A church pivotal in Harriet Tubman’s life opens to the public

A lightning strike and COVID may have slowed things down, but they couldn’t stop the reopening of historical sites related to Harriet Tubman. The Harriet Tubman National Historic Park says a church pivotal in Harriet Tubman’s life is reopening to the public.

Church pivotal in Harriet Tubman’s life

After years of careful restoration and rehabilitation, The Thompson Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church and parsonage will open to the public on June 22, 2024. Both buildings are part of the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park.

When the Interior Department established the Auburn, New York, site in 2017, the park boundary included two distinct parcels of land. The Harriet Tubman Home property at 180 South Street, and the historic Thompson Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church and Parsonage on Parker Street. The church was included in the park due to its significance in Harriet Tubman’s life. At the end of her life the church was where her 1913 funeral took place.

Lightning and pandemic couldn’t stop the restoration

The Park Service has owned the property on Parker Street since 2017. However, restoring the church to its 1913 appearance was marred by delays. A 2019 lightning strike caused a fire in the church’s steeple. That led to water damage from firefighting efforts. Not long after, the COVID-19 pandemic came along, further delaying restoration.

“The process of meticulously researching a building’s construction and history, developing plans for restoration, and then completing that work can take years, even without the delays that this project faced,” says park Cultural Resource Specialist Jessica Bowes. “It was the hard work of many National Park Service staff and contractors that allowed this project to continue forward despite the setbacks.”

Reopening will be part of Juneteenth

Now that the church is ready to open to the public, it will open first to the Auburn community, who helped make the park a reality. The June 22 community opening event will begin at 11 in the morning. It will feature speakers from the park, as well as officials from the City of Auburn and the A.M.E. Zion Church. Visitors and guests will have an opportunity to tour the site, view the restored church, and see new exhibits detailing Harriet Tubman’s life in Auburn and the history of the church. This event will coincide with the city’s Juneteenth celebrations.

“Park staff are incredibly excited to open this site to the public and share just a portion of Harriet Tubman’s expansive legacy in Auburn with our visitors to the site,” says Superintendent Ahna Wilson.

Limited hours until 2025 grand opening

Following the big June 22 event, the church and parsonage, which serves as a visitor-contact station, will be open on Fridays and Saturdays. These hours may change, but the limited opening will help the park determine operational needs before a grand opening event in the summer of 2025.

Superintendent Wilson is optimistic about the future of the park and its partnerships, stating, “We look forward to working with the community, neighbors, and important organizations such as the Harriet Tubman Home, Inc., Equal Rights Heritage Center, and Seward House Museum to explore how Harriet Tubman’s legacy continues to positively influence people today.”

For more information about Harriet Tubman National Historical Park, the Thompson Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church, and the June 22 community opening event, click here.

##RVT1158b