The restoration of the T. Thomas Fortune House is something Red Bank resident Gilda Rogers fought and hoped for, but she wasn’t quite sure if it would happen.
“T. Thomas Fortune was a premiere journalist of his time, during the late 19th century, early 20th century,” said Rogers, who is vice president of the T. Thomas Fortune Foundation. “He was a social justice crusader, he used the bully pulpit of his newspaper, The New York Age, to speak out on injustices particularly for African-American people but for women and all people.”
Fortune, who was born into slavery, lived in the house in the early 1900s. In 2014, Rogers and other Red Bank residents launched a campaign to raise awareness and funds to buy the National Historic Landmark, which had fallen into disrepair. Then, she got a phone call from builder and developer Roger Mumford who said he wanted to purchase the property, restore the home and deed it back to the T. Thomas Fortune Foundation.
“I think what intrigued me was, I appreciated the historical significance of Thomas Fortune. People don’t realize that he was an intellect 150 years ahead of his time,” said Mumford. “Secondly, it occurred to me that if I needed to find an economic use to underwrite this significant expense that I would craft the entire community in the theme of Thomas Fortune.”
Mumford built a luxury apartment building behind Fortune’s home. The historic property will become the T. Thomas Fortune Cultural Center.
Construction began in December 2017 but is expected to be done in February, just in time for Black History Month. Then, the public will be invited for a preview open house. The Fortune Foundation expects to have all the exhibits in place for their May grand opening.
The home is full of original pieces — like the stairs and railings — and exact replicas, though Mumford is more than pleased with the craftsmanship. He says he’s really moved by what this restored house will mean to the community.
“I think the main source of satisfaction for me is, I think most good people want to be on the right side of history,” Mumford said. “At the end of the day, to participate in a process that underscores the importance of having a more inclusive and tolerant society is something that I’m proud to be part of.”
Though it’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day, for Rogers the holiday is also about celebrating the life of T. Thomas Fortune.
“Martin Luther King, this is what he wanted — us to live in harmony,” she said. “Fortune, he started that work. He’s actually been called the bridge to the modern day civil rights movement, so he bridges — he was the bridge that leads us to Dr. King.”