The building's landmark status was achieved due to efforts from FAB and thanks to renewed public outcry during the Black Lives Matter protests after the murder of George Floyd. Photo courtesy of Friends of Abolitionist Place.

The building behind the green construction fence at 227 Duffield Street in Downtown Brooklyn might go unnoticed when you walk past it. While the simple rowhouse doesn’t look impressive, it’s believed to be a part of the Underground Railroad. Activists are fighting to preserve what some call the last standing abolitionist house in the neighborhood.

One of the building’s former residents, Joy Chatel, or “Mama Joy,” fought to save the space before she died a decade ago. She lived in the home for over 30 years. Today, her daughter, Shawné Lee, is continuing her legacy and striving to preserve the building. She’s doing it along with her co-founder, Raul Rothblatt, of Friends of Abolitionist Place (FAB).

“The fact that there are these tunnels underneath is a great physical metaphor that the connections are still there — even if we don’t see them,” said Rothblatt.

FAB, a non-profit that is dedicated to the building’s history, was formed in 2019. Its mission is to celebrate and help preserve 227 Duffield Street. FAB and other advocates say the city is just letting the building languish when it could be serving up history, connection, and community. 

227 Duffield Street was built in the late 1840s and was home to Harriet and Thomas Truesdell, prominent abolitionists. Brooklyn at the time was a hub for anti-slavery activity. The three-story brick house might have served as a temporary shelter for enslaved people seeking freedom. A trap door, exit shafts, and covered wells, along with tunnels in the home, suggest it might have been part of the Underground Railroad. 

“It represents so much of the struggle,” said Rothblatt. 

Joy Chatel’s role in preserving history

African culture and Black history were Mama Joy’s love language. The small business owner ran a hair salon at home. When she retired, she turned it into a museum and cultural heritage center. Her community called it “the shop.” Her walls and windows were plastered with posters featuring historical figures like the Truesdells. 

True to her name, Mama Joy was the life of the party, even during her typical late entrances. She had a dramatic flair and animated style that could bring thousands of followers to protests.

“Everyone would always just hang on her every last word because she meant what she said, and she delivered every time,” said Lee. 

Before they knew it, Chatel was giving tours. Meanwhile, her daughter was also hosting events and leading a children’s performance group. Through these passion projects, they educated the community on Black history, cultural pride, and liberation. They also raised awareness about the gentrification they and their neighbors were facing. Chatel founded the predecessor of FAB, called Friends of 227 Duffield Street. 

Lee says that in the ‘90s and 2000s no politician would pass up a photo-op with Chatel. But after her death, Chatel’s legacy was largely left out of the building’s history despite her being the one who saved it. 

“Mama Joy” Chatel helped save 227 Abolitionist Place and created a movement that continues to this day. Photo courtesy of Friends of Abolitionist Place.

The fight to keep its anti-slavery history alive

In the early 2000s, Chatel learned she and six of her neighbors’ homes were slated to be taken by eminent domain. It was part of the city’s Downtown Brooklyn Rezoning initiative that would include a micro-park and a parking lot for a new hotel. 

But Chatel wasn’t going to watch their home be bulldozed by the city. So she joined local activists fighting against displacement and testified at a public hearing about the homes’ connection to the Underground Railroad. Chatel delved into the home’s history. She led protests and performance activities that would draw huge crowds. 

“She went through a lot,” Lee said, explaining that her mother was harassed for fighting to protect the neighborhood from development.

“People who are only motivated by money don’t recognize that somebody wants to save something … not for their own benefit, but because it’s the right thing to do,” Rothblatt said. “That is actually quite a threatening thing for a lot of people, because we treat homes and businesses and land as a commodity.” 

While the rest of the abolitionist homes on Duffield Street were demolished, Chatel was able to save 227 Duffield Street. The city renamed the street “Abolitionist Place” in 2008. 

Chatel died in 2014, but her daughter continues the fight for Chatel’s legacy. Lee believes her mother’s respiratory issues had been aggravated by issues like mold due to flooding from construction in the neighborhood

“She did not stop the fight — she literally gave her life for preservation,” Lee said. 

In 2019, 227 Abolitionist Place was again slated for demolition. While Chatel was no longer alive to rescue it, FAB did. Lee brought it to the attention of then-First Lady Chirlane McCray, who cared deeply about Black historical sites, and they secured its landmark status at the 11th hour in February of 2021.

This was achieved due to efforts from FAB and thanks to renewed public outcry during the Black Lives Matter protests after the murder of George Floyd. To commemorate the anniversary, FAB hosted a “preservation celebration of Mama Joy’s abolitionist home” last Sunday.

FAB co-founders speak at the “preservation celebration of Mama Joy’s abolitionist home” at the church Mama Joy regularly attended. Credit: Ambar Castillo

The future of 227 Abolitionist Place

The city, which now owns 227 Abolitionist Place, hired a consulting firm to lead discussions on its future. Last November, FAB members and allies attended a community “visioning” meeting it hosted. 

Many attendees made the case that FAB, with its decades of advocacy and personal ties to 227 Abolitionist Place, should be leading and operating the future Abolitionist Heritage Center. The vision is to continue and expand Mama Joy’s work through a museum and heritage site.

Some ideas also focused on leveraging technology to attract youths, like hologrammed abolitionists giving house tours. Lee says she heard so much of her mother’s values echoed in this vision.

“No matter what — it could be a meeting, it could be a family, it could be a performance just for the community — Mama Joy’s house was definitely community,” Lee said. “There was no one that couldn’t come by to get some encouragement or entertainment, [to share] what was going on in your life, share your accomplishments, get advice on places you wanted to go, your goals.” 

FAB and other supporters attend a community “visioning” meeting the city hosted on the future of 227 Abolitionist Place. Credit: Ambar Castillo

What happens next is unclear. The consulting firm hasn’t provided a timeline for the city to act or respond to any of the suggestions. Epicenter reached out to the city but has not received a response yet. Still, Lee hopes the visioning session was a first step in the city’s efforts to revitalize and preserve the area.

“We look at that little house and … it just makes my heart full because it’s a representation of never giving up hope, of always knowing that if you feel something in your heart, it exists, and it will manifest,” Lee said. 

FAB’s tours are slated to resume in April 2025. For updates, sign up for the FAB newsletter.

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