1816 Farmington Quaker Meetinghouse

THANKS TO ALL WHO WELCOMED THE FREEDOM WALKERS ON JUNETEENTH

It takes a village, as they say, to create an event like our Juneteenth welcome to the Freedom Walkers. And we were honored to work with so many people who helped to make this day such a success.

We started on Thursday, with an interview with Tony Cohen, Christine Ridarsky (Rochester and Monroe County Historian), Norm Strothers (AKWAABA), and Judith Wellman (Executive Direction, 1816 Farmington Quaker Meetinghouse Museum) on Evan Dawson’s Connections on WXXI 

https://www.wxxinews.org/show/connections/2026-06-18/freedom-walk-examines-rochesters-role-on-the-underground-railroad

In the evening, Tony’s crew shared Wesley Wofford’s statue of Harriet Tubman at the lovely band concert in Macedon’s Erie Canal Park, co-sponsored with the Macedon Historical Society.

On Friday, friends came to the 1816 Meetinghouse in the afternoon, when Dave Bruinix, President of the 1816 Meetinghouse, gave five (or was it six?) tours to about 150 people. Visitors took photographs in front of the Harriet Tubman statue, parked directly in front of the 1816 Meetinghouse. 

Later, Farmington Friends Meeting hosted a supper and program. Special thanks to everyone at Farmington Friends who provided such a beautiful space and who served such a wonderful meal, with donations from Mark’s Pizzeria, Chase Farms, Orbaker’s Farms, Wegmans, and Diane Robinson, with support and a table from Lyons National Bank. Nina St. John baked 100 biscuits; Nina, Doug Bowne, and Stacey Vandenburgh picked strawberries in the rain; and the whole crew at Farmington Friends prepared the strawberry shortcake and served the whole crowd so efficiently. Kip Beardsley shared his creative textile panels, reflecting the experience of people along the way, and Diane Robinson served snacks and shared an exhibit of books on the Underground Railroad.  

After supper, we welcomed Tony and The Freedom Walkers to a program that featured Tony talking about why he decided to walk 750 miles and what it meant to him—and to us—past and present. He felt called to make this walk on the 250^th anniversary of this nation’s independence as a way to bring Americans together in what he calls the “eternal journey” toward “independence, liberty, and freedom.” He reminds us that we cannot change our past, but we can learn from it to create the future. What do we want America to look like in the next 250 years? 

We had amazing guest appearances by Austin Steward (a.k.a. Doug Curry) and General Gordon Granger (a.k.a. Peter Grassi). Marion Cole and the Farmington Friends choir provided a rare opportunity to hear abolitionist songs from the 1840s, compiled by freedom seeker William Wells Brown, who lived in Farmington in the mid-1840s. 

Visitors came from as far away as Syracuse, Alfred, and Buffalo. WHAM and WXXI covered the story. So did the Finger Lakes Times and the Democrat and Chronicle. 

https://13wham.com/news/local/people-honor-freedom-walkers-during-juneteenth-event-farmington-quaker-meeting-house-underground-railroad-harriet-tubman

Thanks to Marisa Enzinna for writing press releases. Thanks to Valentino Cinotti for videotaping this program, now available on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/wujFmyl_dGs.

Carrie Magnan, Diane Robinson, Dorothy Hanrahan, and Gabby McGinn, and so many others welcomed guests. We could not have done this without planning from the program committee of both the 1816 Meetinghouse, Farmington Friends, and AKWAABA, including Christine Ridarsky, Ruth Anderson, and Mattie Schmitt, who helped organize the Rochester program and overnight facilities.

On Saturday morning, Memorial AME Zion Church hosted a presentation by Harriet Jacobs (a.k.a. Robin Nowell), Harriet Tubman (a.k. Rev. Maggie Moore), Sojourner Truth (a.k.a Eunice White), and Anna Murray Douglass (a.k.a. Shirley Strothers), along with a talk by Tony Cohen and another by Robin Nowell on Memorial AME Zion’s beautiful stained glass windows. 

These events were supported by the 1816 Farmington Quaker Meetinghouse Museum, Rochester and Monroe County Historian’s Office, Wayne County Tourism, Finger Lakes Tourism, Macedon Historical Society, Farmington Friends, Rochester Friends, Memorial AME Zion Church, AKWAABA: The Heritage Associates, First Unitarian Church of Rochester, Universal Human Rights Group of Interfaith Alliance of Rochester and Greater Rochester Community of Churches, and Monroe Community College. 

Thanks to all of you, it was a wonderful community weekend. We look forward to many more! Thanks so much to Tony and his crew for bringing us all together!

UPCOMING PROGRAMS

The Declaration of Independence and the Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments: A Joint Reading | July 17, 3:00 p.m., Women's Rights Park, Seneca Falls

The Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments was patterned after the Declaration of Independence. To highlight the similarities (and differences) between these two documents, volunteers from the 1816 Meetinghouse, Women’s Rights Alliance of NYS, League of Women Voters from Geneva, NY, and Canandaigua suffrage women will read them in tandem. If you would like to volunteer to read a short section or to staff the 1816 table on Friday, contact Judith Wellman (historicalnewyork@me.com).

Commemorating Emancipation Day, co-sponsored with Ontario County Historical Society | August 1, 1:00 p.m., West Avenue Cemetery, Canandaigua

Join Preston Pierce, Ontario County Historian; Chester Freeman, who arranged historic marker for Steward; Robin Nowell from AKWAABA, appearing as her ancestor Nancy Tolliver; and members of Rochester Women's Community Chorus commemorating the end of slavery in the British Empire. Held at Austin Steward’s grave, West Avenue Cemetery, 100 West Ave., Canandaigua, 1:00 p.m.

PROGRAMS AT SISTER SITES

1816 MEETINGHOUSE: ANNUAL REPORT 2025

HARRIET TUBMAN CORRIDOR SIGNED INTO LAW