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 a ...

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 W ...

. The tannery was built in 1825 by famed

abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people. The British ...

John Brown (1800–1859), who lived on the site from 1825 to 1835. The tannery was about from the new

Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal The Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal, also known as the P & O Canal, the Cross Cut Canal and the Mahoning Canal was a shipping canal which operated from 1840 until 1877 (though the canal was completely abandoned by 1872). It was unique in that it se ...

. The tannery was a major stop on the

Underground Railway 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. ...

; 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." John Brown Tannery foundation

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 ...

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.

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)

See also

References

External links