NATIONAL ABOLITION HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM
  • Home
  • SCC 200
  • Events
    • Visit
  • Hall of Fame
    • Inductees
  • Ongoing Abolition
    • Anti-racism resources
  • Support
    • Membership
    • Mercantile
    • Grants
  • Cabinet

JOIN US AT AN EVENT

NAHOFM hosts various events throughout the year. We also promote events by others that are of interest and relate to the abolitionist movement.

 UPCOMING EVENTS

Picture

June 21, 2021: Peterboro Freedom Festival

Where: Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark, 5304 Oxbow Road, Peterboro, NY 13134
Tickets: $10 in advance; $15 at the gate. Children 12 & under free.
***Please note that this event was originally scheduled for June 13, 2020, but has been postponed until 2021 due to COVID-19.*** 

Celebrate our rich history in the cause for equal rights. Food, museums, exhibits and more! Featuring the musical stylings of: Arthur Flowers, Vance Gilbert, Reggie Harris, Patty Larkin, and Karen Savoca & Pete Heitzman.
​
Check out the event poster, like the Peterboro Freedom Festival Facebook page and be sure to check www.peterborony.org for updates and further information. 
Picture
Picture
Picture

August 7, 2021: Peterboro Emancipation Day

Where: Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark, 5304 Oxbow Road, Peterboro, NY 13134
***Please note that this event was originally scheduled for August 1, 2020, but has been postponed until 2021 due to COVID-19.*** 

Join descendants of freedom seekers from slavery, the public, NAHOFM, and the Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark (GSENHL) in commemorating the emancipation of slavery in the 19th century. We've organised a programme of songs, talks and a guided walk:

10am: Assemble and proceed to cemetery for wreath-laying
1:30pm: Lecture - Susan Goodier, PhD, Black Suffragists
2:30pm: Lecture - John R. McKivigan, PhD, Frederick Douglass in Peterboro
3:30pm: Lecture - Henry Bradshaw Matthews, United States Colored Troops
4:30pm: Guided walk - Norman K. Dann, PhD, Harriet Tubman walk

​Read more here!
Picture
Picture
Picture

October 22-24, 2021: National Abolition Hall of Fame Induction Weekend

​National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum, 5525 Pleasant Valley Road, Peterboro 13134
***Please note that this event was originally scheduled for October 23-25, 2020, but has been postponed until 2021 due to COVID-19.*** 

Join NAHOF as we induct Robert Everett, Calvin Fairbank and Stephen Meyers into the the National Abolition Hall of Fame. We have an exciting programme lined up for the occasion:

Fri, Oct 22, 7pm: Welsh Music, Food, and Historical Reflection on Welsh Abolitionism & the American Civil War.
Sat, Oct 23, 1pm: Abolition Symposia
Sat, Oct 23, 5pm: 19th century Antislavery Dinner
Sat, Oct 23, 7pm: inductions and the unveiling of the Hall of Fame banners


Read information about the inductees and the induction event here!

PAST EVENTS

Picture

August 26, 2020, 6:19pm: Ringing Bells for Equality Day

Where: Sites across Madison County!
As part of its 2020 activities to commemorate the Centennial of Women’s Suffrage, the Smithfield Community Association (SCA) in Peterboro NY will ring the bell in the tower of the Smithfield Community Center (SCC) nineteen times to celebrate the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution which stated that … the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged…on account of sex.  

​The Peterboro United Methodist Church bell, across the Pleasant Valley Road, will join the SCC bell ringing.  The Peterboro organizations invite groups and individuals in the county to join the bell ringing! Read more about Equality Day and Peterboro's ties to suffragist Elizabeth Cady Stanton here.
Picture

