Media Release / Suffield Academy Lecture on the Underground Railroad in Suffield, CT

DATELINE: April 22, 2014

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACTS:

Maeve Ryan

Director of Marketing & Communications

Suffield Academy

860-386-4466

mryan@suffieldacademy.org

Bill Sullivan

American Studies Teacher

Suffield Academy (860) 328-9466

bsullivan@suffieldacademy.org

Mark G. Auerbach

Mark G. Auerbach Public Relations

413-733-7095 or 413-427-7352

mgauerbach@gmail.com

CALENDAR LISTINGS

LECTURE: History Lecture on the Underground Railroad in Suffield 

WED: May 6^th, 2014 7:30PM-8:30PM

KENT MEMORIAL LIBRARY (Town library; not Suffield Academy library)

50 NORTH MAIN STREET, SUFFIELD, MA 06078

ADMISSION IS FREE.

HOSTED BY SUFFIELD ACADEMY’S AMERICAN STUDIES CLASS. REFRESHMENTS FOLLOW.

History Lecture on the Underground Railroad in Suffield

Students from Suffield Academy’s American Studies class will present their findings on the history of the Underground Railroad in Suffield. The program will begin at 7:30pm on May 6th in the Kent Memorial Library at 50 North Main Street in Suffield. 

Throughout the winter term, the class investigated Suffield’s potential role in this secret network that assisted fugitives from documented locations—such as Hartford and Farmington—to points north: Springfield, Florence, and Northampton. The presentation will include new information about nineteenth century Suffield residents who were members of the Hartford Anti-Slavery Society. 

Working in a project-based learning model, students discovered that Henry W. Foster of Hartford played a key role in shepherding fugitives north through this area before they found sanctuary with Reverend Osgood in Springfield, Massachusetts. The class researched the location of Foster’s safe house in Hartford, and will be sharing more about Foster’s important role in Hartford County. They are also currently communicating with the State Historic Preservation Office to pursue the installation of a Freedom Trail plaque, which would commemorate Henry W. Foster’s courage and resilience. In addition, the students have been collaborating with leaders at the i-Quilt Plan, an urban design organization that creates innovative pedestrian signs in downtown Hartford. 

Suffield Academy’s American Studies teacher, Bill Sullivan, says, “The class hopes to add the location of Foster’s safehouse as a historic landmark since he was a member of the African American community who helped form Talcott Church, the first African American church in Hartford.” 

Learn more about these developments as well as an exciting chapter in Suffield’s history on May 6^th. 

Refreshments will be provided in the Pinney Gallery following the program to facilitate more community discussion. Residents with questions should email Bill Sullivan at bsullivan@suffieldacademy.org

Suffield Academy, founded in 1833, is an independent, co-educational

college preparatory school for boarding and day students in Suffield,

CT.  Suffield Academy has a tradition of academic excellence combined

with a strong work ethic and leadership building programs. For

information on Suffield Academy’s programs and services:

www.suffieldacademy.org.

-30-