Fugitive Slave Chapel on Grey Street. (Kate Otterbein / XFM News)
“The Chapel Project” is an initiative set forth to restore the Fugitive Slave Chapel and move it from its current location on Grey Street. The new location they are hoping to move it to is the Fanshawe Pioneer Village.
“The village recognizes the historical importance of this building,” says Dawn Miskelly, the Executive Director of the Pioneer Village. “It was actually offered to us as a gift from the British Methodist Episcopal Church, who are the owners of the building where it sits on Grey Street. The church officials felt that the Pioneer Village would be a better location to preserve and promote and share the rich history that the Fugitive Slave Chapel has.”
The Village wants to provide education on the Chapel itself, as well as London’s connection and involvement to the Underground Railroad.
“Before we decided whether or not we were going to accept the gift of the Chapel, we wanted to have the community involved and have them tell us that this is what they want to see happen with the building. So that’s where we went through a process of community engagement. As a result, we’ve been working quite closely with the London Black History Coordinating Committee, Black Lives Matter London, and the Congress of Black Women of Canada, as well as the former Chapel Committee that’s been looking after keeping this project alive.”
“It was the major worshipping community of the Blacks in London,” says Hilary Neary, who is involved with the Chapel Project. “Not the only worshipping community, but the major one.”
Carl Cadogan is the chair of the London Black History Coordinating Committee. He says that the Chapel offered many purposes to the Black community, by also being a place for community meetings and gatherings.
“It is important for the historical life of London community, beyond the Black community,” says Cadogan. “It really highlights the fact that London in the 1840s, 50s, 60s, had not only a large Black community, but it was a changing London. We want to preserve it not only as part of the Black history but also as part of London’s history.”
Cadogan says this Chapel is important for education, as he believes the general population doesn’t know a lot about the Chapel and the history of the Black community in London. By preserving it, generations to come will be able to learn about it.
They are trying to raise $300,000 to contribute to the renovation and the relocation of the Fugitive Slave Chapel. Miskelly says the faster the money is raised, the faster they can start the process.
Comments