Lois Rosebrooks who heads the History Ministry is pictured above interacting with an appreciative audience in the church's sanctuary and 'meetinghouse.' Participants were struck by the light and airiness of this space compared to the space shown in the title photo above, the basement that was used as an Underground Railroad stop.

"The Perfect Historic Site"
Bill Bolger began by briefly explaining the National Historic Landmarks Program and the NPS role in working with organizations outside its own internal system of parks and historic sites. Setting the stage for the agenda of the day, he asked participants to consider the potential for program activity in an institution that continues to embrace its primary historic mission (e.g. a social service organization, church, club, etc.) yet also desires to make its history accessible to the public. He referred to Plymouth Church as "the perfect historic site," -- still in active use for its original purpose, embodying a powerful story offering multiple points of connection with contemporary issues, and containing the facilities necessary to accommodate both large and small groups of people.

Reviewing the history of the church throughout its most significant era, the pastorate of antislavery activist and social reformer Henry Ward Beecher (1847-1887), Bolger called attention to the congregation's confrontation with the "most profound moral issues imaginable" - slavery & bondage, race and racism, the Fugitive Slave Law, the violence in Kansas, civil war, and the ever-present controversy that divided not only regions, churches and families, but individual worldviews and consciences as well. Alluding to the evocative nature of the space and the high degree of historical integrity retained on site, he challenged participants to engage with the question of what can be done to create greater opportunity for exploring history and contemporary moral, faith-based or conscience issues.

Both Meetinghouse and Sanctuary
Lois Rosebrooks then sketched out the mid-nineteenth century history of the church in more detail, laying out her impression that the 21 founders were determined to nurture a congregation that would embrace the antislavery movement, She noted that Beecher's acceptance of the call to the pulpit was contingent upon being assured the freedom to speak out on social issues. Her emphasis on the word "meetinghouse" as the original term for the sanctuary, implied the space should be considered a church only when the congregation came together to worship. The terminology laid the groundwork for a later discussion of public accessibility and civic function.

Conversing With the Building
After a brief discussion of current church activities, ministries and neighborhood involvement, the group descended the stairs to the basement which both oral tradition and Beecher's written memoirs claim as a stop on the Underground Railroad. Several participants were profoundly affected by the dramatic contrast in the "feel" of the space between the light, openness, beauty and perfect acoustics of the above-ground area and the cramped, heavy-feeling darkness of the basement. Attendees took thirty minutes to enter into their own conversations with the building - to sit alone and observe, poke into dark corners of the basement, climb into the balcony to test the acoustics, stand on the speaker's platform, and otherwise connect with the space around them. They then came back together to discuss their impressions and brainstorm ideas for future civic engagement activities.

Ideas For the Future
Participants could not say enough about the evocative power of the space itself or stress highly enough their conviction that it needs to be filled, made available to the community in controlled ways for public events, public meetings, etc. One attendee commented that he was almost overwhelmed by the structure as a living, breathing entity, saying that within 30 seconds of entering the building, even before knowing much about its history, he had been profoundly affected. With little prodding, ideas for using the space poured out. Participants suggested the following:

• Provide more interpretive programming, particularly programming for children, that attempts to engage the psychological and physiological feeling of the above and below-ground areas and make full use of the ambiguities in the distinctive "history of freedom" windows
  
  
• Further concentrate on outreach to public school children and use them as conduits to reach their parents
  
  
• As a physical embodiment of the concept of free speech use Plymouth Church as a community gathering place
  
  
• Given Plymouth's historic willingness to offer itself as a site for controversial speakers, have it serve again as a forum for unpopular points of view
  
  
• Institute a Plymouth Forum- a series of public lectures on important issues.
  
  
• Beef up the marketing, including a more extensive website and new informational brochure
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• Form a coalition of local churches with historic connections to the Underground Railroad
  
  
• Contact the state archives for assistance in acquiring the money and skills to address archival needs
  
  
• Link with the arts - develop an artist in residence program and pursue a relationship with the Brooklyn Academy of Music
  
  
• Host a community forum for the purpose of inviting in local people and soliciting their ideas on how the church can expand its civic role.