Harriet Tubman National Historical Park is a US historical park in
Auburn
Auburn may refer to:
Places Australia
* Auburn, New South Wales
* City of Auburn, the local government area
*Electoral district of Auburn
*Auburn, Queensland, a locality in the Western Downs Region
*Auburn, South Australia
*Auburn, Tasmania
*Aub ...
and
Fleming, New York
Fleming is a town in Cayuga County, New York, United States. The population was 2,475 at the 2020 census. The name is that of General George Fleming, an early settler. Fleming is at the northern end of Owasco Lake, south of Auburn.
History
T ...
, associated with the life of
Harriet Tubman
Harriet Tubman (born Araminta Ross, March 10, 1913) was an American abolitionist and social activist. Born into slavery, Tubman escaped and subsequently made some 13 missions to rescue approximately 70 slaves, including family and friends, us ...
. It comprises three properties: the Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged, in Auburn; the nearby Harriet Tubman Residence (just across the city/town line in Fleming); and the Thompson A.M.E. Zion Church in Auburn. They are located at 180 and 182 South Street, and 90 Franklin Street, respectively. The Zion Church unit is administered by the
National Park Service
The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...
(NPS), while the South Street properties, including a historic
barn
A barn is an agricultural building usually on farms and used for various purposes. In North America, a barn refers to structures that house livestock, including cattle and horses, as well as equipment and fodder, and often grain.Allen G. ...
and a
visitor center
A visitor center or centre (see American and British English spelling differences), visitor information center, tourist information center, is a physical location that provides tourist information to visitors.
Types of visitor center
A visit ...
, are jointly managed and operated by both the NPS and the Harriet Tubman Home, Inc. The church also works with the NPS in park operations. The Harriet Tubman Grave in nearby Fort Hill Cemetery is not part of the park.
The group of properties also makes up a
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
, the first parcel having been declared in 1974, with two others added in 2001.
Tubman was a major conductor on the
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada. T ...
, and known as "the Moses of her people". She moved to Auburn with her parents after spending eight to ten years in St. Catharines,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
. She continued working as a
suffragist
Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise, is the right to vote in public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote). In some languages, and occasionally in English, the right to v ...
, and worked all her life to care for others who were unable to care for themselves.
The Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged is the house where she fulfilled her dream of opening a home for
indigent
Poverty is the state of having few material possessions or little
elderly
Old age refers to ages nearing or surpassing the life expectancy of human beings, and is thus the end of the human life cycle. Terms and euphemisms for people at this age include old people, the elderly (worldwide usage), OAPs (British usage ...
African-American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
s. In 1911 she was admitted there, herself, and remained there until her death in 1913.
The Harriet Tubman Residence was Tubman's home during much of the time she lived in Auburn, from 1859 through 1913. The land was sold to her in 1859 by then-
Senator
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
William H. Seward
William Henry Seward (May 16, 1801 – October 10, 1872) was an American politician who served as United States Secretary of State from 1861 to 1869, and earlier served as governor of New York and as a United States Senator. A determined oppon ...
.
Thompson A.M.E. Zion Church is an
African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church
African or Africans may refer to:
* Anything from or pertaining to the continent of Africa:
** People who are native to Africa, descendants of natives of Africa, or individuals who trace their ancestry to indigenous inhabitants of Africa
*** Ethn ...
where Harriet Tubman attended services. Later in her life, she deeded the Home for the Aged to the church, for it to manage after her death.
History of the Home
Harriet Tubman moved herself and her parents from St.Catherines, Ontario to Auburn, NY in 1857. They relocated into a brick home on the outskirts of Auburn located at 180 South Street she had purchased from an acquaintance William H. Seward, which then was an illegal transaction. Seward's deal along with being illegal was fair priced with flexible terms, this probably stemmed from their friendship from the Underground Railroad.
