John Brown Farm, Tannery & Museum, 17620 John Brown Rd.,
Guys Mills, PA 16327, is a historic
archaeological site
An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology an ...
located in
Richmond Township,
Crawford County, Pennsylvania
Crawford County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 83,938. Its county seat is Meadville. The county was created on March 12, 1800, from part of Allegheny County and named for Colonel Wi ...
. The tannery was built in 1825 by famed
abolitionist John Brown John Brown most often refers to:
*John Brown (abolitionist) (1800–1859), American who led an anti-slavery raid in Harpers Ferry, Virginia in 1859
John Brown or Johnny Brown may also refer to:
Academia
* John Brown (educator) (1763–1842), Ir ...
(1800–1859), who lived on the site from 1825 to 1835. The tannery was about from the new
Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal.
The tannery was a major stop on the
Underground Railway; Brown helped some 2,500 slaves during this period. The site includes the ruins of the tannery, a one-story, rectangular structure measuring . There was a hidden, well-ventilated room in the barn for the fugitive slaves.
In 1874, in "a wonderful state of preservation", it was converted into a cheese factory, and in 1884 it was turned into a steam grist-mill. "The structure is a relic of great historic interest, and is visited by thousands of curiosity and relic seekers, The windows and doors have all been chipped away. The Brown family have visited their old home several times within the past few years."
A fire destroyed the building in 1907.
[ ''Note:'' This includes ] On John Brown's birthday, May 9, the site hosts a community celebration, "Spirit of Freedom".
It was added to the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1978.
The graves of Brown's first wife Dianthe, their four-year-old son Frederick (another son was named Frederick later), and an unnamed newborn son are nearby.
See also
* John Brown (abolitionist)#Time in Pennsylvania
References
External links
John Brown Farm, Tannery & Museum
- Old Pennsylvania Tourism listing
Photo through West Virginia State Archives
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, John, Tannery Site
History museums in Pennsylvania
Archaeological sites on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania
Museums in Crawford County, Pennsylvania
National Register of Historic Places in Crawford County, Pennsylvania
Underground Railroad locations
John Brown sites
Tanneries
Buildings and structures in Crawford County, Pennsylvania
Monuments and memorials to John Brown (abolitionist)