Voices
Experience the stories of the Underground Railroad in Central New York
“Voices on the Underground Railroad” is a collection of short narratives that Cornell University students have written and mapped on to documented and rumored underground railroad stations and safe houses in Central and Western New York.
The Stories
Mark’s House
This two-story house in Naples was once the home and funeral parlor of William Marks Jr., who transported slaves in his horse-drawn hearses.
Cobblestone Farm
According to oral traditions, the freedom seekers were transported to the Cobblestone Farm from Naples, and were then hidden in a secret room in the attic adjacent to the south wall of the house.
Seward House
An 1891 newspaper article wrote of the Seward House, “It is said that the old kitchen was one of the most popular stations on the Underground Railroad.”
Simeon Dewitt Ferry
The steamer The Simeon DeWitt reportedly transported refugees from Ithaca, at the southern tip of Cayuga Lake, to Cayuga Bridge at the northern end of the lake.
St. James AME Zion Church
In 1833 this church was organized by Ithaca’s African-American community. It was the site of many abolitionist meetings and was a station on the Underground Railroad between Elmira and Auburn/Syracuse.
Griffith Cooper House
This three-story fieldstone house was built by Griffith Cooper, a Quaker and active abolitionist, in 1838. According to oral traditions, fugitive slaves were hidden in a secret chamber in the attic.
John Ciprich House
The oldest house in Burdett, John Ciprich House served as the next station on the Underground Railroad route from Mecklenberg for freedom seekers traveling west.
Esperanza Mansion
The mansion was built in 1838 by its owner, John Nicholas Rose, who built it as a wedding gift for his bride. The name Esperanza is an adaptation of the Latin word for “hope.”
Van Houten House
When this house was remodeled years ago, a bullet hole was found in the front door. The oral tradition of this place tells that men chasing a freedom seeker fired the shot through the door.