Washington
Frederic
W. Gunn
"Frederic W. Gunn, of Washington, Connecticut, who
founded the private school bearing his name, "The direction of
runaways on the road to
freedom, however, remained Gunn's private affair."
(Strother 1962: 122-124)
"Many of the fugitives were aided over the hills to
Washington, about five or six miles east of New Milford.
One of the most ardent supporters
of the movement there was Frederick W. Gunn."
(Dibble 1991: 60
"...his anti-slavery views jeopardized his own career as an
educator," (Danbury News-Times, 3-5-00)
"They would take the people to Washington, Gunn was active in
it, and then on to Litchfield."
Daniel Platt
With Mr. Gunn was Daniel Platt, as devoted an agent on
the system as there was anywhere. (Dibble
1991: 60)
"...and secreting them till they could be taken under cover of
darkness to Deacon Gerardus Roberts' house on Second Hill
and from there to Mr. Daniel Platts's in Washington."
(Strother 1962: 123)
Bruens House
"In Washington, municipal historian Bill Bader said
runaways were led to a tunnel from the Bruens House on River
Road to the
mill on the river." (Ruthman 1998: A1)
Deacon Gerardus Roberts
"They helped many poor slaves on their way, rising from
their beds in the night to feed and minister to them and
secreting them
till they could be taken under cover of darkness to Deacon
Gerardkus Roberts' house on Second Hill..."
(Strother 1962: 123)
Gunnery
Now an official Freedom Trail Site
Blackville
"Blackville Road goes NE from Washington Depot, 15
blacks named in Boyd, 1st half of the 19th century."
(Place Names)
Swiss Hospitality
Supposedly has a house used for the Underground
Railroad. (Bader interview)
Pickett House
"...in Washington Depot, a lovely farm, with an
outbuilding behind it...another house unto itself...and the
main farm had a
"secret passageway" that I've been fortunate enough to visit
when I was a teenager staying with friends. The homes
belonged
to the Pickett family. Reverend Herbert Pickett's mother
lived in the main farmhouse at the time, and it was her
grandson Paul who
showed me the secret / false door going down from the cellar
stairway. He opened it a bit to show me, and told me
that it was part
of the underground railway." (email)
Corner of Blackville Road and Bee Brook
Underground Railroad site (oral history)
Marbledale Forge and Puddling
Works