WRIGHTSVILLE, Pa. — Once slated for demolition, officials are celebrating a significant milestone in the preservation of Pennsylvania's heritage.
On Friday, Sept. 27, more than 60 people gathered with the Susquehanna National Heritage Area (SNHA) staff at the historic Mifflin House & Farm for a preservation celebration and initial groundbreaking.
The event marked the culmination of a seven-year effort to protect the site from development and set the stage for its transformation into the Susquehanna Discovery Center & Heritage Park- a project expected to span five to ten years.
The Mifflin House was a documented stop on the Underground Railroad. It’s unknown how many people stopped at the station, but the nonprofit organization The Conservation Fund estimates more than "100,000 people escaped slavery using the Underground Railroad between 1810 and 1850."
Historians also aren’t sure where escaping enslaved people would have stayed inside the house, but there are multiple rooms that could have hidden people, such as an attic crawl space and a large root cellar.
“The thing about the Underground Railroad is that people didn’t write it down. There isn’t a lot of first-hand documentation, so it’s going to take some research,” said Mark Platts, president of the Susquehanna National Heritage Area (SNHA).
The 160-year-old barn will also be rehabilitated and eventually opened to the public as part of the project. A museum showcasing a collection of Susquehanna River art will have a home on the property, bringing to life the region's cultural and natural history.
The 79-acre landscape will feature walking trails interpreting the Underground Railroad and the Civil War battle that happened in Wrightsville, a pivotal event in the 1863 Gettysburg Campaign.
"This is a landmark moment for the preservation of not only our local history but also for the broader narrative of American history," remarked Mark Platts, the president & CEO of SNHA. “We look forward to working with the community to ensure the Mifflin House continues to be a beacon of cultural significance for generations to come.”
The first phase of development, set to begin this fall, includes the construction of a new driveway, 30 parking spaces, and an ADA-accessible pathway through the farmstead.
These improvements will open the historic site to the public for the first time in more than 225 years, with preview tours expected to begin in spring 2025.