I am filled with gratitude to share our first SOAL spotlight of Black History Month, 2022!

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Jane Marie Chester contributed to the abolitionist cause through connections to The Liberator and the Underground Railroad. A grounding presence within her community, she catered numerous weddings, funerals, socials, and other events for all of Harrisburg. She owned her own home, where she raised her children, took on boarders, and hosted events.Jane Marie Morris was born July 5th, 1801 and was enslaved by the family of Squire Presbury in Anne Arundel, MD; later, she was sold to a Dennis A. Smith. She escaped from enslavement at age 19 and journeyed north to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where she met her husband, George Chester. They operated a restaurant together and joined efforts toward combating slavery. After George’s death in 1859, she continued this work herself; her home on Chestnut Street served as a gathering place for the city’s organizations, churches, and changemakers. The Capital Presbyterian Church is still in existence due in part to her support of the Elder Street Presbyterian Mite Society, shortly after an 1890 fire destroyed the church building.

An excerpt from The Harrisburg Daily Independent, March 19, 1894, reads:“No colored woman a resident of Harrisburg was better known or more highly respected than Mrs. Chester…. Her life was useful and creditable and she devoted herself to her children for whose good she made many sacrifices. Always pious, charitable and neighbourly, Mrs. Chester was never without devoted friends, and by those who survive her, death will be sincerely mourned.”

Mrs. Chester was not the only member of her family to carry a bold legacy. Please stay connected as we explore her lineage.

If you’d like to visit and pay your respects, consider joining us in Lincoln Cemetery this year for our cleanups dated March 18th to 20th, 2022, 6PM to 9PM

May the ancestors bless and protect you. Ase

– Destyni Cruz

Originally posted on Facebook on 2/10/22