Harriet and Thomas Truesdell House
Downtown Brooklyn
Abolitionist Place is an alternative name for a section of Duffield Street, which was a significant site of abolitionist activity in the 19th century. Abolitionists Harriet and Thomas Truesdell lived at 227 Duffield Street, which is believed to have been a stop on the Underground Railroad.
Harriet Lee and Thomas Truesdell owned the house from 1851-1863, at a time when Duffield Street was a hotbed of not just local abolitionist activity, but also the women’s suffrage movement. The Truesdell’s and their neighbors coordinated with these institutions, and their co-conspirators across the country, to help enslaved people reach freedom by any means necessary.
Thomas and Harriet Lee-Truesdell worked under the aegis of William Lloyd Garrison, who was the principal leader of the American abolitionist movement from 1831 to 1865. Garrison always mentioned the Truesdell’s fondly in his letters. Their friendship continued throughout the Truesdell’s living in Brooklyn. Both Thomas and Harriet were active in anti-slavery organizations in Providence, Rhode Island, attending national conventions as state representatives. Which continued in their Brooklyn years.
Sources & other links:
https://abolitionistplace.org/truesdells
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abolitionist_Place