Harriet Tubman
Harriet Tubman, NY
The life and work of Harriet Tubman are commemorated at a collection of properties in Auburn and Fleming, New York known as the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park. This site was designated a National Historical Park in 2017, making it one of the more recent units of the National Park Service. The properties are jointly managed and operated by the National Park Service and its partner, the Harriet Tubman Home, Inc. The Harriet Tubman National Historical Park is one of the National Park Service Sites in New York.
“The Moses of her people”, Harriet Tubman is considered to be one of the most influential people not only in American history, but for the entire world. Born into slavery in 1822, Tubman escaped and spent her life emancipating and rescuing enslaved Africans, using the network of safe houses known as the “Underground Railroad” and serving as a conductor. Harriet Tubman’s list of accomplishments and endeavors also included working for the Union Army during the American Civil War and opening a home where she cared for the sick and elderly.
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History of Harriet Tubman National Historical Park
After living in St. Catherine’s, Ontario for approximately a decade, Harriet Tubman moved herself and her parents to Auburn, New York in 1857. The family took residence in a brick house, which Tubman (at the time, illegally) purchased from a local Senator. A number of years later, she would buy 25 acres adjacent to the house on South Street. The Home for the Aged would eventually be constructed on this land.
In 1903, Harriet Tubman donated the house which would become the Home for the Aged to the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, as she was unable to pay for it anymore. The Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged opened in 1908, and would see its namesake become a patient three year later. Harriet Tubman died in 1913 and is buried at the nearby Fort Hill Cemetery in Auburn. Although historically significant, the cemetery is not included within the National Park Service Site.
Established under its current designation in 2017, the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park in Auburn, New York became the 414th official unit of the U.S. National Park Service.
Components of Harriet Tubman National Historical Park
The Harriet Tubman National Historical Park is comprised of a visitor center and three properties, all directly related to Harriet Tubman’s later years spent in the New York towns of Auburn and Fleming. All three properties have been designated as National Historic Landmarks.
Harriet Tubman National Historical Park Visitor Center
The Harriet Tubman National Historical Park Visitor Center provides an in-depth look at the life of Harriet Tubman and her admiral social accomplishments. Displays include artifacts excavated from the yard of the nearby Harriet Tubman Residence, many of which are thought to have belonged to Tubman. Guides at the visitor center deliver an elaborate overview of Harriet Tubman, her story and the history of the park in an interactive, classroom-like format.
Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged
Managed by the Harriet Tubman Home, Inc., the Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged is the primary attraction of the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park. Located in Auburn, New York, the Home for the Aged is where Harriet Tubman saw her dream come to fruition — opening a home for elderly and impoverished African-Americans.
This house is a complete reconstruction of the original property, as it was demolished in 1944 and then subsequently rebuilt in 1953 under the organization of the Thompson A.M.E. Zion Church. The Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged is located next to the Harriet Tubman Visitor Center.
Harriet Tubman Residence
Harriet Tubman lived in the house known today as the Harriet Tubman Residence for the majority of her time spent in Auburn, from 1859 until 1913. The land was sold to Tubman in 1859 by New York Senator William H. Seward, and she would move into this red brick house with her parents.
Today, the house is in a severe state of disrepair and is undergoing major restorations. Therefore, the interior of the Harriet Tubman Residence currently is not open to the public. The property is technically located just over the town line, in Fleming, New York.
Thompson A.M.E. Zion Church
The final component of the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park is the Thompson A.M.E. Zion Church, which is an African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. Located at 49 Parker Street, this church is where Harriet Tubman attended services during her time living in Auburn, New York.
The Thompson A.M.E. Zion Church is no longer a functioning church, and like the Harriet Tubman Residence, is undergoing restorations and renovations. Therefore, it is currently off-limits to visitors. The rectory, which is adjacent to the church, will provide future administrative and visitor functions at the property.
Visiting Harriet Tubman National Historical Park
The Harriet Tubman National Historical Park is located in Auburn, New York. In addition to the visitor center, all three properties comprised within the park can be easily visited in the span of a few hours. However, the Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged is the only property that is open to the public, as the Harriet Tubman Residence and the Thompson A.M.E. Zion Church are in the process of being restored and renovated. Therefore, less time will be required to see the features of the park until restorations have been completed.
The park is open Tuesday through Friday, from 10:00 AM until 4:00 PM, and Saturday, from 10:00 AM until 3:00 PM. Located adjacent to the visitor center, the Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged is accessible by guided tour only. These tours occur daily at 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM, lasting roughly an hour. Photography inside the Home for the Aged is strictly prohibited. Admission to the park costs $5 and is payable at the visitor center upon arrival.
Although the interiors of the Harriet Tubman Residence and the Thompson A.M.E. Zion Church are closed, visitors can still view the properties from the outside and are free to photograph the buildings as much as they would like.
A trip to the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park can be easily combined with a visit to another National Park Service Site in New York – Women’s Rights National Historical Park in the nearby towns of Seneca Falls and Waterloo.
Click here to view the official National Park Service page for the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park.
Click here to view the official website for the Harriet Tubman Home, Inc. This organization is partnered with and jointly manages the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park along with the National Park Service.
