National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum


The National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located in Peterboro, New York, that honors American abolitionists by showcasing their work to end slavery, and the legacy of their struggle: the drive to end racism.

Museum

The museum is located at 5255 Pleasant Valley Road, between Elizabeth and Park Streets, in the hamlet of Peterboro, New York. Specifically, the museum can be found on the second floor of a historic Presbyterian church. The church, which was built in 1820, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. Although it has not been used as a church since 1870, it has housed the Evans Academy, the Peterboro Union School, and the Peterboro Elementary School since then. The Town Hall of the Town of Smithfield can now be found in the first floor, with the town clerk's office.
Most notably, the museum is located in the same building in which the inaugural meeting of the New York State Anti-Slavery Society was held in 1835. The original meeting, which was located in Utica, was aborted by pro-slavery protestors, including the New York Senator, and the following year New York Attorney General, Samuel Beardsley. Gerrit Smith, a leading American social reformer, suggested Peterboro, New York as an alternate location.
The meeting was deemed "the largest convention ever assembled in that State for any purpose whatever", with 1,000 people in attendance.

National Abolition Hall of Fame members

The following are the inductees of the National Abolition Hall of Fame as of 2022: