John W. Jones House
Encyclopedia
The John W. Jones House currently stands at 1250 Davis Street, Elmira, New York
, across from a historic entrance to Woodlawn Cemetery. It stands on part of its original property, though it originally faced College Avenue.
John W. Jones
came to Elmira as an escaped slave from Virginia in the 1840s. He was an active abolitionist and worked extensively with the Underground Railroad
. He became sexton
of Woodlawn Cemetery. During the American Civil War
, he was responsible for burying the Confederate dead from the nearby Elmira prison camp in the section of the cemetery that eventually became Woodlawn National Cemetery. The John W. Jones House is built, at least in part, from portions of the camp sold at auction upon its disbandment. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 2003.
Elmira, New York
Elmira is a city in Chemung County, New York, USA. It is the principal city of the 'Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses Chemung County, New York. The population was 29,200 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Chemung County.The City of Elmira is located in...
, across from a historic entrance to Woodlawn Cemetery. It stands on part of its original property, though it originally faced College Avenue.
John W. Jones
John W. Jones (ex-slave)
John W. Jones was born in 1817 on a plantation in Leesburg, Virginia as a slave to the Elzy family. On June 3, 1844, fearing he would be sold to another plantation, as his owner grew old and near death, Jones and four others fled north...
came to Elmira as an escaped slave from Virginia in the 1840s. He was an active abolitionist and worked extensively with 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,...
. He became sexton
Sexton (office)
A sexton is a church, congregation or synagogue officer charged with the maintenance of its buildings and/or the surrounding graveyard. In smaller places of worship, this office is often combined with that of verger...
of Woodlawn Cemetery. During the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, he was responsible for burying the Confederate dead from the nearby Elmira prison camp in the section of the cemetery that eventually became Woodlawn National Cemetery. The John W. Jones House is built, at least in part, from portions of the camp sold at auction upon its disbandment. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2003.