Underground Railroad

Quakers and the 1780 Pennsylvania Gradual Abolition Act

Yes, some Quakers owned slaves in the early 1700s. In 1758 Quakers Anthony Benezet and John Woolman, believing slavery to be inconsistent with Christianity and common justice, persuaded the Philadelphia Quaker Yearly Meeting to take an official stance on slavery. It was concluded that slave-owning was incompatible with membership so by 1774, if any Quaker continued to own slaves they were disowned by the Quaker Community. The Quakers didn’t stop with their own community, they moved on to raise the moral issue for everyone both in Britain and North America.

Longwood Progressive Meeting and 1862 Visit with President Lincoln

Longwood Progressive Meetinghouse is located across from the entrance gate to Longwood Gardens, today it’s the Brandywine Valley Tourism Center.

Eusebius and Sarah (Painter) Barnard

Eusebius was the youngest of 4 sons, living into adulthood, of Richard and Sarah Barnard. He was raised near Marlborough Village with many of his Barnard Family members in the immediate area owning farms from the vast amount of land ownership his grandfather had accumulated. He attended the Friends school at Westtown and excelled in his studies. Family friend Gilbert Cope, author of The History of Chester County, described Eusebius as "a man of great force of character" who strove for an end to intolerance.

Longwood Progressive Meeting delegation met with President Lincoln - 1862

ON SEPTEMBER 22, 1862 A PROCLAMATION WAS ISSUED BY PRES. LINCOLN .......... MEETING WITH LONGWOOD GROUP JUNE 1862
Thomas Garrett meeting with Pres. Abraham Lincoln

Aiding Harriet Shephard to freedom- 1855

Harriet Shephard & 10 Others 1855 Path to Freedom brought them to Barnard Station, home of Eusebius & Sarah Barnard

Page from William Still's “The Underground Railroad Records”

Eusebius Barnard

Sara Painter and Eusebius Barnard

Eusebius Barnard was born in July of 1802 and educated in Chester County.   He attended Westtown School and devoted his energies to the farming interests in his community.

He is widely known as a strong abolitionist and an earnest advocate of womens rights and temperance reform.

He was also a strong community leader.  Eusebius signed the Petition for the Division of Pennsbury Township on November 3, 1848 which resulted in the creation of Pocopson Township.  He was described by Gilbert Cope as “a man of great force of character”