Scipio Smith Day
MAY 29 | 11:00AM - Noon
Join us for a celebration of Scipio Smith Day. The mayor of Lancaster has signed a proclamation stating that May 29 will be "Scipio Smith Day" in Lancaster, Ohio.
Scipio Smith was a former slave who was brought to Lancaster in 1810. He learned to be a tinsmith from Samuel Effinger and opened his own store in downtown Lancaster in 1827. He was the first black person to engage in business in the city.
He also founded the A.M.E. Church (now Allen Chapel) in Lancaster in 1825. During this time, black citizens were not allowed to attend white churches or schools. Scipio founded this institution to serve both of those functions.
Please help us honor this important historical figure by attending the first ever "Scipio Smith Day" on May 29! There will be someone from the city reading the mayor's proclamation and unveiling the new "Scipio Smith Street" signs that will be installed on Walnut Street from High Street to Mt. Pleasant Ave.
There will also be speakers and music!
Why May 29th?
May 29, 1821, is the day that Scipio Smith was emancipated and fully set free.
*This is a FREE event. No registration is necessary.
Allen Chapel | 221 E. Walnut Street, Lancaster, OH
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