Hunterfly Road Houses

The Hunterfly Road Houses (1698-1708 Bergen Street) are the only surviving, intact residential structures of Weeksville, a free African American community in Brooklyn. They are situated on what was Hunterfly Road, an old Native American trail and later a Dutch colonial road that no longer exists. The houses date from 1840 to 1883. Interpreted as African American house museums, the buildings, under the stewardship of Weeksville Heritage Center, have been restored to represent several periods from the 1860s to 1930.

In June 2005, upon completion of a $3.5 million restoration, the four historic houses were opened to the public for the first time since they were discovered in 1968. The restoration is a celebration of both African American heritage and Brooklyn’s vernacular architecture.

The Hunterfly Road Houses are New York City landmarks and listed as nationally significant on the National Register of Historic Places. For its restoration of the houses, Weeksville Heritage Center received an Excellence in Historic Preservation Award from the Preservation League of New York State.

The oldest of the houses, 1702-04 Bergen Street appears to have been built in the 1840s. It is single-story, wood frame house for two families, with a shared brick chimney. The house experienced two extensions.

1698 Bergen Street is a two-story, wood frame house built circa 1850. It was used as both a two-family and single-family home. It was expanded several times, most recently in 1898.

1700 Bergen Street dates from 1883, the year the Brooklyn Bridge was completed. It is configured in a hall-parlor plan that mirrors 1698 Bergen Street. It has a rear extension that was fitted with bathroom fixtures in 1980 during a previous restoration. This is the only house that has a firm date supported by building records.

1706-08 Bergen Street is a contemporary building. The 1993 structure replaces an 1865 house that was destroyed by fire. The original wood frame building was one and one-half stories and was designed to house two families. Reconstruction faithfully replicated the exterior, but left an open floor plan for use as a visitor center and program space.