The T. Thomas Fortune House, as it appeared in November and as it’s expected to appear after rehabilitation. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

Not so many months ago, the T. Thomas Fortune House in Red Bank was a place whose own fortunes were in doubt, prior to the announcement of a development deal (reported here in redbankgreen) that set the deteriorating structure on the path to a new life as a community resource “dedicated to human rights, journalistic integrity, (and) advancement for all people.”

The announcement was certainly a happy one for the volunteers of the T. Thomas Fortune Project Committee — and on Thursday, May 25, the nonprofit entity hosts “a festive night out to celebrate the rebirth, now underway, of the National Historic Landmark and support the opening of our soon to be T. Thomas Fortune Cultural Center,” as well as the legacy of the pioneering 19th century African American journalist T. Thomas Fortune.

Hosted at Patrizia’s on 28 Broad Street, the two hour event gets going at 5:30 p.m. with specially prepared presentations from some of  the young local poets and artists known as “Fortune Tellers.” Also on the agenda will be a celebration of Gilda Rogers, on the occasion of her being named 2017 Humanitarian of the Year by the Monmouth County Human Relations Commission. The TTF Project Committee board member will be receiving her award at the next MCHRC meeting on Monday, June 12.

Tickets to the May 25 Happy Hour event ($50) can be reserved here. Take it here for more information on the T. Thomas Fortune Foundation, or get updated posts at their blog site, www.tthomasfortunehouse.wordpress.com.