Officials recently broke ground on a project that will preserve the Mifflin farmstead — a stop on the Underground Railroad — near the Susquehanna River in eastern York County.
More than 60 people gathered at the farm just off of Route 30 in Hellam Township for a preservation celebration and to break ground for the Susquehanna Discovery Center & Heritage Park — a project that will include a regional visitor center, restoration of the Mifflin House that served as an Underground Railroad stop, and recreational trails, a news release states.
The Susquehanna National Heritage Area purchased the farmstead after a years-long effort by preservationists to save it from the threat of demolition for new warehouses.
“This is a landmark moment for the preservation of not only our local history but also for the broader narrative of American history,” Mark Platts, president and CEO of the heritage area, said in the release. “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 estimated $25 million project, which includes acquisition, is expected to take five to 10 years to finish, the release states. More than $8 million has been committed by federal, state and private sources.
The plans include the rehabilitation of a 160-year-old barn to serve as a visitor center, and the creation of a museum to showcase a collection of Susquehanna River art. Walking trails will provide interpretation of the Underground Railroad and a Civil War battle in Wrightsville, which was a pivotal event in the 1863 Gettysburg campaign, the release states.
The 18th-century farmhouse is where the Mifflin family helped to hide freedom-seekers and ferry them across the Susquehanna River on their way to Philadelphia. It will serve as a place for the public to learn about the region’s role in the Underground Railroad,
Mifflin farmstead set to open to the public in the spring
The first phase of the project, which will begin this fall, will involve construction of a new driveway, 30 parking spaces and an ADA-accessible pathway through the farmstead, the release states.
With the improvements, the historic site is expected to open for preview tours in the spring.
It will mark the first time the Mifflin farmstead is open to the public in more than 225 years, the release states.
This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Project begins on Mifflin House farmstead, an Underground Railroad stop
