New Richmond, Ohio
This church, the Cranston Memorial Presbyterian Church, located in the tiny village of New Richmond, right on the banks of the Ohio River, played an important role in the Underground Railroad.
Founded in 1821 by a small congregation of 23 people, the church, then known as the First Presbyterian Church, went on to host a number of “big names” in the Underground Railroad and abolition world. Speakers included John Rankin, James G. Birney, and even two people connected to Harriet Beecher Stowe – her brother, George Beecher, and husband, Calvin Stowe. The church also hosted meetings of the New Richmond Anti-Slavery Society.
The current church building was constructed in 1856, and is on the same site as the original structure. In 1937, after the Great Flood, it merged with the local Methodist congregation, and was renamed the Cranston Memorial Presbyterian Church, after former Methodist Bishop Earl Cranston.
If you’ve ever wanted to stand in the same spot as some of the well-known historical figures that were part of the Underground Railroad, this is a great place to start.
Sources:
Found in Ohio 
[…] As far as locations, or stops, on the UGR, they go from the south end of the state, like those in New Richmond all of the way to Cleveland and other cities on the Lake Erie coast. With so many stops and such a […]
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