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Lefferts Ribbon Cutting

May 19, 2023

Prospect Park Alliance President Morgan Monaco and NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue joined elected officials, civic leaders and other community members to celebrate the restoration and reopening of Lefferts Historic House, Prospect Park’s 18th-century Flatbush farmhouse museum, which is jointly operated by the Alliance, the nonprofit that sustains the park, and the Historic House Trust.

Through $2.5 million in funding from the Speaker and Brooklyn Delegation of the New York City Council, Prospect Park Alliance undertook a major restoration of Lefferts Historic House. In timing with the restoration, the Alliance launched ReImagine Lefferts, an initiative funded through a Humanities in Place grant from the Mellon Foundation that is re-envisioning the mission and programming of the museum to explore the stories of resistance and resilience by the Indigenous people of Lenapehoking, whose unceded ancestral lands the park and house rests upon, and the Africans who were enslaved by the Lefferts family.

Lefferts Historic House is one of the most visited historic house museums in New York City, and features a working garden, historic artifacts, and indoor and outdoor exhibits. To celebrate the reopening of the house, Prospect Park Alliance will present a Pinkster Celebration on Sunday, May 21, with Chief Baba Neil Clarke and the Pinkster Players and friends featuring musical performances, storytelling, games and food related to this historic celebration of Africans in New York dating back to the time of slavery.

Learn more about our Pinkster event, and RSVP! 

“Prospect Park Alliance is grateful to the City and the Mellon Foundation for providing us with the funding to restore and reinvent our historic house museum,” said Morgan Monaco, Prospect Park Alliance President and Park Administrator. “Through ReImagine Lefferts, we are engaging the public around the ongoing legacies of dispossession and enslavement in Brooklyn and beyond, and I’m honored to be ushering in this new era of recognition and celebration of the narratives and histories that have been ignored for centuries. I am looking forward to working with our partners to make the museum a place for healing and a forum for thoughtful dialogue for our community.”

“By exploring the realities of expropriation and enslavement, the restoration of the Lefferts Historic House opens up avenues for dialogue, reflection, and a deeper understanding of the uncomfortable truths embedded within this site’s history. Prospect Park Alliance and the Historic House Trust’s unwavering dedication to the restoration and revitalization of this iconic landmark strengthens our connection to the past, enriches our present, and shapes a more inclusive and culturally vibrant future for Prospect Park and beyond,” said Comptroller Brad Lander, who helped to advocate for funding for the restoration while serving in the New York City Council.

“Thanks to our partners at Prospect Park Alliance and Historic House Trust, Lefferts Historic House has undergone a tremendous renovation, while honoring its historic past,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue. “New Yorkers will benefit immensely from this preserved site and its greater mission, which through ReImagine Lefferts, places the stories of those previously untold on center stage. Visitors have so much to learn from our historic sites and how their legacies continue to impact and resonate with our world today.”

“In order to meaningfully address the legacy of slavery, and its indelible impact on our society, we must invest in opportunities to learn about our history,” said New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams. “I’m proud to have secured significant funding to restore the Lefferts Historic House in Prospect Park. New Yorkers will now be able to visit the historic house museum to learn about the history of the Indigenous people of Lenapehoking, whose ancestral land Prospect Park is sited on, and the people who were enslaved by the Lefferts family. Our progress as a society is contingent upon us knowing our history, and I look forward to our continued work with the Prospect Park Alliance and NYC Parks to create more educational opportunities for all.”

“As one of the most visited historic house museums in our City, the story Lefferts Historic House tells is important. Now, the museum will tell the full story of our borough’s ugly and painful underbelly. This truth-telling begins the process of restoring dignity to the communities our city has long glazed over— our Indigenous and Black sisters and brothers who have never received proper acknowledgement or apology for the deep injustices inflicted upon them,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. “I’m happy that the Lefferts Historic House is beginning this retelling of history and hope it will spark conversation over how we as a borough can continue to account for our past. Thank you to the Prospect Park Alliance and NYC Parks for making this reimagining possible.”

“Today, as we gather beneath the historic roof of Lefferts House, we celebrate the power of preservation and community,” said Council Member Rita Joseph. In this moment of restoration’s completion, let us honor the rich heritage of our past, embrace the beauty of our present, and build a future that cherishes our shared history and diverse traditions. Together, we create a tapestry of unity, resilience, and joy that will continue to inspire generations to come.”

“As Executive Director of the Historic House Trust of New York City and Director of Historic Houses at NYC Parks, I have the great privilege of working with community partners like Prospect Park Alliance who are doing groundbreaking work to shed light on previously undertold stories and accurately reflect the history and culture of our diverse city,” said Meredith Sorin Horsford, Executive Director, Historic House Trust. “The Historic House Trust and our 23 partner historic sites have an opportunity to focus on deepening our collective understanding of history. ReImagine Lefferts is an initiative that exemplifies the strength of community dialogue, and the impact of listening, engaging, and responding.”

