1. Benjamin Douglas House 11 South Main Street A rather handsome stop along the Underground Railroad. Benjamin Douglas (1816-1894) was a prominent abolitionist in Middletown. Given his abolitionist sentiments, his home may have been a stop on the Underground Railroad. In 1839, he was one of 11 members of the … [Read more...]
URR Trail: Farmington (3)
Underground Railroad Trail in Farmington 3 Locations as of May 2013 I should note that with a sweeping 2011 update of the CT Freedom Trail site, Farmington seems to have lost two Underground Railroad stops. Oh well - though one remains over on the Amistad Trail. From the 1780's to the 1860s, Farmington was an … [Read more...]
URR Trail: Bloomfield
Francis Gillette House, Bloomfield 545 Bloomfield Avenue I began my tour of this far-ranging trail close to home... in Bloomfield at a place that turns out to have a history important enough for the New York Times to report upon. But not important enough for the town of Bloomfield to bother with a picture. They … [Read more...]
13. Freedom Church
Freedom Church Middletown Heritage Trail Site 13 Cross Street (by Freeman Athletic Center) This church originated in 1823 in the home of Asa Jeffrey on this spot. A true church building was not erected until 1830 under the leadership of Jeheil Beman. Beman, the son of a Revolutionary War soldier and the son of … [Read more...]
Connecticut Freedom Trail Intro
In recognizing the importance to Connecticut of numerous sites in the state that are associated with the heritage and movement towards freedom of its African American citizens, the Connecticut General Assembly in 1995 authorized that these locations be developed into a Freedom Trail. The Overarching Freedom … [Read more...]
Underground Railroad Trail Intro
Let's Take This Conversation Underground 29 Sites 17 Towns all over Connecticut These 29 sites, scattered all over the state, comprise an important part of the greater Connecticut Freedom Trail. This trail (along with the Amistad and Freedom Trails) were updated and expanded in early 2011. So at one point I was … [Read more...]