Flatbush African Burial Ground

Managing Agency:
Department of Parks & Recreation (DPR)
Location: 2286 Church Avenue
Summary Description: Determination over use of lot at corner of Church Ave and Bedford, which is the site of a 17th-19th century African Burial Ground
Status: In progress
- After reviewing stakeholder feedback and scope of work, Parks is developing the design for the site
 

The Flatbush African Burial Ground is an archaeologically sensitive site, home to a burial ground for free and enslaved people of African descent (17th-19th centuries) and multiple historic schools. The last structure was demolished in 2016 due to unsafe building conditions.

In October 2020 the City announced plans to develop affordable housing at the site and established a task force to guide the development of recommendations on the project. Following several meetings with Flatbush residents and community stakeholders, the City withdrew its RFP for affordable housing in favor of as-yet-undetermined plans for memorialization of the lives of those buried at the site and the larger history of slavery in Brooklyn.

Multiple community organizations continue to perform research on the site, host community cleanups and walking tours related to the space.

Site diagram from p 32 of Community Engagement Report

The Office of Council Member Rita Joseph together with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation hosted a community workshop and engagement session on the design of the Flatbush African Burieal Ground on Thursday, September 26, 20204 from 6 to 8 PM at the Morris Heights Health Center, 1095 Flatbush Avenue.

Timeline

October 2024

Estimated Design Completion

October 2024
April 2023

Design Phase Started

This project will construct an African Burial Memorial Site at Bedford Avenue and Church Avenue.

April 2023
April 27, 2023

Meeting of the CB14 Flatbush African Burial Ground Task Force Meeting

The CB14 Flatbush African Burial Ground Task Force for a status update and a discussion of community-led activities. Watch the video livestream

April 27, 2023
April 27, 2023

Parks Department Virtual Input Meeting

NYC Parks, in conjunction with Council Member Rita Joseph, conducted a public input session for the future park design of the Flatbush African Burial Ground site, the start of the design process to renovate the parcel for public use as a park. See the presentation

April 27, 2023
January 2023

Site transfer

Site transferred from HPD to Parks Department.

January 2023
December 2021

Housing RFP dropped

City decided not to move forward with RFP for housing construction, youth services & memorialization due to feedback from participants.

December 2021
October 8, 2021

Letter of opposition sent to Mayor

Then Brooklyn Borough President and co-chair of task force Eric Adams submitted letter to Mayor de Blasio expressing preference for memorial and open space, rather than housing, to be sited at the Flatbush African Burial Ground.

October 8, 2021
September 2021

HPD reports to the community

HPD hosted 2 public report-back events for Flatbush community to learn about priorities included in the draft community engagement report.

September 2021
July 2021

Archeological report published

Archeological consultants, Historical Perspectives Inc, published results of study of FABG focused on descendant community research.

July 2021
May/June 2021

Workshops and public input

City Team facilitated 3 community workshops and questionnaire inviting public to share concerns, insights, and priorities for site.

May/June 2021
January 6, 2021

RFQ for development issued

HPD released a Request for Qualifications for development teams to transform the Flatbush site into affordable housing and community development space.

January 6, 2021
October 2020

Affordable housing announcement and FABGRR created

Then Mayor Bill de Blasio and Council Member Mathieu Eugene announced a proposal to build 100% affordable housing on former school site and created the Flatbush African Burial Ground Remembrance & Redevelopment Task Force, co chaired by then Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams

October 2020
2019

FABGRR Task force established

NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission and the Economic Development Corporation established the need for a Task Force to make efforts to identify any potential descendants of free and enslaved people of African descent who lived in early Flatbush, establish a procedure for handling any additional remains that might be discovered, and discuss memorialization of the site’s history.

2019
2016

School building demolished because of unsafe building conditions.

2016
2007

Site is landmarked

School building given NYC landmark status.

2007
2001

Burial ground confirmed

Physical evidence of the burial ground affirmed through archeological testing. Disarticulated human remains found in the upper layer of soil aligning with the now known historical boundaries of the FABG from the 1855 map. These remains were reburied at Flatbush Reformed Church cemetery.

2001
1998-2001

Burial ground rediscovered

African burial ground rediscovered during demolition.

1998-2001
1954-1990s

Active schools on site

School building served as Brooklyn Branch of the Yeshiva University Boy’s High School and then the Beth Rivkah Institute, a private girls school.

1954-1990s
1890 & 1904

Burial ground discovered

Human remains discovered near site during sewer excavations on Bedford and Church Avenues.

1890 & 1904
1894

School renamed

Flatbush School Number 1 renamed PS90.

1894
1878

School constructed

Second school building constructed on the Bedford-Church Site

1878
1860s

More remains found

Human remains found during construction of Bedford Avenue near the site. Human remains reportedly removed and reburied on land near Holy Cross Cemetery.

1860s
1840s

Much of today’s site deeded to the Town of Flatbush for the construction of Village School No. 1. Historians reported that human remains were found in 1842 during excavation for the basement of Flatbush School No. 1

1840s
1827

Slavery Abolished in New York State

1827
1741

An estimated 783 enslaved people lived in Flatbush, and three-quarters of the town’s white households owned slaves 1

1741
17th to early 19th Century

Burial grounds established

A separate burial ground for enslaved and freed people of African descent established on land owned by the Flatbush Reformed Church. New burials were performed through at least 1810 and possibly through the 1840s.

17th to early 19th Century
1645

Church and cemetery constructed

Dutch settlers construct the Dutch Reformed Church and adjacent cemetery

1645

References

1 LPC, Flatbush District No 1, p 2

Documents and Presentations

Parks Department Presentation at Virtual Input Meeting, April 24, 2023

“Bedford-Church Community Engagement Report,” December 2021

“The Future of the FABG Site,” December 8, 2021

“Archeological Topic Intensives Study to Identify the Descendant Community for the 2286 Church Avenue Site,” July 2021

“Flatbush District No. 1 School,” LP-2285, Designation List 398, November 20, 2007

“Stage 1B Archeological Investigation PS 325-K Church and Bedford Avenues Brooklyn, New York,” 2001

Excavations from Church and Bedford Ave Site (2001), NYC Archaeology Repository

“Stage 1A Archeological Assessment, Beth Rivka School Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York,” 2000

CB14 Meetings

April 27, 2023 CB14 Flatbush African Burial Ground Task Force Meeting

April 21, 2022 CB14 Flatbush African Burial Ground Task Force Meeting

October 20, 2022 CB14 Flatbush African Burial Ground Task Force Discussion

November 30, 2020 Presentation to Brooklyn Community Board 14

NOTE: This page was last updated on September 27, 2024 and it may be out of date.