MASSILLON, Ohio — Ohio has many places that were once part of the Underground Railroad.

What You Need To Know

  •  Spring Hill Historic Home was once a stop on the Underground Railroad

  •  Spring Hill has a secret staircase that helped people move through the house undetected

  • The owners of Spring Hill helped at least nine people to freedom

“Here at Spring Hill, we have a staircase that looks just like a cupboard,” said Michael Weinstock, the Education and Outreach Coordinator at Spring Hill Historic Home. Part of the tour includes the secret staircase.

“The staircase for the domestic staff. It’s right here. It’s built into the walls. It’s hidden. Somebody could go from the basement to the second floor without coming through any of these formal areas,” said Weinstock.

What was originally a staircase for servants doubled as a way to move former slaves through the home undetected.

“If you needed to get away or hide for the day, you would go up those stairs. You would come right up here. Come down the hall. Go into this door and into here,” said Weinstock as he opened a small half-door.

The owners of Spring Hill Historic Home started helping to move enslaved people who’d escaped as early as 1811. Historians believe they were able to help at least nine people escape to freedom, but that number could be higher.

Weinstock explained they have a record of one man who came to Spring Hill. This is unusual because people usually didn’t keep records about the Underground Railroad to avoid being caught.

“A man named George Duncan came to visit us and he wrote a letter thanking the family for their hospitality,” said Weinstock.

Duncan is thought to have stayed during the day when he stopped here.

“He was traveling from the Marietta direction, up through Massillon on his way to Canada,” said Weinstock.

Eventually, the owners of Spring Hill helped the man’s wife.

“Thomas Rotch obliges him and helps Edy find her freedom. Then they are able to meet back up in Canada,” said Kathleen Bachtel, Historic Site Manager.

The original owners of the house were the Rotch family, who were Quakers. They hated slavery everywhere, not just America, and took steps to combat it in any way they could.

“Sugar comes from the Caribbeans. Being Quakers, they were against it. So what would they do to sweeten their food? They kept bees in their attic,” said Weinstock as he opened the attic door.

Spring Hill remained in operation as a stop on the Underground Railroad from 1811 through the Civil War. The property is part of the National Park Service’s Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.