News Release

Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff, Secretary Deb Haaland Announce New Listings in Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program

The Hayden House served as a site on the Underground Railroad in Boston.

NPS Photo/Network to Freedom

News Release Date: April 23, 2021

WASHINGTON – Today, Second Gentleman of the United States Douglas Emhoff and Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced 16 additions to the National Park Service’s National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program. The Lewis and Harriet Hayden House and Boston: An Underground Railroad Hub are two of those listings which was accepted as a site and a program, respectively, in the Network. The new listings join nearly 700 other sites, programs, and facilities in the network that honor, preserve, and promote the history of resistance to enslavement through escape and flight. A recording of the event can be viewed via YouTube.

“Today’s announcement reminds us of the dark pages in our history books, but also highlights the incredible strength and resilience of Black communities,” said Interior Secretary Deb Haaland. “We need to look no further than the news of this week to know that our work is not done and commit ourselves to real progress. To do that, we must start by recognizing the history that brought us here.”

The event capped National Park Week, an annual weeklong celebration of America’s national parks which encourages the public to explore the vast network of our national parks, sacred sites, and historical landmarks, as well as our shared heritage contained within them.

At the event, National Park Service Chief Historian Dr. Turkiya Lowe and Park Ranger Casimer Rosiecki from Gulf Islands National Seashore highlighted two of the new listings, including the Lizzie Ambie Escape Site in Cambridge, Maryland, and the Barrancas in Pensacola, Fla.

“The Underground Railroad was pivotal to the ongoing struggle for civil rights, and the stories of freedom seekers, who bravely self-liberated are still humbling to us today,” said Dr. Turkiya Lowe. “The Network to Freedom Program is dedicated to amplifying diverse histories and providing a platform to convey a more complete history of our country.”

Lewis and Harriet Hayden escaped from slavery in Kentucky, and eventually moved into their home in Boston by 1850. According to Boston’s Vigilance Committee records, an organization dedicated to assisting freedom seekers, the Haydens’ provided food, shelter, and clothing to dozens of freedom seekers who needed support.

Boston: An Underground Railroad Hub is a digital exploration of Boston’s long history as a center of Underground Railroad activity. Through an array of virtual experiences, visitors are invited to learn about freedom seekers who escaped to Boston and the people who assisted them.

The Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program is a catalyst for innovation, partnerships, and scholarship that connects and shares the diverse legacy of the Underground Railroad across boundaries and generations. It coordinates preservation and education efforts nationwide and integrates local historical places, museums, and interpretive programs associated with the Underground Railroad into a mosaic of community, regional, and national stories.

There are now 680 listings in 39 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands in the Network. Each one provides insight into the diverse experiences of freedom seekers who bravely escaped slavery, and their allies.

The Lewis and Harriet Hayden House is a privately owned home. The Network to Freedom and National Parks of Boston request that the homeowners’ privacy is respected.