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Quest for Freedom: Library Company of Philadelphia
Over 13,000 printed materials documenting slavery and abolition
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The former home of the Library Company of Philadelphia
Image courtesy of the Library Company of Philadelphia
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Underground Railroad Connection
An independent research library, the Library Company of Philadelphia’s Afro-Americana collection includes books, periodicals and graphics documenting the western exploitation of Africa, the rise of slavery in the United States and the abolitionist movement and its impact on African Americans in the 20th century.
The special collection of more than 13,000 titles continues to grow and now includes examples of race in fiction and drama, and the printed materials of African American persons and organizations. Access to the print room is by appointment only.
Nearby Historic Marker:
While you’re in the area, head over to 244 South 12th Street, and see where Underground Railroad agent William Still lived. After his father purchased Still’s freedom, he began a coal stove business which blossomed, making him one of the city’s most successful African American businessmen.
Among his abolitionist activities, Still penned The Underground Railroad, a record of fugitive slaves who passed through Philadelphia. His documentation of runaways would help relatives to reunite with them later.
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