Watch: Bringing Freedom – Bridgeport’s Historic Underground Railroad Destination, Little Liberia

Best of Bridgeport11 Comments

Homegrown and becoming known, Bridgeport’s Reginald David is the community engagement reporter for OIB media partner Connecticut Mirror “bridging the information gap between Bridgeport residents and the policies and decisions that shape our daily lives.”

Beaming Bridgeport news locally and across the state, David textures present-day city news with  historical insight, one of his latest pieces focusing on The Mary & Eliza Freeman Houses in the South End that made up part of Little Liberia, a key stop on the Underground Railroad chronicled by abolitionist Frederick Douglass.

See video about the homes featuring preservation leader Maisa Tisdale.

Little Liberia (known as Ethiope, then Liberia in the 1800s) was a seafaring community of free people of color. It boasted a luxurious seaside resort hotel for wealthy Blacks (cited in a letter to Frederick Douglass), Bridgeport’s first free lending library, a school for colored children, businesses, fraternal organizations, and churches. Of about 36 structures that comprised Little Liberia, only the Freeman Houses survive on original foundations. Mary Freeman (1815–1883) and Eliza Freeman (1805- 1862) were accomplished business women. When Mary Freeman died, the only Bridgeporter of greater wealth was legendary showman P.T. Barnum. The Freeman Houses are listed on the National Register of Historic Places for their significance to African Americans and Women.

“In Bridgeport the blacks may reign. This, then, is the spot for respectable colored people. Let them never play the tail part anywhere, when they can play the head.”
– Correspondent, Ethiop
Frederick Douglass’ Paper, September 1, 1854

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11 comments

    1. How many interviews and news articles is it going to take before nothing is left of the building. By all indication, it very much appears like Maisa Tisdale and or the Freeman House Board aren’t doing much to move their plans into reality. If by now the Freedom House Board hasn’t reached out to these men and others like them, put a match to buildings and call it Ancient Black History:

      The wealthiest person of Liberian origin globally is entrepreneur Richelieu Dennis, with a personal net worth estimated between $350 million and $400 million (and a higher combined family enterprise value). Within Liberia, businessman and politician Benoni Urey is widely regarded as the wealthiest resident tycoon.Wealthiest Global Figure of Liberian DescentRichelieu Dennis: Co-founder of Sundial Brands (maker of SheaMoisture) and founder of Essence Ventures. His fortune surged following Sundial’s acquisition by Unilever in a deal valued at roughly $1.6 billion.Wealthiest Resident Business Magnate in LiberiaBenoni Urey: Founder of Lonestar Communication Corporation (Lonestar Cell MTN, Liberia’s largest mobile network). His local investments include real estate, agriculture (Wulki Farms), hospitality, and media.Musa Hassan Bility: Chairman of Srimex Oil & Gas, with major stakes in the petroleum sector, logistics, and transportation.George Weah: Former Liberian President and international football star whose career earnings and global investments place him among the country’s wealthiest public figures.

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  6. Goodness, people. Your impatience and venom are on display today.

    I’ve known Maisa Tisdale and her family since I was a kid. She’s devoted to this project and does not rest.

    The program to restore the Freeman houses, perhaps with an interpretive center, began with a non-intuitive first step. The houses were crumbling. They had to be stabilized to get ready for restoration.

    You have to crawl before you walk. The houses may not look like much right now, but this is deceptive! So much money has been raised from donors and grants just to keep the houses standing up straight. So much labor has gone into this stabilization. So much planning. A big accomplishment — and you folks here in the comments pooh-pooh it because you are ignorant about the facts.

    Restoration is in Maisa’s plan. It will happen. I’m sure of it. She’s dedicated to this project.

    Actually, I hesitate to post here today, but as I said, Maisa is a lifelong friend. I hesitate because I am no longer a Bridgeport resident. In late July, after 11-1/2 years in the Park City, I packed up and moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to live 15 minutes from my grandson instead of eight hours away. I still am reading OIB but I realize that comments from non-residents carry little weight here.

    So cut Maisa some slack. She’s a hard and careful planner and worker.

    The Freeman Houses are an outstanding piece of Bridgeport and Connecticut history. With your support and understanding, they will brilliantly tell the story of Little Liberia and the free African-Americans who built these houses, sailed the packet ships, hosted guests, and made their home with freedom and liberty in this fine and vibrant village alongside Bridgeport Harbor during the 19th Century.

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  8. I know we love the words, people 🙂

    “Goodness, people. Your impatience and venom are on display today.”

    “You have to crawl before you walk… you folks here in the comments pooh-pooh it because you are ignorant about the facts.”

    I mean, you have two comments regarding the Freeman Houses. One about how long this has been going on, and Speedy’s comment went off the rails and has no real meaning regarding the restoration.

    Perhaps, Doug, you should have listened to your intuition and not commented, BAM! 🤣

    However, “Venom” comes off like “Chaos”. Any “disingenuousness with the words that may need to be decoded, John?

    To be fair, while “The Freeman Houses are an outstanding piece of Bridgeport and Connecticut history. With your support and understanding, they will brilliantly tell the story of Little Liberia and the free African-Americans who built these houses, sailed the packet ships, hosted guests, and made their home with freedom and liberty in this fine and vibrant village alongside Bridgeport Harbor during the 19th Century.”

    It doesn’t conform to the standard American political race-baiting game, free, prosperous Black Americans. Also, you have to understand there is a money/game in slum-lording, as there is money in slum cities. The Freeman Houses have a history and story just like the Palace and Majestic Theaters. Things take forever, well, there is money to be made in things falling by the wayside. JS

    The only real investment push I can recall came for Ronland, and we know how those funds were “exploited,” being kind with the words. 🤣

    That being said, considering the state of Port’s political system, of building a rat’s nest of infighting, backstabbing, and double dealing. Perhaps that slum city is still on the table of hope. JS

    PS speaking of words

    https://www.instagram.com/reels/DNMSaQJyLBd/

    To be fair, to the words, John? 🤣

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I48hr8HhDv0

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  9. PS. Doug, you packed up and moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to live 15 minutes from my grandson instead of eight hours away. I still am reading OIB but I realize that comments from non-residents carry little weight here. Don’t kid yourself you comment carried little to no weight when you lived in the Port. 🙂

    Your kid is in Pittsburgh too, right? It seems odd that you didn’t say you moved to live 15 minutes from your kid, in-law, and grandson. Perhaps it is the JS Matthew 10-34 things, subsection included. BAM BAM! 🤣

    In the spirit of “Vemon” “Words”, and 7000-page “soil bad” analysis. 🙂

    The prophet.

    https://www.youtube.com/shorts/WjJiljxB1P0

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