The railroad led the slaves to freedom in the northern free states, Canada, Mexico, the western territories, and the Caribbean. Historic Smithville Park, 803 Smithville Road, Eastampton, NJ 08060, United States, Email us at: info@hugrrmbc.org It dates back to the early 1800s, when Springtown was a swamp area. There are no trains at this location. Community Corner 'Walk to Freedom': Group Retraces NJ's Underground Railroad Route To commemorate the 200th birth anniversary of Harriet Tubman, a group is retracing the history of NJ's . Located in Springtown, a swamp area that was well known for providing succor to fugitive slaves from Delaware and Maryland arriving from across the Delaware Bay, evidence for its association with the Underground Railroad is considerable. Born into slavery in Dorchester County, Maryland, Tubman fled to Pennsylvania in 1849. The Amazon Prime show "The Underground Railroad" debuted on May 14. Restaurants. In Mount Laurel is Jacobs Chapel A.M.E. Church, a complex containing one of the oldest African American church buildings in the nation and where Dr. Mott was born in Delaware, and evidence suggests he was a free man, though he may have been born a slave, the Lawnside Historical Society says. The little chapel is listed on theNational Register of Historic Placesand, according to its website,was used as a safe place for slaves on the Underground Railroad. The Grubbs were abolitionists,and tunnels between the houses and the riverbank were used to hide escaped slaves. The High Street building, constructed in 1731, was also used as a meeting location for antislavery rallies hosted by Quaker abolitionists. The ensemble comprised of a percussionist, banjo player, bassist, harmonica player and vocalist deliver the songs in afro-centric rhythm that conjure the spirit of the ancestors. In one interview, the author made the dramatic discovery that the fugitive confronting him was his own brother, a man from whom he had been separated since boyhood. It is one of the only known Underground Railroad stations in the state that was owned and operated by an African-American and was located in the Black community called Snow Hill, which is now Lawnside. The Underground Railroad Cafe Art Gallery & Educational Center The Historical Society was 30 years old in October of 2020 and due to the pandemic we werent really able to acknowledge our existence, which grew out of the threat to the Peter Mott House, said Linda Shockley, a Lawnside native and president of the Lawnside Historical Society, of the missed chance to mark the anniversary. He uses lanterns, the major light source of the 19th century, for shining light on issues to bring communities closer together. The Underground Railroad Museum of Burlington County is dedicated to keeping history alive- connecting the past to the present through the acquisition and presentation of historical artifacts and materials while giving voices to history through creative expression in art, music, and the "spoken word", All audiences are welcome, especially those who have had limited access to. Her formula for success was quite simple: although she frequently changed her routes leading to the North, Ms. Tubman always began the escapes on Saturday nights. Full view. hbbd```b``^ "'A$= xdZ"7DVsAlet {~ ` LN #"'M RVB3ly-s@l` rK)l "@j&Dy78d UH~8w 10t%300 By 1790, Burlington County had the largest free Black population of any county in the state, according to the Library of Congress, The American Folklore Center, This can be attributed to its location in the Delaware Valley, known as the cradle of emancipation, where slaves were freed on a large scale, it said. Making The Northeast Connection: The Underground Railroad In New Jersey Box 6000Mt. They followed the North Star to the northern states in places like Cincinnati, Ohio, and Wilmington, Delaware. Thats what helped her understand the Underground Railroad and Black history. Calloway became its curator. History tells us who we are, and what weve been through, and what were still going through today., Honoring the Remarkable Louise Calloway at the Burlington County Library; Saturday, April 30, 12:30 p.m.; 5 Pioneer Blvd., Westampton, N.J.; Free. In addition to the installation of state-of-the-art exhibits and visual displays for the museum, the landscaping has been restored to reflect the way the Langstaff Mansion looked from High Street in the 1800s. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. The museum is an independent organization, separate from the County Parks System. In 2013, the original Underground Railroad Coffee House was closed due to financial pressures. Hanging in the caf was a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation by Abraham Lincoln, many news clippings and portraits of African-American achievers like Brooklyn Dodger great Jackie Robinson, the first black Major League Baseball player, civil rights crusader Martin Luther King Jr. and Katherine Dunham, author, dancer and educator. Secondly, newspapers would not be able to report runaway slaves until the beginning of the week. Stills brother, William Still, was a major conductor of the Underground Railroad in Philadelphia and was the author of the classic book The Underground Railroad,published in 1872. Can I put plastic packing material from cardboard boxes in my recycling? Although Quakers started this anti-slavery movement in the 1780s, the Underground Railroad became legendary after the 1830s, when abolitionists and other sympathizers began helping slaves escape to freedom. 