A small church in St. Catharines, built in 1855 by freedom seekers who escaped slavery by travelling the Underground Railroad, is in the final stretch of renovations that had been delayed due to the pandemic.
A portrait of Harriet Tubman in the Salem Chapel in St. Catharines, Ont. Tubman, who escaped slavery and later helped free dozens of other enslaved people, worshipped at the church when she lived in St. Catharines from 1851 to 1862.
"Black people celebrated here," said Smith, a member of the church and a descendant of the freed Black people who prayed there. "It's a really special feeling." "I would love for every Canadian to know about this chapel and the history of the Underground Railroad in Canada, which is often forgotten," said Bush.
The city and the church were significant locations for those who escaped slavery and arrived in the region, Bush said. Conductors on the Underground Railroad, like Tubman, would tell the refugees to head to the Salem Chapel, said Bush. Chapel community members would then help the newcomers settle in, provide clothing and food, and find work.
As the building readies to open to the public once more, Smith and others connected to the church want to raise its profile while also raising further funds for future restoration projects.
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