They fought for America. Now their home is fighting to survive.
At 26 Lytle Street in Princeton, New Jersey stands a building most people walk past without a secono glance. But behind its weathered white siding is one of the first American Legion posts for Blac veterans in the entire country — chartered in 1922, when Black soldiers came home from war only to be turned away from the very institutions they'd risked their lives to protect. For decades, Post 218 was more than a bar and some bar stools. It was a place for weddings. It was a place for community. It was the heartbeat of Princeton's Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood - a neighborhood that has been fighting displacement, demolition, and erasure for over a century. Now the building is crumbling. The ceiling has partially collapsed. And it's in desperate need of repair. But it's not gone yet.
A small group of veterans, neighbors, and historians — led by Korean War and Vietnam vets who grew up in this community — launched Operation Phoenix to restore Post 218 and breathe new life into it as a community hub, archive, and gathering space. They saved it from a condemnation order. They rebuilt the porch with their own hands. Now they need your help to finish the job. This isn't just a building. It's proof that this community was here — and still is. Donate today. Please help us rebuild!
At 26 Lytle Street in Princeton, New Jersey stands a building most people walk past without a secono glance. But behind its weathered white siding is one of the first American Legion posts for Blac veterans in the entire country — chartered in 1922, when Black soldiers came home from war only to be turned away from the very institutions they'd risked their lives to protect. For decades, Post 218 was more than a bar and some bar stools. It was a place for weddings. It was a place for community. It was the heartbeat of Princeton's Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood - a neighborhood that has been fighting displacement, demolition, and erasure for over a century. Now the building is crumbling. The ceiling has partially collapsed. And it's in desperate need of repair. But it's not gone yet.
A small group of veterans, neighbors, and historians — led by Korean War and Vietnam vets who grew up in this community — launched Operation Phoenix to restore Post 218 and breathe new life into it as a community hub, archive, and gathering space. They saved it from a condemnation order. They rebuilt the porch with their own hands. Now they need your help to finish the job. This isn't just a building. It's proof that this community was here — and still is. Donate today. Please help us rebuild!
Organizer
C
Charles W Robinson American Legion Post 218
Beneficiary