Artifacts of NJ town run by freed slaves in New Jersey on display
A preview of the Underground Railroad Museum is being shown at the Smithville Visitors Center. (Photo courtesy of Burlington County)
History buffs can get a preview of Burlington County’s Underground Railroad Museum in Mt. Holly, N.J. Expected to be complete by 2016, it will highlight the efforts of abolitionists in New Jersey in helping runaway slaves escape to freedom.
The exhibit includes artifacts recently unearthed from Timbuctoo, a now defunct village in Westampton Twp. founded by free blacks and former slaves.
Read: Archaeological investigation of the Davis site, Timbuctoo
The settlement was an important stop on the Underground Railroad. In 1860, armed villagers united to protect a fugitive slave from Southern slave catchers in an incident known as the Battle of Pine Swamp.
Visitors to the exhibit are encouraged to come between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Thurs through Sat., when a local volunteer who has extensive knowledge of the history will be on hand to answer questions. Admission is free.
Open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. – 803 Smithville Road, Mt. Holly, N.J.
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This post is part of our South Jersey Events Listing
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