From the Harriet Tubman byway website:
"William Still’s Last Residence- Stop 45 (page 50) Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway Driving Tour Guide.
Pennsylvania became a haven for freedom
seekers. Slavery was abolished in this state
in 1780. While some self-liberators made
their way north with little or no help,
Harriet Tubman and other freedom
seekers trekked from Wilmington,
Delaware to connect with free black and
Quaker communities in Chester and
Delaware counties in southeast
Pennsylvania. These people helped
Tubman and others find their way to
Philadelphia, where William Still of the
Philadelphia Vigilance Committee provided
shelter, food, clothing, transportation and
money for passage north.
Still kept records in a journal about those
he assisted, including their names, where
they came from, condition, and methods
of escape. Keeping these records was risky,
but they helped separated family members
locate one another. Still’s secret journal
was published as The Underground Railroad
in 1872.
When Tubman made her own escape
to freedom in 1849, she settled in
Philadelphia and worked as a domestic
to earn money to support herself and
her rescue missions. William Still
supported her and documented her
efforts to return to her homeland in
Maryland to retrieve loved ones"
(
visit link)
TEXT from Historical Marker in front of the residence:
While living here, he was an Underground Railroad agent who helped slaves escape and kept records so relatives could find them later. A wealthy coal merchant, Still also helped found the first Black YMCA.