In June, the Alliance will host Caribbean-American Heritage Month and Juneteenth celebrations, and will open for regular operating hours starting in July. Learn more about Lefferts events and programs.

Background on Restoration
Lefferts Historic House, which is almost 250 years old, was originally located just blocks from the Prospect Park on Flatbush Avenue (near Maple Street), and moved to its current site in 1917. After three centuries, and much wear and tear, the 1783 Dutch-American-style house was in need of critical restoration. Peeling paint and poor drainage had contributed to damage of the exterior wood shingles, windows, trim, columns and ornamental details. Gutters and rainwater leaders were displaced and not functionally draining. The cedar shingle roof was damaged and covered in moss, and the house’s three chimneys were crumbling. Structural elements of the porch and first floor were no longer able to support the load of visitors. Restoration included replacing the historic cedar-shingled roof, a meticulous process of craftsmanship due to the steep eaves of the roof (Lefferts is one of last remaining examples of an h-frame house with a gambrel roof); renovating the wood-shingled exterior, making structural improvements to the interior, replacing the house’s mechanical systems, and improving surrounding lighting and paths. The Alliance was recognized with a 2023 Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award for this restoration project, the New York Landmarks Conservancy’s highest honor for outstanding preservation.

“I want to congratulate Prospect Park Alliance on their work to restore the Lefferts Historic House not only as a point of important history, but also to ensure we tell the stories of Brooklyn’s – and America’s – indigenous and enslaved people more accurately and more completely,” said Congressman Dan Goldman. “Black and Indigenous history is American history, and they are Brooklyn’s history as well. I was excited to get a preview of this historic restoration last month and I look forward to visiting the site now that it is fully open to the public. Prospect Park is a national treasure and I am grateful for the important work of the Prospect Park Alliance.”

“The reopening of Lefferts Historic House marks a significant milestone and paves the way for dialogue, reflection, and a more inclusive future for Prospect Park and beyond,” said Senator Zellnor Y. Myrie. “The restoration efforts, coupled with the ReImagine Lefferts initiative, demonstrate Prospect Park Alliance’s commitment to honoring the stories of resistance and resilience of the Indigenous people and the enslaved Africans who called this part of Brooklyn home. I’m honored to represent Brooklyn’s Backyard in Albany and am proud of this collaboration that reflects the diversity and strength of our community.”

Work will continue on the house in the coming years thanks to Assembly Members Bobby Carroll and Brian Cunningham, who have allocated funding to restore the Lefferts grounds and make critical structural improvements to the house’s second floor.

“I am proud to dedicate $500,000 in capital funding from the New York State Assembly to help complete the restoration of the grounds at Lefferts Historic House Museum,” said Assembly Member Robert Carroll. “This vital restoration is critical to preserving an important part of Brooklyn’s history and to help tell the complete story of the Lefferts Historic House. That story unfortunately includes previously untold stories of dispossession and enslavement.”

“Prospect Park is the premiere outdoor space of Brooklyn, and the Lefferts Historic House is one of its defining features,” said Assembly Member Brian A. Cunningham. “The re-opening of this historical landmark in partnership with the launch of ReImagine Lefferts ensures a more accurate historical accounting of the Lefferts family legacy and illuminates untold stories of the relationship between the Lenapehoking people and early European Settlers. This project is a testament to the power of public-private partnerships that not only restore a piece of American history, but ensure it tells a more truthful, accurate story about our past, so that we may all learn how to create a more just, equitable future.”

Prospect Park Alliance has launched ReImagine Lefferts through a prestigious Humanities in Place grant from the Mellon Foundation. ReImagine Lefferts will re-envision the mission and programming of the museum to explore the stories of resistance and resilience by the Indigenous people of Lenapehoking, whose unceded ancestral lands the park and house rests upon, and the Africans who were enslaved by the Lefferts family. Through this initiative, the Alliance seeks to engage the public in thoughtful dialogue about the ongoing legacies of dispossession and enslavement in Brooklyn and beyond.

Prospect Park Drive

Park Drive Safety Study + Roadway Improvements

March 6, 2023

Prospect Park Alliance, the non-profit organization that operates Prospect Park in partnership with the City, today released the results of a safety study of the Prospect Park Drive conducted by leading traffic consultancy Sam Schwartz, in partnership with NYC Parks and NYC DOT.

NYC Parks and NYC DOT also announced plans to act on one of the safety study’s recommendations, by piloting a safer reconfiguration of the roadway: increasing overall space for cyclists and pedestrians, and giving pedestrians space on both sides of the Park Drive to minimize conflicts. These changes will be piloted as DOT crews repave the eastern portion of the Park Drive starting next week. Following the 18-month pilot, the redesign will be evaluated for implementation along the full drive.

