John Brown Farm and Gravesite

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John Brown Farm and Gravesite
National Register of Historic Places
National Historic Landmark
John Brown Farm and Gravesite (2008)

John Brown Farm and Gravesite (2008)

John Brown Farm and Gravesite (New York)
Paris plan pointer b jms.svg
location North Elba , Essex County , New York
Coordinates 44 ° 15 '8.1 "  N , 73 ° 58' 18.5"  W Coordinates: 44 ° 15 '8.1 "  N , 73 ° 58' 18.5"  W.
Built 1849
NRHP number 72000840
Data
The NRHP added June 19, 1972
Declared as an  NHL August 5, 1998
Tombstone of John Brown (2008)

The John Brown Farm and Gravesite is a historic building near North Elba in Essex County , New York . It is a property that was used as a farm by abolitionist John Brown for some time in the mid-19th century . After his execution in the aftermath of the attack on Harpers Ferry on October 16, 1859, he found his final resting place here. As a monument of particular historical importance, the farm and grave of John Brown Farm have the status of a National Historic Landmark ; the former farm is now a museum.

history

The plot of land that is now John Brown Farm and Gravesite was first surveyed in 1805. In the spring of 1849, John Brown and his family moved from Springfield, Massachusetts to this remote area to help a community of free African American people in North Elba that has since the end 1847 had to struggle with the cultivation and settlement of the barren and undeveloped land. The abolitionist Gerrit Smith had given this commune, which was called Timbuctoo (German: Timbuktu) and consisted of at least 33, possibly up to 60 settlers, and many other blacks a total of 40,000 hectares of land in the Adirondack Mountains . Other reasons for Brown's move were the collapse he had experienced with his wool trading business in Springfield, the extremely limited success of his time-consuming involvement in the Underground Railroad, and the stalemate in the public debate over the slave issue . Now he saw the time to act more decisively and bought the plot of land that is now John Brown Farm and Gravesite with his sons Jason and Owen.

Brown supported the African American settlers not only in their field work and as an advisor, but saw himself in the role of their leader, also in religious matters. From his farm, he and his sons toured the western territories and eastern states to collect donations for the liberation of slaves. The rest of the family stayed on the farm, cultivated the land and supported the black community. Despite his frequent absence, Brown considered North Elba as home. His vision was to initiate a slave rebellion, but on October 16, 1859, he clearly failed in an attack by 18 followers on the US Army arsenal in Harpers Ferry . After Brown's execution for murder, instigating a slave revolt, and treason on December 2, 1859, the widow transferred his remains to John Brown Farm, where he was buried on December 9, 1859. From that point on, the site became a pilgrimage site for millions of Americans who revered Brown as a charismatic and fearless fighter for slave liberation.

Soon after, the Browns moved away and sold the property, which didn't detract from the flow of visitors. In 1870 the John Brown Farm and Gravesite was acquired by a group led by the well-known journalist and lecturer Kate Field . She took care of the preservation and care of the property and in 1896 transferred it to the state of New York, which set up a memorial here. To this end, some structural changes and additions were made until 1935, such as the relocation of the barn to another location, the construction of a building for the property management and the connection to road traffic. The John Brown Memorial Association , founded in 1922, collected so much donations that a statue of John Brown was erected in 1935. More than 2000 guests were present at the inauguration ceremony.

The John Brown Farm and Gravesite was listed on June 19, 1972 as a Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places . Since August 5, 1998, it has the status of a National Historic Landmark.

Building description

The remote farm in the middle of the central Adirondack Mountains covers an area of ​​almost 110  hectares . The rural surroundings of the property have hardly changed since 1849. The property is run by the state of New York as a museum, which includes the farmhouse and some outbuildings, the graves of John Brown and eleven of his followers. There is also a statue of John Brown here.

The one - and - a - half - story half- timbered house with inverted formwork , completed in 1855, stands on a field stone foundation and has a gable roof made of wooden shingles. There is a chimney at each end of the gable. The front facade has four window axes evenly spaced, the rear two. There are two rooms on the ground floor, which are separated by the central staircase. The attic functioned as a sleeping place. In the 1950s, the farmhouse underwent an extensive renovation that returned it to its condition at the time of John Brown's funeral. For this purpose, contemporary illustrations from newspaper reports were used and adapted doors and sliding windows were used.

