Bill > A5278

Introduced Session

This bill designates the Howell House on Lafayette Street in Cape May, New Jersey the official New Jersey Harriet Tubman Museum. The Macedonia Baptist Church was organized in 1895 to provide a place for African-American residents of the city of Cape May to practice their faith. The congregation continues to meet today in its historic church building on Lafayette Street, in a neighborhood that was the core of the city's African-American society for much of the 20th century. Next to the church is one of Cape May's oldest houses, the Howell House, given to the church in 1909 by Joseph Howell, which has been used as a parsonage until only a few decades ago. On December 16, 2018, the church signed a lease with developers Robert and Zack Mullock that will permit them to renovate the Howell House into a museum honoring Harriet Tubman, with an expected completion date in 2020. The museum will showcase Harriet Tubman's role as a champion of civil rights and the time she spent in Cape May in the 1850s earning income to support her efforts in the Underground Railroad. Thus, given New Jersey's role in allowing safe passage for many on the Underground Railroad, and the significance of Harriet Tubman's contribution to the freedom of dozens of people, supported by her time in Cape May, and given the historical significance of the Macedonia Baptist Church area to the African-American community, it is appropriate for this State to designate the Howell House on Lafayette Street in Cape May, New Jersey as the official New Jersey Harriet Tubman Museum. Consistent with current practice, the bill provides that State or other public funds are not to be used for producing, purchasing, or erecting any signs bearing the designation provided for in the bill. The bill authorizes the Governor, or the designee thereof, to receive financial assistance from non-profit, non-governmental, and private sources to be used for producing, purchasing, or erecting any signs bearing the designation.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

R. Bruce Land (D)*,  Matthew Milam (D)*,  Carol Murphy (D)*, 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Tourism, Gaming and the Arts Committee (on 05/13/2019)