OAK HILL, Ohio – Union Baptist Church of Blackfork will be added to the National Park Service National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom on Saturday, with a marker dedication and community celebration set for noon at the church.
The church, founded in 1819, is the longest continuously active African American congregation in Ohio. Pastors and worshippers at Union Baptist Church served as operatives in the Underground Railroad, sheltering and guiding freedom seekers.
Historic congregation linked settlements
As a leading church in the Providence Anti-Slavery Baptist Association, established in 1834 as the first independent Black Baptist association in American history, the congregation linked rural Black settlements with Ohio River communities at Gallipolis, Burlington, Ironton, and Portsmouth. Members of the Stewart, Coker, Chavous, Dungey, Harris, and Craddolph families sheltered and guided freedom seekers.
The National Park Service’s Network to Freedom recognizes Union Baptist Church and Poke Patch as a central station connecting freedom seekers in southeastern Ohio to Black refugee settlements in western Ontario, Canada.
Part of regional tourism initiative
The marker dedication is part of the Appalachian Freedom Heritage Tourism Initiative, supported by an Appalachian Regional Commission POWER Grant awarded to the Lawrence Economic Development Corp. When completed, the Appalachian Freedom Heritage Tour will consist of 27 verified Network to Freedom sites across the tristate region of Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia.
“This recognition by the National Park Service means so very much to all members of Union Baptist Church,” said Hope Rippey, a longtime member of the congregation.
Marty Conley, director of the Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce, added, “We’re honored that the Appalachian Heritage Freedom Tourism Initiative has helped make it possible for the National Park Service to recognize Union Baptist and the Poke Patch settlement. This is a meaningful step in preserving these stories, and we look forward to safeguarding even more local history for future generations.”
About the Network to Freedom
The Network to Freedom program, created by Congress in 1998, highlights more than 800 places and programs. The Network verifies that each one is a true story about the men, women, and children who freed themselves or were helped by others to escape enslavement. The program has listings in 41 states, Washington, D.C., the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Canada.
What’s next
The marker dedication ceremony will begin at noon Saturday at Union Baptist Church-Blackfork, 866 Co Rd 39, Oak Hill. Refreshments will be served. Everyone is welcome. For more information on the Appalachian Freedom Heritage Tourism Initiative, visit www.appalachianfreedom.com.