Weeksville in Brooklyn, New York
In the 1800s, Weeksville played a significant role in our country’s history as one of the first Black communities in New York. This cohesive section of Crown Heights was named after James Weeks, a freedman who purchased a large portion of land. Property ownership was instrumental in creating a thriving neighborhood and community with over 500 residents, including doctors, teachers, and business people. By 1850, Weeksville had become the second largest community for free men and women in pre-Civil War America.
During the 1930s and 50s, the identity of Weeksville would start to fade as a wave of European immigrants and Brooklyn’s expanding city would lead to the village’s buried past.
Learn more about the Weeksville’s important history at the Weeksville Heritage Center.