Quincy Underground Railroad Museum Dr. Richard Eells House
The Quincy Underground Railroad Museum at the Dr. Richard Eells House is one of the earliest and most significant documented Underground Railroad sites in the United States. We are nationally recognized by the United States Park Service. The story of the Underground Railroad is shrouded in myth and legend. But the Dr. Richard Eells House is firmly rooted in fact.
You can stand on the threshold where a runaway slave named Charles came seeking freedom. He was brought there by a heroic free Black man named Barryman Barnett. He was taken in by Dr. Richard Eells, a white physician and college instructor, who tried to hustle him off to help at the Mission Institute. This is not an exaggerated local myth. We know these things because Charles was caught and Dr. Eells was prosecuted under Illinois law.
Current Members of the Board of Directors
John Cornell, President
Terrell Dempsey, Vice-president
Patrick Hotle, Secretary
David Oakley
Mettazee (Mett) Morris
Megan Rapp
Betty Anders
Rachel Loyd-Roundtree
The original 1835 structure is owned by the Friends of the Dr. Richard Eells House, an Illinois not-for-profit corporation and a 501(C)(3) organization. The Friends group was formed in 1992 and is dedicated to restoring and maintaining the building and interpreting the events that happened at the house and in Quincy and clearly placing them in our Nation’s ongoing story of freedom. We provide tours of the house and feature an exciting video presentation and excellent galleries that explain the heroic attempts of people to escape slavery and the abolitionists that fought to bring an end to the ugly practice.
As you can imagine, maintaining an 1835 building is costly. It requires constant maintenance. We rely on the generosity of the community and visitors to support our museum. If you would like to help, please check out our donation page.