Review the safety study and provide valuable feedback that will enable the Alliance, NYC Parks and NYC DOT to evaluate and prioritize improvements.

The Park Drive Safety Study was funded through Participatory Budgeting in District 39 of the New York City Council, which includes Prospect Park; this participatory process enables constituents to vote for public funding for projects and initiatives in their community. The study was conducted to address safety issues on the Park Drive, which was never fully redesigned after Prospect Park closed to outside vehicular traffic in 2018. Those issues have intensified with the significant increase in usage of the Park Drive by pedestrians, runners and cyclists in recent years.

“We are very appreciative of our elected officials and city agency partners for their support of this safety study, as well as the many members of the community who voted on this study as part of the Participatory Budgeting process,” said Morgan Monaco, President of Prospect Park Alliance. “I also want to recognize the Prospect Park Community Committee and Park Drive Safety Task Force, who have worked diligently over many years to advocate for safety protocols on the Park Drive, and were instrumental in shaping the recommendations in the study. We appreciate and share your commitment to a safe and accessible Park Drive.”

“Prospect Park hosts visitors of all kinds every day, and we’re excited to work with our partners at the Prospect Park Alliance and NYC DOT on reimagining the Prospect Park Drive. This park is truly Brooklyn’s backyard, and we are dedicated to creating safe and enjoyable shared spaces,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue. “We thank the Prospect Park Alliance for commissioning this thoughtful study to determine how we can best address the needs of all park users.”

“Prospect Park became such a popular haven in recent years, and so it was time we took a fresh look at making the wonderful loop drive even safer and more hospitable to pedestrians, joggers and cyclists,” said DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “We thank our partners at the NYC Council for funding this study, as well as NYC Parks and the Prospect Park Alliance for working with us on this exciting new redesign pilot, which combined with a fresh coat of asphalt, will make running, cycling or walking in the park even more inviting.”

“Mayor Adams has charged us with finding new and creative ways to increase public space across New York City,” said Ya-Ting Liu, NYC Chief Public Realm Officer. “Re-examining how we design the roads in our park system is a perfect example of how we’re advancing the Mayor’s vision for quality public spaces throughout the city. I applaud the Prospect Park Alliance, NYC Parks and DOT for working together on these changes that will make the park safer and more welcoming for all users.”

DOT Repaving and Pilot Project
Along with the release of the study, NYC DOT will repave almost two miles of the 3.3-mile loop inside Prospect Park, focusing this spring on the eastern portion of Park Drive from Park Circle to Grand Army Plaza. The repaving will address the current heavily potholed conditions on this portion of the Drive, which has not been repaved for more than a decade.

The roadway will be milled and repaved starting around the night of Monday, March 13, at Park Circle, a process that is expected to take about five weeks, weather permitting. To minimize disruption for park users, the work will be staged to take place entirely during weeknight overnight hours (see map, inset). NYC DOT crews are scheduled to resurface from 8 pm to 4 am, milling a given section of the existing roadway for approximately three nights and then paving the same section for two nights, with the goal to ensure that fully paved roads are available to park users on weekends during the entire repaving process. NYC DOT’s roadways crews will provide VMS boards within the park to update park users of the progress and timing of the paving work.

On the fresh asphalt, NYC DOT will pilot one of the safety recommendations from the study: re-marking the roadway to add a second pedestrian lane on the outside of the drive. This piloted redesign (see existing and new, below) will expand space for pedestrians and joggers by adding a pedestrian lane on the far side of the drive to prevent the need for crossings and reduce conflicts. The pilot design will be publicized through signage in the park, engagement by NYC DOT ambassadors, flyers in the surrounding neighborhoods, as well as promotion on NYC social media channels, and will be evaluated closely over the next 18 months.

Park Drive Safety Study Recommendations
The study commenced in Spring 2022 with a research phase where Sam Schwartz consultants analyzed crash data, pedestrian counts, roadway grade, existing crossings and signals, and park-drive-related park user correspondence to determine critical issues. Potential solutions were identified and refined through meetings and a survey with the Park Drive Safety Task Force and members of NYC DOT and NYC Parks. In some cases, options were modified or deemed infeasible due to feedback. Study recommendations were refined based on further analysis, feedback and precedent research.

Recommendations were categorized by design interventions, such as roadway striping, crosswalk visibility and safety improvements, and renovations to the park drive to widen usable road space; operational interventions, such as signage, signals, usage rules and community outreach and education; and policy.

Review the safety study and provide valuable feedback that will enable the Alliance, NYC Parks and NYC DOT to evaluate and prioritize improvements.

Support from local Elected Officials:

“As the Council Member of the 39th District, I made protecting our cyclists and pedestrians a priority. I thank Prospect Park Alliance for their commitment to creating a space for safe cycling and walking. Their partnership with NYC Parks and the Department of Transit puts our public dollars towards pedestrian-first infrastructure that will make our roads walkable and protect New Yorkers as they stroll through one of New York’s most treasured (and my favorite) park,” said Comptroller Brad Lander.

“Creating safe streets for pedestrians and cyclists alike must always be an ongoing, collaborative process, and I’m happy to see a prime example of that right here in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. “By coming together to identify and solve issues affecting the safety of Park Drive, members of the community, Prospect Park Alliance, city agencies, and additional partners are helping rebuild our roadways around the people who love to use them. I look forward to seeing this study continue to inform improvements to our beloved Prospect Park and am very grateful to all who participated in this effort.”

“Prospect Park is a treasure for Brooklyn and everyone in New York City,” said State Senator Zellnor Myrie. “I’m so grateful to the Prospect Park Alliance and the city for prioritizing these safety improvements on the East Drive, and can’t wait to test out the repaved road myself at the annual PPTC Turkey Trot.”

“I am hopeful that the recent safety study and the Park Drive Pilot Program will successfully address the challenging road-sharing issues among the diversity of park users,” said Assemblymember Robert Carroll. “There is no better investment in the well-being of Brooklyn than improving access to the park and safety for everyone—I am grateful to the Prospect Park Alliance, NYC DOT and NYC Parks for making that investment for all of us.”

“Prospect Park is the backyard to all of Brooklyn. Making it easier and safer for people to navigate around is a clear benefit to the entire borough. I’m grateful to the Prospect Park Alliance, community advocates, and funding from Council District 39 for helping to commission the Park Drive Safety Study,” said Assembly Member Brian Cunningham. “This pilot creates safer, more accessible roadways for pedestrians, cyclists, and all constituents of District 43.”

“I am happy to see that through direct democracy and community collaboration, Prospect Park is getting the safety upgrades it needs. I’m proud that Participatory Budgeting funded the study, and I support the 18-month pilot to expand safety on the eastern portion of the Park Drive for cyclists and pedestrians. I’m especially grateful to our partners at the Prospect Park Alliance, DOT and Parks, and elected leaders for their continued commitment to the Park,” said Council Member Shahana Hanif. “Ensuring that Prospect Park is welcoming and safe for pedestrians and cyclists, and neighbors and New Yorkers local and far, is key to longevity not only as Brooklyn’s forest, but as a pristine open space for everyone.”

Prospect Park Alliance Launches Park Drive Safety Study

March 1, 2022

Prospect Park Alliance, the non-profit organization that operates Prospect Park in partnership with the City, has launched a safety study of the Prospect Park Drive, which is being conducted by leading traffic consultancy Sam Schwartz, in partnership with NYC Parks and NYC DOT.

The study will evaluate and provide recommendations to address safety and access issues on the Park Drive, which was never fully redesigned after Prospect Park closed to outside vehicular traffic in 2018. Those issues have intensified with the significant increase in usage of the Park Drive by pedestrians, runners and cyclists in recent years.

The Park Drive Safety Study is funded through Participatory Budgeting in District 39 of the New York City Council, which includes Prospect Park; the process enables constituents to vote for public funding for projects and initiatives in their community. Sam Schwartz will engage members of the Prospect Park Drive Safety Task Force in the development of the recommendations.

The study is expected to take one year for research, analysis and the development of recommendations.

About the Prospect Park Drive Safety Task Force
Prospect Park Alliance convenes the following organizations and city offices to provide insight and feedback on safety issues on the Park Drive:

Achilles International
AdaptAbility
Brooklyn Borough President’s Office
FIDO
Gallop NYC
Good Neighbors of Park Slope
Kissena Cycling Club
New York City Council District 35
New York City Council District 39
New York City Council District 40
New York Cycle Club
New York State Assembly District 42
New York State Assembly District 43
New York State Assembly District 44
New York State Assembly District 57
New York Road Runners
Park Slope Neighbors
Park Slope Parents
Prospect Park Community Committee
Prospect Park Track Club
Trail Blazers Camps
Transportation Alternatives

C. Illustration by Johansen Peralta / Brooklyn Magazine

Sue Donoghue Featured on Brooklyn Magazine: The Podcast

January 15, 2022

Our friends at Brooklyn Magazine have featured Prospect Park Alliance President and Park Administrator, Sue Donoghue in this week’s episode of Brooklyn Magazine: The Podcast. This episode, aptly titled, “The past, present and future of Prospect Park” delves into just that– the history, current happenings, and what to expect next from Prospect Park.

Take a listen to hear Brooklyn Magazine’s Brian Braiker and Sue Donoghue discuss Prospect Park Alliance’s initiatives to ensure that the park is well used, preserved, enhanced, and inviting to all. Sue even also offers her own inside scoop and walks listeners through her take on how to best experience the park for first-time visitors.

Take a listen on the Brooklyn Magazine website!