Investing in Continued Preservation of Historical Sites

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced $1.2 million for historical societies across New York State. The $1.2 million investment includes $1 million for Weeksville Historical Center to ensure continued preservation of the site and allow the society to expand its community impact. Additionally, the State is granting $200,000 for Eastville Historical Society to renovate the building’s lower level into open, multi-use space for workshops, classes and visual storage.

“New York State is deeply rooted in rich history, and it is crucial that our students and communities have the opportunity and space to learn about the significant people and movements that formed the society we live in today,” Governor Hochul said. “With this new funding, these two societies will be able to continue to preserve historically significant sites while giving back to and uplifting the communities around it.”

Weeksville Historical Center — a 12,400-square-foot facility dedicated to arts, crafts and historical preservation for New York City public school students — was founded in 1838 and is a landmark of national significance located in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. As one of the few remaining pre-Civil War free Black communities in the United States, Weeksville is a vital pillar of American history, education, and social justice. To ensure the continued preservation of this site and expand the organization’s community impact, the State is granting $1 million in operational funds to support staff, literacy programs and daily educational tours. The State is also granting $1 million in capital funding for critical infrastructure restoration of the historic Hunterfly Road Houses and site maintenance. Today, the site is managed by the Weeksville Society and comprises.

Eastville Historical Society is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of Eastville and is in a historically significant African American, Native American, and European community in Sag Harbor, Long Island. The society documents contributions, maintains historic sites, and educates the public about Eastville’s unique role in American history, including its notable work preserving the St. David AME Zion Cemetery, one of the oldest African American burial grounds on Long Island. The State is granting Eastville $200,000 in new funding to renovate the lower level of its building into an open, multi-use space for workshops, classes, and visual storage, modeled after the New Hyde Park Roosevelt Library, to foster public engagement and research access.

These investments build on Governor Hochul’s efforts to support institutions that uplift communities of color across New York State.