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T. THOMAS FORTUNE HOUSE
NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK
RED BANK, NEW JERSEY
Thomas Fortune Project, c/o Red Bank Men’s Club Foundation
PO Box 2235, Westside station, Red Bank, NJ 07701
Email: thomasfortunehouse@gmail.com
Facebook: Thomas Fortune House, Red Bank
www.nationallandmarksalliance.org
December 2013
Dear Red Bank Neighbor,
Did you know that Red Bank is home to a National Historic Landmark? It’s one of only two landmarks in the state of New Jersey that is connected to African American history: the T. Thomas Fortune House, located at 94 Drs. James Parker Boulevard (see map). The house was named to the Top 10 Endangered Historic Sites by Preservation New Jersey in 2007, thanks to Red Bank’s Historic Preservation Commission.
Now, a group of educators, architects, writers, attorneys, performance artists, and more, have joined together to fully safeguard the legacy of Fortune in Red Bank. He lived at 94 Beech Street, as it was known then, from 1901 through 1907. It is currently owned by the Vaccarelli family, which operated a bakery there for over 70 years.
Timothy Thomas Fortune was an outstanding figure in the history of the struggle for civil rights for African Americans, as well as others. A nationally known critic of the failure of Reconstruction, and the rise of Jim Crow in the wake of the American Civil War, Fortune wrote, edited and published three newspapers, all with a national circulation, during his career. He was virtually unparalleled in his time for his efforts to educate, and galvanize community involvement, over a span of nearly 50 years (1880-1928). At the time of his passing in 1928, Fortune was eulogized as "the Dean of Black Journalism."
The T. Thomas Fortune House Preservation Project, with the sponsorship of the non-profit Red Bank Men’s Club Foundation, and the leadership of the National Landmarks Alliance and Garden State Legacy, plans to acquire, stabilize, and secure the house so that it can be restored and developed into a cultural center which honors and gives continuity to Fortune’s life’s work. This project is endorsed by the NAACP (NJ), the National Association of Black Journalists, the Borough of Red Bank and State Senator Jennifer Beck (list in formation) and is being done in consultation with the National Park Service (National Historic Landmarks Program), the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (State Historic Preservation Office), the Monmouth County Parks System and the National Trust for Historic Preservation (African American History Initiative) (list in formation).
Our Vision: To engage local schools as well as the community at large, near and far, in appreciating Fortune's legacy, through interactive exhibits and other methods. Educational programming will include other Red Bank luminaries such as Count Basie and the Drs. James Parker. Other potential elements include arts classes and galleries, as well as programs that contribute to local food and energy resilience.
We hope you will contribute to the restoration and rebirth of Fortune’s house.
Thank you in advance!
Peter Primavera, Project Director
Gilda Rogers & Lorraine Stone, Co-chairs, Programming Committee, Sarah Klepner & Mark Fitzsimmons, Co-chairs, Fundraising Committee
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