A standing monument to Black History in Germantown
by KRISTIN PAZULSKI
Staff Writer
Important moments in African American history will be
celebrated this month as Black History Month begins Feb. 1. From Martin
Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” to Rosa Park’s
admirable persistence to stay in her seat, the brave actions of these
heroes are remembered and honored each February.
Therefore during this month, it is important to remember a building that
serves as a visible reminder to a time when African Americans not only
had trouble riding the bus and attending certain schools, but further
back to an era when they were denied the most basics rights and freedoms
of a human being.
The Johnson House, located on the corner of Washington Lane and Germantown
Avenue, is a National Historic Landmark and was a station for the Underground
Railroad. Though the number of slaves to go through the house on the way
to their freedom is unknown, the home’s 240-year history housed
generations of the Johnson family – who are proven activitists of
the anti-slavery movement in Philadelphia.
“The significance of the Johnson House lies in the fact that generations
of abolitionists lived there until 1908,” reported David W. Young,
home’s first executive director, in a presentation at Yale University
in April 2005. Young, who is no longer the director of the House, having
passed the torch to interim director Linda Talbert, is still involved
in and a contributor to the House’s research.
Rumors that the house was part of the Underground Railroad system remained
hear-say until just recently. Up until 1980, the house belonged to the
Women’s Club of Germantown and was in danger of being lost when
the Germantown Mennonite Historic Trust took over. A number of people
began looking into the home’s history, and in 1997, the African-American
sorority Delta Sigma Theta and the National Trust for Historic Preservation
established a non-profit corporation to concentrate on the preservation
and planning of events for the house.
This past year, the Johnson House was one of 61 awardees (and 337 applicants)
to be presented with a grant from Save America’s Treasures, a cooperation
of the National Park Service and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The $275,000 will be put towards a new roof and improved water-conduction
system.
The Johnson House is hosting four events in honor of Black History month:
Thursday Feb. 2 at 6:30 p.m. Secrets of the Underground Railroad. Lorene
Carey and David Bradley of WHYY, authors whose works deal with the Underground
Railroad and finding art in such tragic events. Admission is free.
Sunday, Feb. 5 from 3 to 5 p.m. The Annual Members Reception. Guests
are invited to come tour the house and become a member themselves.
Sunday, Feb. 19 from 3 to 5 p.m. Honoring the Germantown Protest. Entertainment
and award-winning contest winners discuss the meaning of this historic
event to commemorate its 318th anniversary.
Friday, Feb. 24. “Johnson House Night at the Opera.” The
Opera Company production of Margaret Garner at the Academy of Music. $100
donation per person includes a ticket and pre-event reception.
For more information, visit online at www.johnsonhouse.org. The House
is open Thursdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from
1 to 4 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for students and $2 for children.
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