The John W. Jones House currently stands at 1250 Davis Street,
Elmira, New York, across from a historic entrance to
Woodlawn Cemetery.
It is the former home of
John W. Jones and current home of the John W. Jones Museum. It stands on part of its original property, though it originally faced College Avenue.
[ an]
''Accompanying 4 photos, from 2003''
/ref> Historically, the house was the private residence of John W. Jones and his family, but changed ownership several times since, and was used as rental property that fell into disrepair. Condemned by the City of Elmira in 1997, Lucy Brown brought it to the public's attention and with a group of concerned citizens, saved it from demolition.
Museum
The museum emphasizes Elmira's role as the only regular agency and published station on the Underground Railroad between Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
and St. Catharines, Canada, and explores Mr. Jones's community involvement and his relationship with his contemporaries.abolitionists
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 Britis ...
.
John W. Jones
John W. Jones came to Elmira as an escaped slave from Virginia in the 1840s. He was an active abolitionist and worked extensively with 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. ...
. He became sexton of Woodlawn Cemetery. During the American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
, he was responsible for burying the Confederate dead from the nearby Elmira prison camp in the section of the cemetery that eventually became Woodlawn National Cemetery. The John W. Jones House is built, at least in part, from portions of the camp sold at auction upon its disbandment. The house 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 2003.
Gallery
Image:John W Jones House 4.jpg, House with future plans signs
Image:John W Jones 2.jpg, Front and right elevations
Image:John W Jones 3.jpg, Rear and left elevations
References
External links
John W. Jones Museum
John W. Jones Papers
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, John W., House
Buildings and structures in Elmira, New York
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state)
Houses completed in 1868
Houses in Chemung County, New York
National Register of Historic Places in Chemung County, New York
Underground Railroad in New York (state)