Springfield in Clark County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
The George and Sarah Gammon House
Historic Underground Railroad Site
Photographed by Rev. Ronald Irick, September 29, 2020
1. The George and Sarah Gammom House Marker
George Gammon (1803? 1904) and his wife, Sarah Bradley (1808- 1902) built this house c.1850 on land purchased from her parents. The gammon and Bradley families were among the many free black Springfield citizens who actively operated the Underground Railroad in Clark County. Among the seven Gammon children, five daughters and two sons, was the eldest, Charles, who enlisted in the famous 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment, and was killed in action leading up the 54th assault on Fort Wagner, outside Charleston South Carolina.
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
this page online
Erected 2020 by Gammon House, Inc., Friends of Freedom Society.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Abolition & Underground RR • African Americans • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Ohio Friends of Freedom Underground Railroad Sites series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1850.
Location. 39° 55.033′ N, 83° 48.742′ W. Marker is in Springfield, Ohio, in Clark County. It is on Piqua Place just south of West Clark Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 620 Piqua Pl, Springfield OH 45506, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Ohio’s Dayton Metro and in the Miami Valley. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. 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
Photographed by Rev. Ronald Irick, September 29, 2020
2. The George and Sarah Gammom House Marker
Another marker is no longer nearby. Gammon House (was here, next to this marker but has been permanently removed).
Additional keywords. Underground Railroad
Photographed by Rev. Ronald Irick, September 29, 2020
3. The George and Sarah Gammom House Marker
marker and house, as seen from the street
Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, May 30, 2025
4. The George and Sarah Gammon House
The house and historic marker have been improved in 2024. As of 2025, plans are underway to build an interpretive complex and park across the street at what will be known as "Gammon Green."
Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, May 30, 2025
5. The George and Sarah Gammon House
The house restoration included features such as an accessible ramp as well as the placement of the historic marker in front of the house and removal of the hand-painted historic sign.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 7, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 29, 2020, by Rev. Ronald Irick of West Liberty, Ohio. This page has been viewed 1,111 times since then and 146 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 29, 2020, by Rev. Ronald Irick of West Liberty, Ohio. 4, 5. submitted on July 6, 2025, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