July 19, 2020, 2-5pm: A Workshop on Racism with Patrick Johnson

Where: Camp Fiver Pavilion, Poolville NY 13346
Tickets: $20 for adults; $5 children aged 10-18. Book here!
This workshop aims to raise awareness about racism's impact in our lives. The workshop will explore what it means to be White, Black, Asian, and Latinx. Participants can share their experiences given their racial identities and all will consider what stands between us because of race. Join us for an authentic, enriching and insightful conversation about racism. You can read more about workshop faciliator Patrick Johnson here. For more information, please view the event poster here.
​
***COVID-19 precautions***:
 - This is an outdoor, in-person event. Strict physical distancing practices will be followed and masks are REQUIRED at all times. Hand sanitizer will be available.
- The event venue, Camp Fiver pavilion, has seating under and around it. If you are able, please bring a blanket or beach chair in case extra seating is needed. If you have a shading device (umbrella, tent, etc.) you are also encouraged to bring your own.
- The space is moderately accessible. To reach the pavilion, you must travel over grass. If you have mobility requests or concerns, please email event organizers Hamiltonaarc@gmail.com so they can accommodate you.

Please note: While the workshop is open to anyone over the age of 10, conversations may address the violence of racism, so please use your own judgement in bringing your children. 
Picture

March 10, 2020 - 10am: Annual Harriet Tubman Day of Commemoration Wreath Laying Ceremony

Where: Swing Low Harriet Tubman Memorial, 122nd Street/Harriet Tubman Square at Frederick Douglass Boulevard, ​Village of Harlem, New York
Harriet Tubman was conductor on the Underground Railroad, military leader during the Civil War, suffragist, political activist and descendant of the Ashanti folks in Ghana.  Born in or about 1822 in Dorchester County, Maryland, Tubman was enslaved for nearly 30 years before escaping in 1849 to Philadelphia. She returned to the South over and over again, leading dozens of enslaved to freedom in the North over a 10-year period. For her efforts, she became known as “Moses” by African-American and white abolitionists. 
​
For additional information, email tubman1913@yahoo.com        
Picture

March 7, 2020 - 1pm: Commemoration of the Women's Suffrage Centennial

Where: Smithfield Community Center, 5255 Pleasant Valley Road, Peterboro, NY 13134
Join us in commemorating the Nineteenth Amendment (The right of citizens of the United State to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation). We've arranged an exciting programme of talks, demonstrations and walks:

Smithfield Women Reformers: Norman K. Dann, PhD
Women's Suffrage in Madison County, New York: Matthew Urtz, Madison County Historian
Women Voters in Madison County: David Holmes
Teen Voter Registration: Laura Costello & Laura Martino (who will also provide registration forms!)
How to Dress like a Suffragist: Jody Luce
Women's Rights Walk of Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark, Norman K. Dann

More information here!
Picture

February 3, 2020: 150th Anniversary of the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution; Black (Male) Suffrage

Peterboro Heritage NY sites announce Black History programs for 2020 on the 150th Anniversary of the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which was ratified February 3, 1870 stating The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. View the full programme here and check back on this page in the coming months for further details.
​
Picture
Picture

January 20-30, 2020: The Sprit of Hope and Unity - An Events Program Celebrating Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Where: Colgate University, various locations (see individual listings below)
Join NAHOFM in attending this events program, organised by Colgate University's ALANA Cultural Centre.

January 20, 12pm (Colgate Memorial Chapel): MLK Celebration Opening Ceremony
January 24, 4pm: (refer here for location): MLK 2020 COVE Day of Service
January 27, 11:30am-1pm (ALANA Multipurpose Room): Africana and Latin American Studies Brownbag: Challenges for People of Color in Order to Thrive in a PWI from the Lens of Academia
January 28, 11:30am (Center for Women's Studies): Women's Studies Brownbag: BREATHE Anti-Racist Group Presentation
January 28, 7pm (Brehmer Theater): Faith of Our Fathers - A Remix of the Famed Debate
January 29, 12:15pm-1pm (ALANA Multipurpose Room): Thrive Lunch
January 29, 5pm-6:30pm (ALANA Multipurpose Room): Unity Dinner
January 30, 6pm photos & 7pm Q&A (Colgate Memorial Chapel): MLK 2020 Keynote Address: A Conversation with Opal Tometi. Read more about Opal and view the events programme promotional poster here.
Picture

