wants to use eminent domain to seize several houses with strong connections to the Underground Railroad of the 19th Century in order to create a parking lot and public plaza. To review, the ESDC hired consulting firm AKRF to produce a report refuting preservationists’ claims that slaves were once spirited through tunnels (like this one in Lewis Greenstein’s basement) in the basements of the houses at numbers 223 through 235 Duffield Street. The report’s flaws have been reported ad nauseum, to the point that it’s hard to believe the city hasn’t just tossed it in the garbage. All the controversy will come to a head tomorrow at a HPD hearing at the Klitford Auditorium of City College of Technology at 285 Jay Street at 10 am. Those fighting to save the houses are seeking prominent historians and African American leaders to assist in the cause. Anyone interested in helping or testifying can contact Barbara Skinner at barbara_skinner AT hotmail DOT com.
Photo by no land grab
As the commentaries and sentiments on this blog indicate, abolitionists is indeed a rare breed of civilized individuals who are an endangered species and we ought to preserve whatever memories remain of their existence.
I wouldn’t call for the preservation of every home of the German citizens who opposed the holocaust, either.
I guess the institution of slavery and its attendant movements is of little importance because it involves black people.
But the holocaust is forced fed us ad naseum! What double standards!
So every house where an abolitionist lived should be permanently preserved?
These houses were built well after the abolition of slavery. Where is the argument for their preservation?
This shouldn’t even be an issue.
Sorry. That’s absolutely not enough reason.
What makes the houses worthy of preservation? That there was a cluster of abolitionists who lived on that block and 3 Churches that were hotbeds of abolitionist feelings located there is enough reason. The history of Resistance to Slavery there is incontestable! Also AKRF’s peer review Historians broke with AKRF and want the Houses preserved!
Brenda, STFU!
I have a personal stake in not wanting to see Duffield swallowed in high-rises (my church, St. Boniface, is down the stret). But there’s one major reason for my skepticism about the ‘Underground RR’ claim: It is supported by none other than Charles “Even Nastier than Sharpton” Barron. His very involvement makes me suspicious that these houses are set to become the Tawana Brawleys of preservation. (The debate has already been framed as a racism litmus test, although I don’t know how many people are buying that.) Normally, I’d say, what the hell, anything that keeps an old house standing and frustrates a greedy developer must be good…but not when this nut-job hater is making it a showcase for his political muscle. His very involvement means that truth is permanently out the window, and the entire debate has moved to the Kabuki theater that Rev. Al once termed (re l’affaire Brawley) “the emotional truth.”