Austin F. Williams Carriagehouse and House
Encyclopedia
Austin F. Williams Carriagehouse and House in Farmington, Connecticut
is a historic site notable for serving as living quarters for the Amistad
Africans and as a "station" on the Underground Railroad
.
Austin Williams (1805–1885) and his wife Jennet Cowles Williams were abolitionists. Their property first became important in the Amistad
case. When the Mende
men who had participated in the revolt on the slave ship La Amistad
were released from prison in 1841, they stayed here before their return to Africa. Austin Williams was friends with Lewis Tappan
who was assisting the Africans. A dormitory was erected for the men; it is now part of the carriage house
. The men did agricultural work during this period. In 1842, the Williams's built their Greek revival house. The cellar of the carriage house served as a hiding place for escaping slaves as a part of the Underground Railroad.
The site was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1998. It is located at 127 Main Street in Farmington
and may possibly be included in the Farmington Historic District. The house is a private residence and is not open to the public.
Farmington, Connecticut
Farmington is a town located in Hartford County in the Farmington Valley area of central Connecticut in the United States. The population was 25,340 at the 2010 census. It is home to the world headquarters of several large corporations including Carrier Corporation, Otis Elevator Company, and Carvel...
is a historic site notable for serving as living quarters for the Amistad
Amistad (1841)
The Amistad, also known as United States v. Libellants and Claimants of the Schooner Amistad, 40 U.S. 518 , was a United States Supreme Court case resulting from the rebellion of slaves on board the Spanish schooner Amistad in 1839...
Africans and as a "station" on the Underground Railroad
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...
.
Austin Williams (1805–1885) and his wife Jennet Cowles Williams were abolitionists. Their property first became important in the Amistad
Amistad (1841)
The Amistad, also known as United States v. Libellants and Claimants of the Schooner Amistad, 40 U.S. 518 , was a United States Supreme Court case resulting from the rebellion of slaves on board the Spanish schooner Amistad in 1839...
case. When the Mende
Mende people
The Mende people are one of the two largest and most dominant ethnic group in Sierra Leone, along with the Temne. The Mende make up 30% of Sierra Leone's total population or 1,932,015 members...
men who had participated in the revolt on the slave ship La Amistad
La Amistad
La Amistad was a ship notable as the scene of a revolt by African captives being transported from Havana to Puerto Principe, Cuba. It was a 19th-century two-masted schooner built in Spain and owned by a Spaniard living in Cuba...
were released from prison in 1841, they stayed here before their return to Africa. Austin Williams was friends with Lewis Tappan
Lewis Tappan
Lewis Tappan was a New York abolitionist who worked to achieve the freedom of the illegally enslaved Africans of the Amistad. Contacted by Connecticut abolitionists soon after the Amistad arrived in port, Tappan focused extensively on the captive Africans...
who was assisting the Africans. A dormitory was erected for the men; it is now part of the carriage house
Carriage house
A carriage house, also called remise or coach house, is an outbuilding which was originally built to house horse-drawn carriages and the related tack.In Great Britain the farm building was called a Cart Shed...
. The men did agricultural work during this period. In 1842, the Williams's built their Greek revival house. The cellar of the carriage house served as a hiding place for escaping slaves as a part of the Underground Railroad.
The site was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1998. It is located at 127 Main Street in Farmington
Farmington, Connecticut
Farmington is a town located in Hartford County in the Farmington Valley area of central Connecticut in the United States. The population was 25,340 at the 2010 census. It is home to the world headquarters of several large corporations including Carrier Corporation, Otis Elevator Company, and Carvel...
and may possibly be included in the Farmington Historic District. The house is a private residence and is not open to the public.