National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located in Peterboro, New York, that honors American abolitionists by showcasing their work to end slavery, and the legacy of their struggle: the drive to end racism.
Smithfield Presbyterian Church | |
 Smithfield Presbyterian Church, July 2010 | |
   | |
| Location | Pleasant Valley Rd. between Elizabeth and Park Sts., Peterboro, New York |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 42°57′56″N 75°41′17″W / 42.96556°N 75.68806°W |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1820 |
| Architectural style | Italianate, Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 94001370[1] |
| Added to NRHP | December 12, 1994 |
Museum
editThe museum is located at 5255 Pleasant Valley Road, between Elizabeth and Park Streets, in the hamlet of Peterboro, New York.[2] Specifically, the museum can be found on the second floor of a historic Presbyterian church. The church, which was built in 1820,[3] was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.[1] Although it has not been used as a church since 1870, it has housed the Evans Academy, the Peterboro Union School, and the Peterboro Elementary School since then. The Town Hall of the Town of Smithfield can now be found in the first floor, with the town clerk's office (note the small sign at right of building).
Most notably, the museum is located in the same building in which the inaugural meeting of the New York State Anti-Slavery Society was held in 1835.[4] The original meeting, which was located in Utica, was aborted by pro-slavery protestors, including the New York Senator, and the following year New York Attorney General, Samuel Beardsley. Gerrit Smith, a leading American social reformer, suggested Peterboro, New York as an alternate location.
The meeting was deemed "the largest convention ever assembled in that State for any purpose whatever",[5]: 42 with 1,000 people in attendance.
National Abolition Hall of Fame members
edit
The following are the inductees of the National Abolition Hall of Fame as of 2022:
- 2005
- 2007
- 2009
- 2011
- 2013
- 2016
- 2018
- 2022
References
edit- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ "57. Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum". The Freethought Trail. Archived from the original on 25 December 2015. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
- ^ "Cultural Resource Information System (CRIS)". New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Archived from the original (Searchable database) on 2015-07-01. Retrieved 2016-05-01. Note: This includes Richard Carlson (October 1994). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Smithfield Presbyterian Church" (PDF). Archived from the original on 2016-08-05. Retrieved 2016-05-01. and Accompanying three photographs Archived 2018-12-19 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum". Archived from the original on December 19, 2018. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
- ^ Benson, George W. (1885). "Letter of George W. Benson to Henry E. Benson, October 26, 1835". William Lloyd Garrison 1805–1879, The Story of His Life. By his children. Vol. 2. New York: The Century Company.
- ^ National Abolition Hall of Fame (2018). "Inductees". Archived from the original on 18 November 2021. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
- ^ "Robert Everett". National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum.
Further reading
edit- Sernett, Milton C. (2022). "Come to Peterboro!" Commemorating the 175th Anniversary of the Founding of the New York State Anti-Slavery Society October 21–22, 1835. Peterboro, New York: National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum.