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DISCOVER AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE DURING BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Cumberland Valley is home to many historical attractions, sites and museums that tell the story of the Confederate invasion into Pennsylvania. Discover the history of the Civil War in the Valley including ransacked towns and Underground Railroad sites.
Visit the exhibits, galleries and library at the Cumberland County Historical Society in downtown Carlisle. This museum features 16 galleries filled with military weaponry, folk art, wood-carvings, quilts, Carlisle Indian School artifacts and Civil War items including African American military pieces and Captain Robert C. Lamberton’s Civil War diary. It is also a National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom facility. The research library contains Civil War books and records.
Next head to the picturesque town of Boiling Springs. Part of the National Underground Network to Freedom, Boiling Springs was one of the major escape routes leading from Maryland to Harrisburg. Enjoy a self-guided walking tour around the village that includes Underground Railroad sites like the iron forge, clock tower, and the home of abolitionist Daniel Kaufman who was one of three men in charge of the Underground Railroad station at Boiling Springs.
Continue your adventure with a tour through one of the best preserved examples of a county courthouse in the United States. The 1846 Old Courthouse in Carlisle was the staging ground for two runaway slave trials, Daniel Kaufman and the McClintock Riots, which made national headlines.
Only a few minutes away you can experience soldier’s stories at the U.S. Army Heritage & Education Center. This premier facility for Army research is home to the largest Civil War photography collection in the world. Browse photos, personal stories and the one-mile outdoor trail with interactive exhibits including recreations of Civil War Winter Cabins and a section of the Hagerstown Pike (Battle of Antietam).
Continue exploring the Civil War history of the entire Cumberland Valley, including one-of-a-kind monuments on the West Shore and the Locust Grove Cemetery in Shippensburg, an African American burial site including 26 Civil War veterans, three of whom served with the 54th and 55th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiments, among the first combat units open to black men during the Civil War.
For more area information and to pick up or download Civil War brochures visit the Cumberland Valley Visitors Center located inside History on High – the Shop at 33 W. High St., Carlisle or check out www.visitcumberlandvalley.com.
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