In 1896, Tubman purchased a 25-acre parcel from a property next door, 182 South Street, for $1,450, this land would later become the Home for the Aged.Harriet Tubman Historical Society. July 4, 2018
In 1903, she was forced to give it up because she could not afford to pay for it anymore. She donated it to the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church (AME Zion Church) that same year with an agreement that they would continue to run the Home for the Aged. She was an active member of the AME Zion Church and supported the construction of the Thompson AME Church building as well.
In 1908, after working for 5 years to equip the staff the house become the Harriet Tubman Home for the Elderly in which Harriet Tubman also lived. In 1911, her health would not allow that anymore and she later became a patient herself until 1913 when she died. The Home for the Elderly continued to function for a couple more years but then closed. The house became vacant in 1928 and was demolished in 1944 after being vacant for nearly 16 years.
In 1953, the house was rebuilt and restored in memory of Tubman's life and accomplishments. This was all organized by the AME Zion Church whom Tubman had given the property to over 50 years before. Since 1953, there has been 2 more buildings added to the property due to the transitions of it becoming a historic site, national park and public attraction.
The site received a prestigious
Save America's Treasures
Save America's Treasures is a United States federal government initiative to preserve and protect historic buildings, arts, and published works. It is a public–private partnership between the U.S. National Park Service and the National Trust fo ...
grant in 2000.
In 2017, multiple sites related to Harriet Tubman had been labeled part of the National Historic Park; these locations are:
''Home for the Aged 180 South Street Auburn, NY 13021
Residence 182 South Street Auburn, NY 13021
AME Zion Church 33 Parker Street Auburn, NY 13021''
National Historical Parks
The park in Auburn was established on January 10, 2017, at a signing ceremony at the
United States Department of the Interior
The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government headquartered at the Main Interior Building, located at 1849 C Street NW in Washington, D.C. It is responsible for the mana ...
in Washington, DC.
Interior Secretary
The United States secretary of the interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior. The secretary and the Department of the Interior are responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land along with natural ...
Sally Jewell
Sarah Margaret "Sally" Roffey Jewell (born February 21, 1956) is a British-American businessperson who served as the 51st United States secretary of the interior in the Obama administration from 2013 to 2017.
Jewell was born in London and moved ...
was joined by New York lawmakers, local and federal officials in creating the 51st
National Historical Park
National Historic Site (NHS) is a designation for an officially recognized area of national historic significance in the United States. An NHS usually contains a single historical feature directly associated with its subject. The National Historic ...
and the 414th US national park system unit. The park will focus on the later years of Tubman's life.
The park joins another NPS area in Maryland in interpreting the life of Tubman.
Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park
Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park is a National Park Service unit in the U.S. state of Maryland. It commemorates the life of former enslaved Harriet Tubman, who became an activist in the Underground Railroad prior to ...
includes her birthplace and Underground Railroad routes in three counties of
Maryland's Eastern Shore
The Eastern Shore of Maryland is a part of the U.S. state of Maryland that lies mostly on the east side of the Chesapeake Bay. Nine counties are normally included in the region. The Eastern Shore is part of the larger Delmarva Peninsula that ...
. This sister park in Maryland was established first, on December 19, 2014, incorporating much of the previously authorized Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Monument, which had been designated in 2013.
Tubman moved to Auburn, New York, after spending eight to 10 years in St. Catharines,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
List of Underground Railroad sites
The list of Underground Railroad sites includes abolitionist locations of sanctuary, support, and transport for former slaves in 19th century North America before and during the American Civil War. It also includes sites closely associated with pe ...
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Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park
Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park is a National Park Service unit in the U.S. state of Maryland. It commemorates the life of former enslaved Harriet Tubman, who became an activist in the Underground Railroad prior to ...
in Maryland
*
Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Scenic Byway (Maryland)
The Maryland Scenic Byways system consists of nineteen byways that pass through scenic and historic areas across the U.S. state of Maryland, with four of them designated as National Scenic Byways and two of them designated as All-American Roads. ...
*
Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway (Delaware)
The Delaware Byways (formerly Delaware Scenic and Historic Highways) system consists of roads in the U.S. state of Delaware that travel through areas of scenic and historic interest. The intent of this system is to promote tourism and raise awaren ...