One of London’s only known pieces of Black heritage has finally arrived at its new home.
At around 4:15 p.m. Tuesday, the Fugitive Slave Chapel, travelling on a flatbed tow truck, arrived at the Fanshawe Pioneer Village, completing a 13-kilometre journey from where it previously sat on the site of 432 Grey Street.
Dawn Miskelly, the village’s executive director, said she and the rest of the staff feel “happy and relieved” over the chapel’s safe arrival.
“This move has been long-awaited by the community,” Miskelly said as she was heading out to welcome the historic building.
It took about seven hours for workers to move the chapel. London police accompanied movers while they made the trek across the city.
Extensive planning went into the building’s move. Over $400,000 has been raised to help support the costs needed to relocate the chapel and begin the process to refurbish it. Donations are still being accepted while Village officials select a contracting firm to complete the job.
The chapel was built in 1848. The move to Fanshawe Pioneer Village will see it be repurposed to teach about slavery, the Underground Railroad, and the area’s Black histories. The village has worked with London Black History Coordinating Committee, the Chapel Committee, the Congress of Black Women of Canada, Black Lives Matter London and the British Methodist Episcopal Church on the chapel’s preservation.
More information about the project, or how to submit a donation can be found on the London Community Foundation‘s website.
-With files from Miranda Chant
