Quick Links
Contact Us
National Park Service Network to Freedom Designates Four Maryland Sites
Governor Larry Hogan Recognizes New Sites, Further Signifying Maryland as the Most Powerful Underground Railroad Storytelling Destination
Baltimore, MD (November 1, 2021) - The National Park Service recently announced the newly designated National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom members, including four new sites in Maryland. The new listings have verified connections to the Underground Railroad and provide insight into the experiences of freedom seekers who bravely escaped slavery and those who assisted them.
Three of the four new Network to Freedom sites were researched as part of the Maryland Department of Commerce Office of Tourism's "Four Fellowships for 400: Sharing Maryland’s Underground Railroad Stories" project. The project partnered with the Legacy of Slavery program at the Maryland State Archives and was funded by a grant from the 400 Years of African American History Commission. With the additional four sites, Maryland now has 92 total designated Network to Freedom sites across the state.
“The successful partnerships between federal, state, and local agencies has allowed this important research to showcase these powerful Maryland Underground Railroad stories,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “The uncovering of Underground Railroad history at these new sites can now be shared with the world.”
The newly designated Maryland Underground Railroad Network to Freedom sites include:
- Elkridge Furnace at Patapsco Valley State Park
- Eliza Parker Escape Site at Belle Vue Farm
- Henry Massey Escape Site at Stoopley Gibson Manor
- Mount Clare Railroad Station
“The stories of freedom seekers, who risked everything to claim their liberty, inspire us every time we review Network to Freedom applications,” said National Park Service Deputy Director Shawn Benge. “The new listings remind us of the power Underground Railroad histories hold today and we are eager to work alongside our new members sharing Underground Railroad history with the public.”
Visitors and residents can utilize Maryland’s Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Visitor Guide, along with other interpretive materials, to develop an itinerary across Maryland to explore the Underground Railroad and the 92 National Park Service National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom sites in the state. To plan your journey along the Underground Railroad and learn more, go to visitmaryland.org.
IMAGES: https://platform.
###
About Maryland Department of Commerce Office of Tourism
The Maryland Office of Tourism is an agency within the Maryland Department of Commerce. Visitors to the state spent $11.6 billion on travel-related expenses in 2020. The Maryland tourism industry also generated $1.7 billion in state and local taxes, essentially saving each Maryland household $775 in annual taxes, and directly supported Marylanders with 104,328 jobs. For more information, go to www.visitmaryland.org
About National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom
The National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom serves to honor, preserve, and promote the history of resistance to enslavement through escape and flight, which continues to inspire people worldwide. The Network currently represents over 695 locations in 39 states, plus Washington D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Through its mission, the Network to Freedom helps to advance the idea that all human beings embrace the right to self-determination and freedom from oppression.