“To the memory of Harriet Tubman Davis: Heroine of the Underground Railroad, Nurse and Scout in the Civil War. Born about 1820 in Maryland. Died March 10, 1913 at Auburn, N.Y. Servant of God, Well Done.” This epitaph on Tubman’s headstone, erected in 1937 by the Empire State Federation of Women’s Clubs, might not be flashy or verbose. But its all the more fitting as a result, and an excellent marker of Tubman’s physical resting place at Fort Hill Cemetery in Auburn, New York. Pictures on sites like Tripadvisor show flowers planted at Tubman’s grave, rocks stacked on her tombstone, and even pictures, cards, various personal effects, and other memorabilia left in her honor.
Read Related Also: Burglar in ‘sexually motivated’ home invasion crept into bed with woman as she slept: Cops
As we can see on Google Maps, Fort Hill Cemetery is a quick drive or a nice walk away from Tubman’s actual home, which is now a historical building in Harriet Tubman National Historical Park. The park is run by the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, which set up the non-profit Harriet Tubman Home Inc. to preserve Tubman’s legacy, home, and its grounds. As the site says, “The church has maintained a living memory that will honor the legacy of Harriet Tubman and the freedom movement she so eloquently represented for decades of future generations.” They offer 90-minute tours twice a week by appointment only, which is the perfect activity for anyone planning on visiting Tubman’s grave nearby.
