Harriet Tubman Memorial Plaque (Auburn, New York)
Dublin Core
Title
Harriet Tubman Memorial Plaque (Auburn, New York)
Subject
Subject (Topic)
Antislavery movements--United States
New York--Auburn
Public art
Public sculpture
Underground Railroad
Antislavery movements--United States
New York--Auburn
Public art
Public sculpture
Underground Railroad
Subject (Name)
Tubman, Harriet, 1822-1913
Tubman, Harriet, 1822-1913
Subject (Object Type)
Commemorative sculpture
Commemorative sculpture
Description
The bronze plaque honoring Harriet Tubman has a dark patina and a rectangular body topped with a rounded arch. At the top, Tubman’s portrait—based on an 1890s photograph—is rendered in bas-relief and surrounded by a laurel motif. Her expression is calm and resolute. Beneath the portrait is an inscription detailing Tubman’s achievements, with floral rosettes adorning the corners of the plaque. The bronze plaque is placed on the outside wall of the Cayuga County Courthouse in Auburn, New York.
Creator
Citizens of Auburn
Source
Photograph by Renée Ater
Date
June 13, 1914
Contributor
Citizens of Auburn
Rights
Cayuga County Courthouse, 152 Genesee Street, Auburn, New York, 13021, United States
Format
JPEG
Language
English
Type
Visual Arts-Sculpture
Coverage
Cayuga County Courthouse, 152 Genesee Street, Auburn, New York, 13021, United States
Has Part
Inscription on bronze plaque:
In Memory of Harriet Tubman. Born a slave in Maryland about 1821. Died in Auburn, N.Y. March 10th, 1913. Called the "Moses" of her people, during the Civil War, with rare courage, she led over three hundred negroes up from slavery to freedom, and rendered invaluable service as a nurse and spy.
With implicit trust in God she braved every danger and overcame every obstacle, withal she possessed extraordinary foresight and judgment so that she truthfully said--"On my Underground Railroad I nebber run my train off de track and I nebber los' a passenger."--This tablet is erected by the Citizens of Auburn, 1914.
References
Monument and Myth: Commemorating Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad
Medium
Bronze
Bibliographic Citation
"National Flag to Be Displayed: Day of Unveiling of Harriet Tubman Memorial to be Observed at Suggestion of Mayor. Exercises in Auditorium." The Advertiser Journal, Thursday, June 11, 1914. New York Historic Newspapers. Accessed January 31, 2026. https://www.nyshistoricnewspapers.org/.
"High Tribute Paid to Harriet Tubman As Memorial Tablet is Unveiled in Her Honor." The Advertiser Journal, Saturday, June 13, 1914. New York Historic Newspapers. Accessed January 31, 2026. https://www.nyshistoricnewspapers.org/.
Rights Holder
Renée Ater
Still Image Item Type Metadata
Original Format
Plaque
Collection
Citation
Citizens of Auburn, “Harriet Tubman Memorial Plaque (Auburn, New York),” Contemporary Monuments to the Slave Past, accessed October 1, 2026, https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/71.