"If you're a child growing up, you may have rode your bike past the house didn't know what it was," said Aminah Toler, who is part of the Friends of the Howe House non-profit organization that is committed to preserving the home of James Howe, a formerly enslaved man freed in 1817.
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"There was speculation, but now we can get in behind the walls," said Kimberly Latortue of Friends of the Howe House. "We can put definite answers to some of that we learned along the way."
For the first time since purchasing the home last February, the organization has gained unlimited access to the property now that the tenants have moved out.
The quaint one bedroom home on Claremont Avenue once belonged to Howe.
A last will and testament dated in 1831 shows Howe's enslaver, Nathaniel Crane, left the house along with $400 and about six acres of land to him.
"It's a tiny house with 1,000 stories and 600 feet, but has been passed through hands and been surrounded by multiple different African American families over the course of more than a century," said John Hearn of the non-profit organization.
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Serving as a symbol of Black history that tells a story of slavery, freedom and the importance of homeownership - the home altogether is a story that has withstood the test of time.
"In 1933 this house was almost demolished," said Toler. "In 2013, it survived a fire."
In 2022, the home's previous owner listed it for sale, and community members sprung into action to save it.
They formed Friends of the Howe House and purchased the home with the help of donations.
"I just didn't want to see anymore erasure of African American history here in Montclair," said Toler.
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Efforts are underway to make this a state and national landmark - all in all, preserving Howe's legacy for future generations.
Black Gotham Experience fills in the blanks of Black history one step at a time
Walking tours fill in the blanks of Black history one step at a time
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