Bed Stuy Society Sheds Its Secrecy To Save Historic Mansion

BED-STUY, BROOKLYN — A secret society founded to help enslaved people escape the antebellum south is shedding a century's worth of secrecy in hopes of saving its home in Bedford Stuyvesant, the group president told Patch.

The United Order of Tents — an aid organization for women with ties to the Underground Railroad — needs $250,000 to repair the historic MacDonough Street mansion, Essie Gregory, President Eastern District Executive Board, confirmed

“Whatever the Tents did was done in secret," Gregory said. "To transfer slaves from slave states to free state, they couldn't do that out openly."

In addition to seeking $250,000 in repairs to make the building a better home for the Tents and other community groups, the Tents are also investing in preserving their history — and maybe shedding some of their secrecy

The group, formally founded in 1867 but with roots dating back to the 1840’s, is the oldest continuously operating women’s Christian organization in the U.S.

It was found by two formerly enslaved women, Annetta M. Lane and Harriet R. Taylor, and began as a station on the Underground Railroad, according to an article in Our Time Press.

The Tents' name is derived from the sparse shelter those escaping slavery relied on during their journeys north.

The building at 87 MacDonough St. was built in 1863, but since 1945, it has been the home of the United Order of Tents Eastern District 3, according to their website.

Their work in Bed-Stuy has quietly focused on helping women in need, especially those in nursing homes and women’s shelters, with their legacy of secrecy still keeping the Tents an unknown entity to most.

The headquarters serves as a safe haven for meeting, socializing and holding ceremonies, and the Tents have also allowed other groups to use the space, as well as the community at large.

Their headquarters on MacDonough Street has fallen into disrepair after years of low membership due to the group’s secrecy.

A prior restoration effort, funded by the sale of two lots of land the Tents owned, fell flat when they were jilted by a contractor, Gregory said.

“We used to host community Thanksgiving dinners and health fairs,” Gregory said, “but for the last 10 to 15 years, it hasn't happened.”

Gregory said that with the renovations, they hope to expand their work in the community.

Ideas include “creating a space for young mothers to hang out and get resources,” Gregory said, and building a museum to share the society's legacy.

But the Tents are also looking to grow the organization, even if it means leaving some of their prior secrecy in the past.

Gregory, who joined 25 years ago, said she first hear about the Tents at a funeral service and decided she needed to investigate.

“Curiosity is how I joined,” Gregory said.

But while secrecy drew only the deeply dedicated, it also led to a low number of dues-paying members that ultimately hindered their ability to maintain the Tents' historic headquarters.

“Up until maybe two years ago, people didn't hear a lot about the tents here in Brooklyn,” Gregory said.

A recruitment effort has taken place since then, putting their current membership at around 50 women.

“We're getting a lot of people interested in the tents,” she said, “interested in joining and carrying that history. When they read the history of the tents, they think it's important enough to keep it here for the future.”

Some secrecy still remains with the Tents, as Gregory explains how newcomers can learn more about the storied group.

“Interact with the Tents," Gregory said. “To learn more about the Tents, they got to be part of it."

To donate or learn more, check out the Tent's fundraising page here.