15-16 East Union St. Burlington, NJ 08016. The museum, which is not open for tours, is located at 803 Smithville Road. HUGRRMBC His professional background is in career development and human services. 112 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<2636693BF98A8948A05D21AE0F5DABB6><21F8BE01C266E04FA1A349166A1A1B02>]/Index[68 109]/Info 67 0 R/Length 188/Prev 1168615/Root 69 0 R/Size 177/Type/XRef/W[1 3 1]>>stream The riverfront home, built in 1872 by Philadelphia architect Frank Furness, is located within a federal designated Historic district. Located in the city of Camden, Macedonia A.M.E. (African Methodist Episcopal) is the city's oldest Black institution and a stop on the UGRR. New Jersey's Underground Railroad | VisitNJ.org The Underground Railroad was an informal escape network that helped fugitive slaves reach freedom. Id like for us to gather and talk about this history, she said. We are presenting her with a proclamation, recognizing her contributions to education and preserving this important piece of history and heritage for our county, said David Levinsky, a Burlington County spokesman. In fact, it was so well constructed that it remained in constant use until 1965. To honor Harriet Tubman and others, this 165-mile Walk to Freedom traces South Jersey Underground Railroad routes, On Walk to Freedom, a stop at a South Jersey church where Harriet Tubman may have brought freedom seekers. This community was made possible by a Quaker from the neighboring settlement of Haddonfield who purchased plots of land and resold them to former slaves. Governor Phil Murphy Lt. The term is also applied to the abolitionists, both black and white, free and enslaved, who aided the fugitives. In 1992, the historical society acquired and restored the Mott house, opening it as a museum in 2001. Is a composer, writer, arranger, performer, educator and also guitar instructor at the Duke Ellington School of Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. His 50-year musical biography spans the genres of Blues, Jazz, R&B, and Rock n Roll. She was never paid for her services, but she received an official commendation for her war effort. He has performed in musical productions at the Arena Stage, Kennedy Center, Metro Stage, and Signature Theaters. The Burlington County Lyceum of History and Natural Sciences,at 307 High Street in Mount Holly is the Countys first general history and natural science museum to be housed in the Langstaff Mansion. Also called the Liberty Line, this loosely organized system was neither "underground" nor a "railroad." Underground Railroad Museum of Burlington County We do know that in the early 1800s a fugitive slave, Joshua Saddler, escaped from a Maryland plantation, according toSaddlerswoods.org. After freeing herself from slavery, this abolitionist returned to Maryland and rescued members of her family and others. The museum is open Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m., is free to the public, and is staffed by Calloway and other volunteers. Built in the 1830s, the Mansion was home to the Langstaff Family and became the original Burlington County Lyceum of History and Natural Sciences in the 1860s. South Jersey people and places to know for Black History Month, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. She also met a Cameroonian college student who volunteered at her agency. Nice local museum to learn about African American history. This act secured Joshua's safety and freedom, according to the website. In nearby Cherry Hill is Croft Farm, another important stop for escaping slaves. The house has served as a museum, a private home and a bookstore over the years. From 1836 through the Civil War, the house was a place of refuge to enslaved African-Americans escaping North. The Underground Railroad is extensively covered at the museum. Sponors, volunteers and vendors welcome. Abolitionists and sisters Abigail and Elizabeth Goodwin provided funds and supplies to runaway slaves on their journey to freedom. Created Date: All rights reserved. Burlington Northern operated between 1970 and 1996. This permanent location on the Historic Smithville Park grounds is now open. Watch a VIDEO of the Underground Railroad Museum, Out of the Darkness & Into the Light: Music Photography Collective Exhibit. Southern New Jersey . }); Burlington County49 Rancocas RoadMount Holly, NJ 08060Phone: 609-265-5000. $(document).ready(function () { P.O. Runaway slaves generally came from the upper South and were mostly skilled males without families. It is likely runaways were hidden both on the property of members and at this church. While raising awareness on the importance of protecting and preserving hard earned Civil Rights, Ken works on building community through lantern making engagement activities. Still also