GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. – For over a decade, Rufus Jones and his family have worked on preserving James Weldon Johnson’s writing cabin in Great Barrington.

James Weldon Johnson was a Harlem Renaissance poet and an NAACP leader who used to write in the Berkshires.

In a cabin he bought in 1926, he wrote one of his best-known books of poems in God's Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse, his autobiography and other works the Jones’ family wants to highlight.

“Our family believes it’s a calling to preserve this site for American history and culture, specifically Johnson talks about the need to produce great literature and art,” said Rufus Jones, who is also the president of the James Weldon Johnson Foundation.

Johnson also wrote the poem that became the lyrics for Lift Every Voice and Sing, also known as the Black National Anthem. 

The Jones family founded the James Weldon Johnson Foundation to advance the legacy of James Weldon Johnson through education and artistic works.

The nonprofit received $575,000 to work on restoring the cabin, various studies, preserve the location and document the artifacts found inside. Jones plans to preserve artifacts like nails, his cup and even his day bed, as well as some others.  

“He had a bed, like a small, twin-sized day bed in his writing cabin, and we’re going to restore this wooden bed. And this is his box spring, and you can almost see the type of springs there,” Rufus said.

The cabin has already had work done on the exterior. They plan to complete the cabin in 2026. They are looking into purchasing more of the land around in an effort to keep the natural look. 

Rufus said, “In 2026, it’s going to be restored as it was 100 years ago.”