Members of the United Order of Tents celebrated the start of the restoration on October 24. Photo Susan De Vries
On a recent crisp fall afternoon, about three dozen people gathered on the lawn of the 19th-century mansion at 87 MacDonough Street in the Stuyvesant Heights Historic District to celebrate the start of long-awaited restoration work on the beautiful but dilapidated building. The moment not only marked a new chapter for the building, but also a ‘homecoming’ for the members of the secretive Women’s Aid Society that had owned it since the 1940s.
Standing in front of a crowd with many women dressed in the United Order of Tents signature purple On Friday, October 25, Eastern District #3 member Erica Buddington thanked “every Tents sister, neighbor, elected official, conservation partner and friend who joined us this afternoon.”
“Thank you for your patience, your prayers, your presence, and your belief that this is your home, our home, and that it is worth saving… this is not just a groundbreaking event, it is a homecoming, a celebration of survival and sisterhood, a testament to what happens when Black women refuse to be erased.”
Purchased in 1945 by the Order of Tents, the oldest black women’s relief organization in the U.S., the Second Empire Italianate mansion dates back to 1863. In addition to being located in the historic district, it is listed on the New York State and National Register of Historic Places and was called a Bed Stuy gem by Brownstoner columnist Suzanne Spellen. But in recent years the building has fallen into disrepair due to bad contractors, financial problems and opportunistic developers, the group said.
Buddington, part of a new and growing younger generation members and the chairman of the cooperation council said the groundbreaking event is a time when “preparation turns into progress.” Collaborate with Think wilder architecturethe New York Landmark Conservancy, Legal Aid and Landmarks Preservation Commission, Tents members recently completed architectural drawings, inspections and Landmarks assessments for the upcoming work. The first phase will focus on the exterior and the vestibule.
“We will repair the brick masonry and cornices that have weathered over time, we will restore the wood trim and ironwork, and we will add everything that meets ADA standards so that every guest and every elder can enter this space,” Buddington said.
When outdoor work begins, so will the group continue to raise funds for interior repairs. So far, they’ve raised $600,000 in donations and grants, a testament, Buddington said, to how deeply people care about the building’s legacy in American history. In 2023, the organization also received a boost with a tax exemption.
“It’s essential that we have third spaces that support the community in multiple endeavors, and that is the mission of Tents. We were founded to support the community through mutual aid and we continue to do that work, and the space is a very big part of that,” Buddington said.
Plans for the interior include a memorial space, an archive, space for collaborations with local nonprofits and community spaces “that reflect the original purpose of the Tents: to care for and uplift each other and promote the advancement of Black women and girls.”
The investment in the organization’s future comes at a time when many Black institutions are under threat, and it was critical for the Tents to preserve this “rare Black women-owned historic property,” which provides space for ceremonies, education and services, Buddington said.
“It belongs to the United Order of Tents, but it also belongs to the community. Once we can restore it to its original grandeur and beyond, we will be able to serve in a different way,” she said, adding “we are doing this work for young women who don’t even exist yet.”
Vickie Wilkinson, President of Eastern District #3 (de last remaining chapter in the Northeast), said the organization’s work and the importance of recovery are “all rooted in heritage, connection and ancestry.”
The Tenten and the local community are invested in 87 MacDonough Street not only as a historic structure, but as a “beacon of light” through the Tenten’s work to “heal the sick, help bury the dead and provide mutual aid, to be a light to this world,” she said.
“I am excited, proud and honored to be in a position and space to continue a legacy that started so many generations ago, it is on their shoulders that we stand. It is meaningful to me to be able to continue the work,” said Brooklyn native Wilkinson. “Many organizations that were founded around the time we were founded are no longer there, they are a historical footnote. Our story continues.”
Honoring legacy and history was relevant during the celebration, with Wilkinson, Buddington and other speakers turning to older Tents members in the crowd to show gratitude for their work. Member of Tenten Ebony Noel Golden recited a poem in praise of the heritage, the land and the building.
Stephen Wilder of Think Wilder Architecture and recently appointed to the Landmarks Preservation Commission spoke on behalf of his firm at the ceremony and said the project is architecturally simple preservation work. “These are the types of projects we like to work on.”
“I was so inspired by the story, because I’m an architect and I have roots that are connected to the mission, and because I’m just really in love with preserving and restoring our culture and different places like this, I knew it was really important for me to come here and introduce myself and find out exactly what I can do to help.”
Landmark Preservation Commission records show a permit has been approved for limited exterior and structural repairs at 87 MacDonough Street, including cleaning out organic growth, repointing and replacing damaged brick, repairing the rubble stone foundation and rebuilding portions of the rear facade and chimneys, all with matching materials.
According to the permit, work will be carried out in phases, with priority given to structural stabilization in this first phase. The first phase will also help resolve a violation for failure to maintain the facade, which remains active and requires work to be completed by May 2026. Future repairs include the roof, cornices and stairs. Department of Buildings permits are not necessarily required for all work, and records show the organization has not yet applied for a building permit.
To conclude the ceremony and kick off the next chapter for the organization, the older generation of Tents members gathered in front of the crowd, each with a purple ribbon shovel in hand, and plowed into a pile of dirt next to the large structure.
Breaking ground, Buddington said, is “breaking open a future, breaking through all the things that could have been erased, a new terrain for the next generation of women who will continue this order.”
“Thank you for helping us protect sacred ground,” she said. “This one is for Brooklyn, for our ancestors and for Black women everywhere.”
[Photos by Susan De Vries]
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