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Tappan-Philbrick House

The Tappan-Philbrick House is a large granite single-family house located at 182 Walnut Street in Brookline, Massachusetts. Sitting atop a hill, this house was the site of many abolitionist meetings and a stop on the Underground Railroad. It is reported that it was here that William and Ellen Craft hid after the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act in early November 1851. Samuel Philbrick was one of Brookline’s first and most active abolitionists. The Grimke sisters spent the winter of 1837 here with the Philbrick family. Philbrick was also the treasurer of the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society. According to one source, "Samuel Philbrick alone kept the spark of anti-slavery feeling alive in that very conservative community." He was also a friend and financial backer of William Lloyd Garrison and The Liberator from 1831 on.

Visitor Information: Currently not open to public.

Location: 182 Walnut Street, Brookline, 02445

National Park Unit: No

Ownership: Eliot Wadsworth II

Location Type: Site