Church Creek, MD – The National Park Service’s National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom accepted the Huntoon and Van Rensalier Underground Railroad Historic Site, owned and managed by the City of Paterson, New Jersey, as one of 16 new listings from the 43rd round of applications, representing sites and programs in 11 states across the These new listings, alongside over 700 sites, facilities, and programs already in the Network, provide insight into the diverse experiences of freedom seekers who bravely escaped slavery and those who assisted them.
“It’s fitting to welcome new additions to the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom as we celebrate Harriet Tubman’s 200th birthday. Like Harriet Tubman, the freedom seekers and allies highlighted in each Network to Freedom listing remind us of what can be accomplished when people take action against injustice,” said Diane Miller, national program manager of the Network to Freedom. “Each listing holds a unique part of the Underground Railroad story, and we look forward to working with members to amplify the power of these places.”
The Huntoon and Van Rensalier Underground Railroad Historic Site marks the location of Josiah Huntoon and William Van Rensalier’s Underground Railroad activism. Due to the efforts of family descendants, the property is now a memorial to these two men and other Underground Railroad activists in Paterson’s network. Today, their legacy is memorialized by a bronze sculpture depicting the two men.
The site can be visited from dawn until dusk every day.
The National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom serves to honor, preserve, and promote the history of resistance to enslavement through escape and flight, which continues to inspire people worldwide. The Network currently represents over 700 locations in 39 states, plus Washington D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Through its mission, the Network to Freedom helps to advance the idea that all human beings embrace the right to self-determination and freedom from oppression. https://www.nps.gov/ntf