Freedom Trail
WHERE PUBLIC OPEN SPACE HAS HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE
Mapping the Road to Freedom
The Freedom Trail connects the historic sites of East Towson all the way back to the Hampton Plantation where our story of freedom, perserverance and resilience began. This new pedestrian and cycling route will create an environmentally healthy and peaceful recreational space that improves the lived experience of people of all backgrounds while bridging communities.
Mapping the
Road to Freedom: From Hampton Plantation to Historic East Towson
The Road to Freedom is a partnership between nature and area residents revealing a history hidden in plain sight.
The Trail connects the lives and structures of a tight-knit community with ancestral ties to those enslaved by Maryland’s 15th governor, Charles Carnan Ridgely, and successive generations.
This Trail is a testament of Historic East Towson’s commitment to prevail in the face of massive environmental degradations and building encroachments, both past and present, to shape a livable and vibrant new future on the Road to Freedom!
The Freedom Trail brings together a history, heritage and cultural integrity to form new relationships that will extend well into this 21st Century. These sacred places & spaces can finally be reclaimed and connected as areas for healing, learning, fitness and peace. The trail not only connects the surrounding communities, it bridges our past and future in meaningful ways moving forward.
The Freedom Trail Includes:
- The Parker House
- The Jacob House
- The Carver Colored School
- St. James AUMP Church
- Mt. Calvary AME
- Howard Cooper Memorial Marker
- Pleasant Rest Cemetery
- Mt. Olive Baptist Church
- The Community formerly known as Sandy Bottom
- The Pride of Towson Lodge
- Goucher College’s Hallowed Ground Project
- Hampton Historic Site’s slave quarters, overseer’s house, spring house and the mansion
This project was funded through the NeighborSpace Portals for Our Partners Program and the United Way of Central Maryland