Dr. Cecelia Gross, chair of the History/Political Science Department at Springfield Technical Community College, will lead a walking tour to sites of importance to the 19th-century abolitionist movement on Saturday, June 9, from 10:30 a.m.-noon. The tour will begin and end at the Springfield Museums on the Quadrangle at 21 Edwards Street.
Dr. Gross will show the group the site of the Sanford Street Church, the first black church in Springfield, and places in the Court Square area that were part of the Underground Railroad. The tour will also include a visit to the Pan-African Heritage Museum of the USA (PAHMUSA) in Tower Square for a look at some local artifacts and photographs, including one of the famous abolitionist John Brown, who lived in Springfield for a few years. The tour is part of the Second Saturday Walking Tour series, co-sponsored by the Armoury-Quadrangle Civic Association and the Springfield Museums. Walking tour tickets will be sold in the museum Welcome Center on Edwards Street on the day of the event. Tickets are free for members of the civic association or of the museums. Tickets for non-members are $5 per person. All proceeds will go toward improvements to the neighborhood. The walking tour ticket will also provide $2 off the price of an adult admission to the Springfield Museums on the day of the tour. For additional information, call the Armoury-Quadrangle Civic Association at 413-747-1830 or email aqca@kimballtowers.com.