wrote William Still's Underground Railroad, an abolitionist account of the freedom network, in which he championed the hundreds of brave fugitives he interviewed as they made their way to the North. The tour ended with another symbolic crossing from Jersey City to New York City, where participants paused for a moment of silence at the site of the former World Trade Center before visiting the African Burial Ground and the Foley Square Monument. Medfords first resident physician, Dr. George Haines, built the house in 1826. There were white people who put their lives on the line to help Black people. One museum room is devoted to abolitionists, Black and white. Google Translate is an online service for which the user pays nothing to obtain a purported language translation. Welcome to the Historic Underground Museum of Burlington County, Save the date, Sunday, September 24, 2023, as we come together for our Annual African Diaspora Festival honoring the legacy of founder Louise Calloway. The Burlington Northern Railroad (reporting mark BN) was a United States-based railroad company formed from a merger of four major U.S. railroads. A Bucks County school district dropped its diversity program. Still also established a network of safe houses and contacts stretching from the upper South to Canada. My lifes journey has been wonder-filled from low, dangerous ravines to lofty mountain. Thats what I wanted to do, just sit there and read, especially about Africa and Liberia, Calloway said. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription. The state's oldest pharmacy - Wheatley's Pharmacy, now Burlington Pharmacy, built in 1731 - was connected to other safe houses and the riverbank on the Delaware River by underground tunnels. var socialShareJs = new SocialShare(); Historic Underground Railroad Museum of Burlington County Its the oldest known house in Lawnside, a historically African-American town. Fugitives traveled at night so they could avoid bounty hunters and other southern sympathizers. Edit business info. But in Burlington City, New Jersey, the Underground Railroad path was actually subterranean. %%EOF If they were being pursued by slavecatchers or their owners, the fugitives were hidden in a secure hiding place beneath the churchs vestibule. Most recently, the building was home to the Mount Holly Library until being purchased by the County in 2013. A documented station on the Underground Railroad, thisestate included a mansion, two large brick Victorian cottages, a tannery, a breweryand a brickyard, according to Burlington City history. During the past three years, Ken has traced the footsteps of Harriet Tubmans movements between known Underground Railroad communities from Poplar Neck, Maryland to. The home was officially recognized and added to both state and National Registers of Historic places in 1994. 176 0 obj <>stream This made Timbuctoo a strategic location for the Underground Railroad., The Goodwin Sisters Housewas constructed in 1821 and prior to extensive research on New Jerseys Underground Railroad was the states best-documented Underground Railroad station.. Its a monument of a different sort. Abolitionists often provided shelter, food and supplies to assist runaway slaves in their pursuit of freedom. During the American Civil War, Tubman moved to South Carolina where she served as a nurse, scout, and spy for the Union Army. Underground Railroad Education Center | Burlington NJ - Facebook By 2015, Calloways collections found a temporary location at the Historic Smithville Park in Eastampton, near Mount Holly. Louise Calloway, 93, the curator and executive director of the Underground Railroad Museum of Burlington County, died after a brief illness on Feb. 8, during Black History Month. The museum will be dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the history of Burlington County through examination of its diverse communities, their ways of life, and their contributions to the world as it once was and as it is today. Mrs. Smithville Mansion Upcoming Events Calender, African Diaspora Festival, September 24, 2023, Welcome to the Underground Railroad Museum of Burlington County. Shockley said many members of The Society of Friends in Haddonfield and Moorestown were principled people who assisted runaway slaves. Members of Mount Zion supposedly left the church doors unlocked in case escaping slaves were passing through and in need of shelter. William Still, often referred to as the "Father of the Underground Railroad," was born a free African-American in Burlington County in . Southbound service from the station is available to Camden, New Jersey. Built circa 1845, the house at 26 Kings Court was residence to Mott, a preacher who was the first Sunday school superintendent at Mount Pisgah African Methodist Episcopal Church in Lawnside, and his wife, Eliza. Phone: (609) 265-5858 Email: parks@co.burlington.nj.us www.co.burlington.nj.us/parks Questions? Thomas Clement Oliver, one of the state'sforemost Underground Railroad operatives, served as the pastor of the church during the mid-1840s. PDF New Jersey Stops on the Underground Railroad Handout
Stationery Pal Journal, Articles B