St. John’s Episcopal Church
The Underground Railroad
Called “Station Hope” by many freedom seekers on the Underground Railroad, St. John’s was one of their final stops. Though aiding freedom seekers was a crime and often could not be described in public documents, Sheila T. Hatch (c. 1848- 1935), an historian of Cuyahoga County and a member of St. John’s for her entire life, notes that “in the tower of St. John’s Church were often secreted runaway slaves until such time as they could be shipped to Canada.” From the tower, they watched for lantern signals from small boats that took them to Whiskey Island. There, they boarded the larger boats that sailed to Canada in search of freedom.
Among the founders and early members of St. John’s were several prominent opponents of slavery. Josiah Barber (1771- 1842) was mayor of Ohio City and vice-president of the Cuyahoga County Colonization Society, which held that slaves should be purchased by the federal government and re-settled in Africa. John Beverlin (c. 1813- 1891), a later mayor of Ohio City, was a member of the executive committee of the Free Soil Club, which stood for “free soil, free speech, free labor, free men.” Josiah Harris (1808- 1876), mayor of Cleveland and owner of the Cleveland Herald and Gazette, refused to print notices for the return of runaway slaves.
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The Underground Railroad was neither underground nor a railroad, but a system of loosely connected safe havens where those escaping the brutal conditions of slavery were sheltered, fed, clothed, nursed, concealed, disguised, and instructed during their journey to freedom. Although this movement was one of America's greatest social, moral, and humanitarian endeavors, the details about it were often cloaked in secrecy to protect those involved from the retribution of civil law and slave-catchers. Ohio's history has been permanently shaped by the thousands of runaway slaves passing through or finding permanent residence in this state.
Erected by The Friends of Freedom Historical Society, Inc. The Episcopal Diocese Ohio.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Abolition & Underground RR • African Americans. In addition, it is included in the Ohio Friends of Freedom Underground Railroad Sites series list.
Location. 41° 29.395′ N, 81° 42.486′ W. Marker is in Cleveland, Ohio, in Cuyahoga County. It is in Ohio City. It is at the intersection of Church Avenue and West 26th Street, on the right when traveling west on Church Avenue. marker is in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church in “Ohio City”.
Regionally, this marker is on Ohio’s Lake Erie Shore and in the Western Reserve. It is also in the American Midwest and on the Great Lakes. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: LGBT Civil Rights Movement (about 800 feet away, measured in a direct line); Irish Famine Memorial (approx. 0.4 miles away); Market Square (approx. 0.4 miles away); The Clavius Science Center (approx. half a mile away); Alexis de Tocqueville (approx. half a mile away); Saint Ignatius High School (approx. half a mile away); Ohio & Erie Canalway (approx. half a mile away); The Canal (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Cleveland.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Ohio and Erie Canal (was approx. half a mile away but has been confirmed missing).
Credits. This page was last revised on February 4, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 25, 2019, by Rev. Ronald Irick of West Liberty, Ohio. This page has been viewed 784 times since then and 57 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on September 25, 2019, by Rev. Ronald Irick of West Liberty, Ohio. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
