The United Order of Tents, which dates back to 1848, has ties to the Underground Railroad and a mission to care for the aged, respectfully bury the dead and promote sisterhood. For generations, the members of the Brooklyn Chapter of the Tents — members of a secret society of Black women whose 19th-century founders had once been enslaved — held meetings upstairs, cooked meals in the kitchen and performed secret ceremonies in the parlor. But now their headquarters are in desperate need of help.

https://patch.com/new-york/bed-stuy/historic-mansion-owned-secret-society-seeks-donations