December 31, 2019: Peterboro Watch Night

​Where: National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum, 5525 Pleasant Valley Road, Peterboro 13134
Join us in commemorating Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, issued January 1, 1863. We have a program of activities planned:

11am: Tour of National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum; Navy service stories by Owen Corpin
12pm: Lunch
1pm: Announcements, songs, proceed to Watch Fire
​
Admission is free! Learn more about Watch Night here.
Picture

November 21, 2019: A Celebration of Abolition in Central New York

Where: Hamilton, NY, various locations (see individual listings below)
Join us to celebrate the life of Harriet Tubman and the history of the abolitionist movement right here in Madison County. There's a full day of celebrations planned:

4pm: Storytime and Crafts for Kids (Hamilton Public Library, 13 Broad Street, Hamilton)
6:30pm: Presentation by Kate Clifford-Larson, PhD, author of Harriet Tubman (Colgate Bookstore, 3 Utica Street, Hamilton)
8pm: Screening of Harriet (Hamilton Movie Theater, 7 Lebanon Street, Hamilton). Ticket required for film - purchase here or at the door

​Learn more here and see the event poster here.
Picture
Picture

November 1 & 2, 2019: Women's Rights and Justice in New York State, Past and Present Conference

Where: Matilda Joslyn Gage Center & Holiday Inn (Syracuse)
Join NAHOFM in attending the Women's Rights and Justice in New York State, Past and Present Conference, hosted by the Women's Rights Alliance of New York State. This conference is the fourth installment of annual conferences held by the Women's Rights Alliance of New York State over the past four years in preparation for the centennial of women's suffrage in 2020. The purpose of the conferences is to promote history of women's rights in New York State, how that history has impacted women's rights throughout the United States, and how that history sets the stage for continuing the unfinished work of women's rights. More details to come - visit wyranys.org.

​Registration and more information here!
Picture

August 21, 2019 - September 2, 2019: NYS Fair

Where: Art and Home Centre, 581 State Fair Boulevard, Syracuse, NY, 13209
Come visit NAHOFM at the state fair!  We will be hosting an exhibit and displays in the Art and Home Center hosted by the partners of the Underground Railroad Consortium of NYS. Each day at 2pm different partners will present programs - click here for more information. Book tickets to the state fair here. Check out some photos from our installation at the 2018 NYS Fair below!
Picture
Picture
Picture

August 3 & 4, 2019: Tenth Annual Peterboro Emancipation Days

Where: Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark, 5304 Oxbow Road, Peterboro 13134
​National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum, 5255 Pleasant Valley Road, Peterboro 13134
Join descendants of freedom seekers from slavery, the public, NAHOFM, and the Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark (GSENHL) in commemorating the emancipation of slavery in the 19th century.  Donation for admission. Click here for more information about the day.  

AUGUST 3:
9:30am: Registration at GSENHL (5304 Oxbow Road, Peterboro 13134)
10am: Assembly, Photo and Processional to Cemetery to Lay Wreaths
1:15pm:  Harriet Powel: Escapee from Slavery on the Underground Railroad, presented by JJ Citron & Norman K. Dann, PhD @ The Barn, GSENHL
2:15pm: Harriet Russell: Enslavement to Freedom, presented by Donna Burdick, Town of Smithfield Historian @ The Barn, GSENHL
3:15pm: Harriet Tubman: Relaxing in Peterboro, presented by Kate Larson, PhD @ The Barn, GSENHL

AUGUST 4:
12:30pm: Convening at the Upper Lisle Cemetery for Emily Russell, daughter of Harriet Russell
Picture
Picture

July 13, 2019: Possessing Harriet Returns to Stage

Where: Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark, 5304 Oxbow Road, Peterboro 13134
The riveting drama Possessing Harriet that debuted at Syracuse Stage in October 2018 (see event below) will be presented at the Franklin Stage Company in Franklin, NY.  The Smithfield Community Association and Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark (GSENHL) have arranged a day of programming for the play. 
​
11am: Guided tour of GSENHL
, the original site where Harriet Powel and Elizabeth Cady met and the setting of the play
12:30pm:  Coach will depart from Peterboro.  During the journey, guests will see playwright Kyle Bass' 
A Playwrights Journey and learn background information about the characters of the play. 
3:pm: Coach will arrives in Franklin for the matinee
7pm: Coach returns to Peterboro. 


