Wrightsville, PA – For the first time in 225 years, the public will gain access to Mifflin Farm, a documented Underground Railroad site and the location of a pivotal Civil War battle, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn announced today during a visit to the site in honor of Black History Month.
The 79-acre Mifflin Farm property, expected to open for tours this spring, includes the Mifflin House, a documented stop for freedom seekers on the Underground Railroad. Investments from DCNR, the Department of Community and Economic Development, the National Park Service, The Conservation Fund, several York County organizations, and private donors will open the site to the public for the first time in more than two centuries. The Susquehanna National Heritage Area is planning a discovery center and heritage park at the site, featuring walking trails interpreting the Underground Railroad and the Civil War battle in Wrightsville, with public access beginning this spring.
“This site is integral in telling the story of Pennsylvania and its fight to end slavery,” said Secretary Dunn. “As we celebrate Black History Month, we must not forget those who fought for their own freedom, risking their lives to travel the Underground Railroad North. We must also remember those who fought for what was right, despite the prevailing norms of the time.”
Through the Susquehanna National Heritage Area, DCNR invested $2.1 million in grant funds to support the conservation of the farm, which will be transformed into the Susquehanna Delivery Center and Heritage Park within 10 years. Once completed, Mifflin Farm will feature walking trails telling the story of the Underground Railroad and the Civil War battle that occurred in Wrightsville, a pivotal event in the 1863 Gettysburg Campaign. A museum showcasing an extraordinary collection of Susquehanna River art will have a home on the property, bringing to life the region’s rich cultural and natural history.
To further elevate the site’s historical significance, the Susquehanna National Heritage Area is forming an Underground Railroad Work Group. Comprised of local historians and community members, this group will work to develop a meaningful, research-based visitor experience within the walls of the historic Mifflin Home, which served as an Underground Railroad station from the 1800s until the 1840s.
“The Mifflin House is a beacon of cultural significance in this region, serving as a touchstone for the broader narrative of our nation’s history,” said Mark Platts, President and CEO, Susquehanna National Heritage Area. “We look forward to the public visiting this important site and learning more about the Underground Railroad in Pennsylvania.”
DCNR’s Bureau of Recreation and Conservation administers the Pennsylvania Heritage Areas Program. Heritage areas operate in 57 of the Commonwealth’s 67 counties.
Heritage areas are important historical and cultural regions that help make Pennsylvania: The Great American Getaway, with a wealth of places to visit and stories to learn about the state. The Economic Impact of Pennsylvania Heritage Areas, the most recent report from the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, states:
- Tourists spent an estimated 7.5 million days and nights in Pennsylvania’s Heritage Areas, purchasing more than $2 billion worth of goods and services,
- 70 percent of this spending was purely reliant on heritage-related attractions, and
- The total contribution of heritage visitor spending to the state economy was 25,708 jobs and $798 million in labor income.
Visit DCNR’s website to learn more about heritage conservation and check out DCNR’s Calendar of Events for happenings on public lands.
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