Was This a Station? Investigating the Architecture of the Underground Railroad
Curated by Associate Professor of Architecture Karen Lewis, the exhibition explores the architectural evolution of the Neil House, the broader campus landscape, and Ohio’s “Underground Railroad imaginary”—the stories shaping how we understand this history.
Special Collections East Atrium
For over sixty years, sources have claimed that underground tunnels, hidden passageways, and secret rooms in this building concealed people escaping slavery. However, it remained unclear whether these features resulted from Underground Railroad activity or decades of building renovations and utility development. Lewis, using findings from her BETHA-funded “Uncovering the Underground Railroad: Scanning History through Architecture,” explores the architectural evolution of the Neil House and the broader campus landscape.
Through architectural models, historical documents, and archival materials, visitors encounter the complex relationship between physical evidence and historical memory, examining what architectural investigation can—and cannot—reveal about spaces of freedom.