2019-11-07 00:28:14
3531 Seaman Road Preston, MD 21655 Leverton House is owner-occupied, private property
Refugees from slavery found sanctuary here. One morning in the mid-1840s, a young enslaved woman, in bloodstained clothing, walked up to the Leverton farm. Jacob and Hannah took her in, nursed and fed her, and gave her clean clothing. Jacob was seen later that night traveling northward in his carriage with an unidentified guest. The young woman’s enslaver inquired about her at the Leverton home the next day. Jacob told the man that he had helped the girl and then “let her pass on.” The infuriated slave owner sued Jacob Leverton. Ordered to pay a large fine, Jacob became ill and soon died. His wife Hannah most likely continued their Underground Railroad efforts.
Jacob and Hannah Leverton were white, Quaker abolitionists. Their house has been described as “the main stopping place for the Underground Railroad in the region.” Along with the Levertons, free black millwright Daniel Hubbard and Quakers Jonah and Esther Kelley provided havens on their properties to help slaves reach freedom.
You are now in Caroline County. A visitor center at Crouse Memorial Park, a few miles away in Denton, welcomes you and is a great resource on things to see and do here. Before you leave Preston, visit the 19th-century recreated village at Linchester Mill, where you can explore a one-room schoolhouse and other buildings from the time period.
Next Site
Head southwest on Seaman Rd. Turn right onto MD 16 E / MD 331 N / Main Street. Turn left onto Linchester Rd./MD 817. Linchester Mill will be immediately on the left.
Previous Site
Head southwest on Seaman Rd. Make a slight left onto MD 16 W/ MD 331 S. Continue to follow MD 16 W for 7.3 miles. Turn left onto Railroad Ave. The church is on your right in 0.1 mile.
Page numbers for sites on this map can be found on page 4 in the table of contents.
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