Black Mail Blog

Black History:  Special Delivery!!

Many of us know about Harriet Tubman’s heroism as a conductor on the Underground Railroad and how she helped hundreds of slave escape to freedom in the north. But did you that she also established a home for the elderly? In 1896 Hariett Tubman purchased 25 acres of land adjacent to her home for $1,450 in Auburn, NY to build a home for elderly blacks. The Thompson AME Zion Church in Auburn, NY assisted her financially. That support along with a mortgage from a local bank helped her to pay for the property.

Unable to make tax payments on the property, she donated it to the AME Zion Church in 1903, with the stipulation that the church would continue to operate the home. It took 5 years to fully staff and equip the home.   On June 23, 1908 the Harriet Tubman Home for the Elderly was inaugurated. Tubman, herself, eventually was cared for in the home for the elderly when her health began to deteriorate in 1911. It was there that she died in 1913. All 3 properties, Harriet Tubman’s residence, Thompson AME Zion Church, and the Harriet Tubman Home For The Elderly are all considered National Historic Landmarks.  The Harriet Tubman Home for The Elderly continues to be operated by The AME Zion church in Auburn, NY.