This Black History Month, two individuals often celebrated as a Huntsville historian and a proud preservationist are going the extra mile to shine a light on a special place in the Rocket City. It’s a place where people of African descent sought safety as they escaped the bondage of slavery.
Huntsville historian and storyteller Bobby Hayden, along with Jane Tippett, sat down with WAAY 31 Anchor Nakell Williams to tell the story of the Historic Lowry House in Huntsville.
“It was built by John Lowry and started in 1809, (when he) moved here from Virginia," explained Bobby Hayden.
John Lowry was a former slave owner who later became an abolitionist.
“He gave them money and property and a chance to live an ordinary life,” Hayden said.
Lowry, in a bold and rare move, hid slaves at the Lowry House for years. It was a place of refuge and safety for many journeying to the Underground Railroad.
"We found out that upstairs is where Dred Scott was hidden before he went to Missouri for the court case,” Hayden explained.
Jane Tippett and Bobby Hayden explain the history of the Historic Lowry House and its role in assisting slaves journeying to the Underground Railroad.
“She quit her job as a nurse at Huntsville Hospital to take over managing this building,” Hayden added.
Louie Tippett asked Hayden to help transform the property decades ago, and Hayden agreed after some time. It took four years to restore the severely dilapidated property.
Jane Tippett gave WAAY 31 a tour of the property, which included a look at a secret room where many slaves were once hidden, including Dred Scott.
"Just think, if you were in these rooms. No light. You didn't know when you were going to be able to be taken away from here," she explained as we walked through the tight quarters.
Just outside the secret room was a sofa, covered by a quilt with secret codes. Jane Tippett explained slaves had to learn these codes to increase their chances of survival.
This month, Jane Tippett and Hayden are reminding members of the community that the Historic Lowry House is not just an invaluable resource for teaching and learning more about Black history — it's an invaluable part of Huntsville’s history, too.
“I think it is important that we remember," Jane Tippett said.
The Lowry House was placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the U.S. Department of Interior on Oct. 29, 2001. It’s located at 1205 Kildare St. NW in Huntsville. Visit http://www.historiclowryhouse.com/ for more information.
