Harriet Tubman’s Church Auburn N.Y. Photo Tour

Harriet Tubman today is an iconic figure of resistance to slavery, fighting for the Union to abolish slavery, and caring for Black veterans who served in the Union Army. She was also a community-builder in the Black community she helped to build in her home-town of Auburn, New York in the Finger Lakes. One of the centerpieces of that community was its church.

The African Methodist Episcopal congregation of Auburn was started in 1838. On August 24, 1846, the church was incorporated as “The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church of Auburn.” In 1849, Harriet Tubman escaped from slavery and made her way to Philadelphia.

 

Tubman left Philadelphia after passage of the Fugitive Slave Act in 1850. In 1859 she moved to Auburn, New York where she received support from Senator William Seward. During the Civil War she spent most of her time away from home working for relief for refugees, recruiting Black soldiers, and providing assistance to the Union Army in the Carolinas. She returned to Auburn after the war where she advocated for care for U.S.C.T. veterans and civil rights and women’s suffrage. As she aged, she became more involved in her church. The congregation raised money to build a permanent structure, but it was not until 1891 that they finally had enough to build the structure that is still on its original site.

Below is the cornerstone of the church which was renamed the “Thompson Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church” in honor of former pastor Joseph P. Thompson. Harriet Tubman, who had donated to the church fund, put a coin with the image of John Brown in the stone. The coin is believed to still be in the stone.

The front of the cornerstone says that the name of the church is “THOMPSON A.M.E.  ZION CHURCH.” The side shows the putative date of the founding of the congregation, “1845”, and the year the church was built, “1891.”

Next to the church property I saw a sign designating the street as “Harriet Ross Tubman Avenue.” That appears to be an honorary sign. In fact, the street is located at 36 Parker Street across from the city’s beautiful Fort Hill Cemetery where Tubman is buried. You can see wood planking that is being used for the restoration.

The photo below is believed to have been taken in 1913 at the time of Tubman’s funeral at the church. The house to the right of the church is also being restored by the National Park Service.

On March 10, 1913 Tubman passed away at approximately 91 years of age. Before she died Tubman told those around her, “I go to prepare a place for you.” Her funeral took place at the church. Below is how the building looked when I visited in 2018.

The church and the house next door are still undergoing restoration with the hopes that it will soon look on the day of Tubman’s burial. Tubman’s grave is just a few minutes walk away in Fort Hill cemetery.

Here is a slightly closer view of the church.

This view of the church from the 1960s shows it while it was still being used.

 

The main shopping area in Auburn is a short drive away, or a few blocks walk, on Genesee St. There are a few places that sell regional classics like Riggis and Garbage Plates, but also Chinese and Italian food, as well as a diner of the pre-1960s sort.

Visitors to the church should also see Tubman’s grave in the cemetery across the street. Tubman’s home and museum are on south Street, about ten blocks away. Here is my Photo Tour of the Tubman Home. Also in Auburn are William Seward’s home and other sites associated with this national figure north of Tubman’s home and also on South Street.

Tubman’s congregation still gathers on Sundays in its new building. The Church is now called “Harriet Tubman Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church (The Church of Harriet Tubman.” You can find out more here.

I visited the site several years ago.

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