The Board of Trustees of the John W. Jones Museum is committed to restoring John W. Jones’ house as an interactive museum commemorating the life and work of the former slave, who as an Underground Railroad Station Master, safely assisted nearly 800 slaves’ flight to Canada and was responsible for the dignified burial of nearly 3000 Confederate soldiers.

The museum will highlight the history of African Americans who settled in the Southern Tier of New York and the activity of local abolitionists. The museum will emphasize Elmira’s role as the only regular agency and published station on the Underground Railroad between Philadelphia and St. Catherine, Canada, and explore Mr. Jones’ community involvement and his relationship with his contemporaries.

Historically, the house was the private residence of John W. Jones and his family, changed ownership several times, and was last used as rental property that fell into disrepair. Condemned by the City of Elmira in 1997, Lucy Brown brought it to the public’s attention and with a group of concerned citizens, saved it from demolition. The building currently stands on Jones’ original farm property and the site will continue to be visually interpreted as a farm.

The John W. Jones Museum will be operated and maintained by the John W. Jones Board of Trustees with support from the community, student volunteers and partnerships with area businesses and service organizations. Paid staff will be hired at a later date.

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John W. Jones was born a slave June 21, 1817, on a plantation south of Leesburg, Virginia. He was owned by the Ellzey family, an influential family who treated their slaves with perhaps more kindness than some plantation owners did. Miss Sarah (Sally) Ellzey was fond of John and was a good friend to him. But she was getting on in years and John was concerned about what would happen to him once she passed away.
On June 3, 1844, at the age of 27, John fled north to the place his mother had told him about “where there is no slavery.” It took one month for John, his two half-brothers, George and Charles, and Thomas Stewart and another slave from an adjoining estate to walk from Virginia to Elmira, New York, a distance of about 300 miles. The route they followed was part of the Underground Railroad coming up through Pennsylvania and into New York by way of Williamsport, Canton, Alba and South Creek. In South Creek they reached the farm of Dr. Nathaniel Smith, where they crawled into the hay mow of his immense barn and went to sleep, more dead than alive. They remained there for nearly a week. Mrs. Smith discovered them and cooked food and took it to them morning and night. This is the Mrs. Smith whose grave in Woodlawn Cemetery, just beyond the Langdon plot, always had fresh flowers on it and no one knew where they came from. After John Jones died, there were no more mysterious fresh flowers.

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John W. “Jay� Jones III, 48, a residential builder from Georgetown, formerly of Arlington, died unexpectedly July 27, 2008, at the Lahey Clinic Medical Center in Burlington. He was the beloved husband of Kiette (Murphy) Jones.

He was born in Medford on February 12, 1960, the son of Irene Jones of Rowley and the late John W. Jones Jr.

A resident of Georgetown for the last 15 years, he was raised and educated in Arlington.
Mr. Jones was the owner of JW Construction Co. in Georgetown.

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“… John W. Jones is one of Elmira’s most important historical figures because of his critical role in the success of the Underground Railroad, and for his significant contribution to record keeping for Woodlawn Cemetery.

John W. Jones was born in 1817 on a plantation in Leesburg, Virginia as a slave to the Elzy family. On June 3, 1844, fearing he would be sold to another plantation as his owner grew old and near death, Jones and four others fled north. They survived a 300-mile trip and arrived in Elmira, New York in July of 1844.

While fleeing, Jones and his companions fought off slave hunters in Maryland and made their way into the free state of Pennsylvania. They continued heading north and took refuge in New York State in a barn on South Creek Farm owned by Nathaniel Smith. Mrs. Smith found the exhausted and hungry fugitives and cared for them until they could continue their journey. The five men reached Elmira on July 5, 1844.

Jones’ adopted home of Elmira was a major stop for the Underground Railroad. Most escaped slaves who passed through came via Harrisburg and Williamsport, continuing their route to Rochester or another “station.” Elmira’s participation in the Underground Railroad was significant because it was the only stop between Philadelphia and St. Catherines, Ontario - the final destination for many runaway slaves. At one point in July of 1845, 17 fugitive slaves were in the Elmira area, hiding on farms and at other places.

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This family bible was posted in the Central Georgia Genealogical
Society Quarterly Vol. 15, #4, pages 181-184, 1993
There is no copyright on the quarterly.

The Family Bible of John W. JONES is in possession of Mr. & Mrs. Hansel
Loyd RYLE of Montezuma, GA. Both Mr. & Mrs. RYLE were previously
married to descendants of John W. JONES.