Not far from the back of the farmhouse is a woodshed that is believed to be from the life of John Brown. However, the exact date of construction of this building is unknown, especially since it has been renovated a number of times over the years. South of the farmhouse is a 19th century barn, which has a floor area of ​​12 × 10 m and was originally positioned further north. It is a half-timbered building with a gable roof and inverted formwork, which rests on a stone-clad embankment. Another original outbuilding that still exists is the well house on a slope west of the barn. The caretaker's building dates back to 1922, to which a garage was added in 1923, and a parking space was added in 1965. It stands some distance east of John Brown's tomb and is in the form of a simple clapboard-clad bungalow . All buildings mentioned count as contributing properties of the Historic District.

The gravesite of John Brown and other family members is located on a plot of 1000 m² in size, which is bordered by a wrought iron fence. This remained in the hands of the Brown family when the remainder of the property was sold in 1866. On a rock near the grave of John Brown his name is engraved and two bronze plaques are attached. The tombstone for John Brown was originally that of his grandfather, who died in 1776, and was located in Canton, Connecticut . John Brown had it moved to his farm when it was replaced with a larger tombstone. Grave inscriptions were added to the stone for his son Frederick, who was shot in August 1856, and finally for himself. Immediately north of this grave site are two more, in which his sons Watson and Oliver and nine of his followers were reburied in 1882 and 1899.

Just outside the fenced family cemetery on its southeast corner is a memorial to the 20 members of the John Brown Association who transferred the property to New York State in 1896. Between the farmhouse and the road is a flagpole erected in the mid-1930s. To the north of the plot with the graves, in the landscaped center of a roundabout, there is a larger than life bronze statue of John Brown, inaugurated on May 9, 1935 and created by the sculptor Joseph Pollia . It depicts John Brown holding his arms caringly and protectively around a young African American. The statue stands on a granite base and faces north. The stepped design of the green belt around the statue was carried out by a unit of the Civilian Conservation Corps . The memorial, flagpole and statue are contributing properties of the Historic District.

Web links

Commons : John Brown Farm and Gravesite  - Collection of Images, Videos, and Audio Files

Remarks

  1. ↑ Lawrence E. Gobrecht: Brown, John, Farm and Gravesite: National Historic Landmark Nomination . In: National Register of Historic Places database . National Park Service , November 21, 1997, accessed April 17, 2018 (224 KB), p. 4.
  2. ↑ Lawrence E. Gobrecht: Brown, John, Farm and Gravesite: National Historic Landmark Nomination . In: National Register of Historic Places database . National Park Service , November 21, 1997, accessed April 17, 2018 (224 KB), pp. 9, 12 f.
  3. ↑ Lawrence E. Gobrecht: Brown, John, Farm and Gravesite: National Historic Landmark Nomination . In: National Register of Historic Places database . National Park Service , November 21, 1997, accessed April 17, 2018 (224 KB), pp. 9 f., 13.
  4. ↑ Lawrence E. Gobrecht: Brown, John, Farm and Gravesite: National Historic Landmark Nomination . In: National Register of Historic Places database . National Park Service , November 21, 1997, accessed April 17, 2018 (224 KB), pp. 4, 10.
  5. ^ Brown, John, Farm and Gravesite in the National Register Information System. National Park Service , accessed April 17, 2018.
  6. ↑ Listing of National Historic Landmarks by State: New York . National Park Service , accessed April 17, 2018.
  7. ↑ Lawrence E. Gobrecht: Brown, John, Farm and Gravesite: National Historic Landmark Nomination . In: National Register of Historic Places database . National Park Service , November 21, 1997, accessed April 17, 2018 (224 KB), p. 4.
  8. ↑ Lawrence E. Gobrecht: Brown, John, Farm and Gravesite: National Historic Landmark Nomination . In: National Register of Historic Places database . National Park Service , November 21, 1997, accessed April 17, 2018 (224 KB), p. 4 f.
  9. ↑ Lawrence E. Gobrecht: Brown, John, Farm and Gravesite: National Historic Landmark Nomination . In: National Register of Historic Places database . National Park Service , November 21, 1997, accessed April 17, 2018 (224 KB), p. 5.
  10. ↑ Lawrence E. Gobrecht: Brown, John, Farm and Gravesite: National Historic Landmark Nomination . In: National Register of Historic Places database . National Park Service , November 21, 1997, accessed April 17, 2018 (224 KB), pp. 5 f.
  11. ↑ Lawrence E. Gobrecht: Brown, John, Farm and Gravesite: National Historic Landmark Nomination . In: National Register of Historic Places database . National Park Service , November 21, 1997, accessed April 17, 2018 (224 KB), p. 6.