LA PLATA, Md. — The Charles County government, in collaboration with the Department of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism, is seeking to add two local sites, Friendship Farm Park and Stagg Hall, to the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. The request was made during the County Commissioners meeting on Jan. 14, 2025, by Ashley Chenault, chief of tourism, and Brittney Gray, tourism outreach specialist. The proposal was met with unanimous approval from the commissioners.
The National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, established by Congress in 1998, honors the history of freedom seekers and the individuals who aided them in escaping slavery. The network currently includes more than 800 sites and programs with verifiable connections to the Underground Railroad and the broader resistance to enslavement. These sites span 41 states, Washington, D.C., the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Canada.
Charles County currently has two other sites within the Network to Freedom: Camp Stanton in Benedict, designated in 2003, and the Port Tobacco Courthouse, designated in 2005. If the new application is successful, the county will have four sites within the program. Applications for the program are accepted twice a year, on Jan. 15 and July 15. If approved, Friendship Farm Park and Stagg Hall would become part of a select group of historical landmarks recognized for their role in American history.
The inclusion of additional sites in the Network to Freedom would further emphasize Charles County’s historical significance in the fight for freedom and equality.
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Should have been derailed long ago