John W. JONES, was born 28 April 1828 in Duplin County, NC and came
with his parents Edward & Mary JONES to Houston County, GA in 1834. His
parents bought the Ezekiel H. BRYAN plantation on Big Indian Creek
where it joins with Mossey Creek. A year later his father died. John W.
and his brother Harrell Blackmore JONES, helped their mother work and
clear the land until she sold the property in 1843. His mother then
moved the family to the old Simon BATEMAN place, east of Perry, near
Houston Lake. His mother, Mary, was frequently mentioned in minutes of
the Sand Ridge Baptist Church before it was moved and merged with Smyma
Baptist Church to become Houston Factory Baptist Church. The obituary
of John W. JONES states he joined the Smyma Baptist Church in 1854 but
there are no minutes for that church.

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VERNON — John W. Jones, age 60, of W. Seneca Street passed away unexpectedly Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2009 at his home.

John was born on Nov. 30, 1948 in Oneida the son of the late Jack and Evelyn (Freeman) Jones and attended V.V.S. Central School.

He worked at Vernon Downs in the maintenance department for over twenty years and later for the National Bank of Vernon and the United Methodist Church of Vernon. John enjoyed working outdoors and especially doing lawn work.

He was most relaxed when he was watching baseball, football and John Wayne movies.

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Today I sourced the John W. JONES family in the 1910 census of Lafayette Township, Madison County, Indiana. John was married to my maternal 2nd-great grandaunt, Margaret PIERCE daughter of Edmund G. and Catherine (GROENENDYKE) PIERCE.

John was listed as a 42 year old farmer who could read and write and owned his home free of mortgage. His marriage to Margaret was his second marriage, and they had been married for 7 years. John was listed as being born in Indiana, but the birthplace of his parents was simply given as ‘United States’.

Margaret was listed as a 37 year old born in Indiana, with both parents born in Indiana. She was able to read and write, but had no occupation listed. This was her first marriage, and she was the mother of one child who was living.

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John W. Jones is one of Elmira’s most important historical figures because of his critical role in the success of the Underground Railroad, and for his significant contribution to record keeping for Woodlawn Cemetery.

John W. Jones was born in 1817 on a plantation in Leesburg, Virginia as a slave to the Elzy family. On June 3, 1844, fearing he would be sold to another plantation as his owner grew old and near death, Jones and four others fled north. They survived a 300-mile trip and arrived in Elmira, New York in July of 1844.

While fleeing, Jones and his companions fought off slave hunters in Maryland and made their way into the free state of Pennsylvania. They continued heading north and took refuge in New York State in a barn on South Creek Farm owned by Nathaniel Smith. Mrs. Smith found the exhausted and hungry fugitives and cared for them until they could continue their journey. The five men reached Elmira on July 5, 1844.

Jones’ adopted home of Elmira was a major stop for the Underground Railroad. Most escaped slaves who passed through came via Harrisburg and Williamsport, continuing their route to Rochester or another “station.” Elmira’s participation in the Underground Railroad was significant because it was the only stop between Philadelphia and St. Catherines, Ontario - the final destination for many runaway slaves. At one point in July of 1845, 17 fugitive slaves were in the Elmira area, hiding on farms and at other places.

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Mr. Jones and the others who did the actual work of caring for the fugitives could not have done it without the help of a number of good citizens in the community. In Elmira, even before Mr. Jones arrived there were local people, mainly business men, who were abolitionists. The majority of them were members of the First Presbyterian Church and some were a part of the group of 41 who on January 4, 1846, were dismissed to form an independent Congregational Church.

Prominent among these men were: Sylvester G. Andrus, a local lumber dealer who lived at 27 Main Street. He was at one time a business partner of Jervis Langdon. His name is mentioned frequently in the early history of Park Church and he was part of the committee appointed December 15, 1845, to consult with the pastor and the session of the Presbyterian Church about founding a new church. The history of the First Presbyterian Church says that “secondary accounts call the new church ‘an anti-slavery’ church, but the official records are less specific.” Other members of the committee were Ira Gould, Silas Billings, John Selover and Joshua Cleeves.

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John W. Jones, Jr. is a partner in the Commercial Department of Pepper Hamilton LLP, resident in the Philadelphia office. He concentrates his practice in corporate and health care matters.

Specifically, Mr. Jones represents public and private companies, including, private equity funds, venture capital firms, pharmaceutical manufacturers, medical device companies, hospitals and health systems, medical staffs, ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), specialty hospitals, outpatient diagnostic centers, including MRI and lithotripsy centers, physician groups, long-term care organizations, retail and long-term care pharmacies, biotechnology companies, research institutions and laboratories, contract research organizations (CROs), medical suppliers, group purchasing organizations (GPOs), software vendors, including information technology companies, management and consulting companies, third-party administrators, staffing companies and other health care organizations.

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