Harriet Tubman statue rides Cape May ferry on Underground Railroad tour

Written by Samantha Hildebrandt For the Press

LOWER TOWNSHIP — A 13-foot bronze statue of Harriet Tubman took a ride Thursday on the Cape May-Lewes Ferry.

The "Beacon of Hope" statue had been showcased at the Cape May Point Science Center since Sept. 1, marking the initial stop on its tour of the Underground Railroad, according to a news release from the Delaware River and Bay Authority, which operates the ferry.

“To honor the Underground Railroad, William Still and Harriet Tubman, the celebrated 'Beacon of Hope' sculpture of Tubman was created and now will continue to follow the trail through Maryland, New Jersey and New York,” said Bob Mullock, president of the Cape May Point Science Center. “Harriet Tubman was very active on Cape Island, and William Still, the father of the Underground Railroad, once owned the historic building that today houses the Science Center. We were honored to be the sculpture’s first stop on its travel through time and appreciate the ferry’s help in getting her to her next destination — Salisbury, Maryland.”

The statue, traveling on a 70-foot-long flatbed trailer, will also stop in Rahway, New Jersey; the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati; Peekskill, New York; and the John Brown Farm in Westport, New York.

“We’re honored to transport the 'Beacon of Hope,' said Heath Gehrke, director of ferry operations. “Our ferry route is very similar to one used by escaped enslaved people who would wait for moonless nights to row across the Delaware Bay using the lighthouse for guidance. It’s fitting and a significant historical moment for this iconic sculpture to cross the Delaware on the Cape May-Lewes Ferry.”

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