For more information click here.
Picture

May 18, 2019: Ann Smith inducted into Hagerstown Memorial Park

Where: Memorial Park, MD-65, Hagerstown 21740, MD ​
​Ann Carroll Fitzhugh Smith of Peterboro NY will be inducted into the Circle of Achievement at Memorial Park in Hagerstown MD on Saturday, May 18.  Ann Carroll Fitzhugh Smith provided consistent support for her family members in 19th Century human rights movements: working with her husband Gerritt Smith for the abolition for slavery, with daughter Elizabeth Smith Miller and granddaughter Anne Fitzhugh Miller for women's rights, and supported son Greene in environmental conservation efforts.  The Smith family home, in Peterboro (the town where NAHOFM is located today) was an active Underground Railroad Site and haven for social reformers.  Click here for more information about Ann and her induction.  For more information about the Smith family, visit the Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark, located down the street from NAHOFM. 
Picture

October 20 - 21, 2018: Induction Weekend

Where: National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum, 5525 Pleasant Valley Road, Peterboro 13134
Join NAHOFM as we induct our 7th class of abolitionists into our National Abolition Hall of Fame.  The abolitionists being honored at this year's induction are Frances E.W. Harper, Laura Smith Haviland, and Rev. Samuel J. May.  The Inductee Committee recommended these three inductees to the NAHOF Cabinet of Freedom according to reviews of public nominations by scholars in the field.  The public is invited to the afternoon Abolition Symposia, 19th c. Anti-Slavery Dinner, and the Induction Ceremonies.  Registration is due by October 5 - click here to download a registration form.
Picture

October 19, 2018: Morrisville State College Diversity Conference

Where: SUNY Morrisville, 80 Eaton St, Morrisville, NY 13408, USA
SUNY Morrisville, through its Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusivity, and in partnership with National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum as well as many others, will host Dr. Samuel Museus to lead us in conversations to develop campuses and communities where students, faculty, staff, and community members feel they have a sense of belonging and are represented throughout.  Free admission. Find the schedule for the conference here.
Picture

October 17, 2018 - November 4, 2018: Possessing Harriet

Where: Syracuse Stage, 820 E Genesee St, Syracuse 13210
Syracuse Stage is mounting a production of Possessing Harriet by award-winning playwright Kyle Bass.  The play is based on the story of Harriet Powel: a young, mixed-race, enslaved woman.  In Syracuse in 1839, Powell slipped away from her owner and eventually found refuge at the estate of abolitionist Gerrit Smith.  As she waited to depart on the Underground Railroad, Powell conversed with Elizabeth Cady, outspoken advocate of women's rights and cousin of Gerrit Smith.  Kyle Bass' Possessing Harriet imagines the conversation between these two women as they are both confronted with new ideas about race, womanhood, identity, and equality.  
Picture

August 22, 2018 - September 3, 2018: NYS Fair

Where: New York State Fair, Art and Home Centre, 581 State Fair Boulevard, Syracuse, NY, 13209
Come visit NAHOFM at the state fair - we will have an exhibit on American Abolition!  You can find us at the Art and Home Center in the Stickley Reception Room.  The New York State Fair is an affordable, fun event that features food, exhibits, and entertainment.  
visit us

Location

National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum

Closed until further notice due to COVID-19
5255 Pleasant Valley Road
​Peterboro, NY 13134

Telephone: 315-280-8828
Email: nahofm1835@gmail.com

Receive Museum Updates!
​

Submit
  • Home
  • SCC 200
  • Events
    • Visit
  • Hall of Fame
    • Inductees
  • Ongoing Abolition
    • Anti-racism resources
  • Support
    • Membership
    • Mercantile
    • Grants
  • Cabinet