Historical Marker

Emily Thomas Tubman House

Summer home of Emily Thomas Tubman, philanthropist and emancipator. Born in Va. in 1794, she was reared in Ky. as ward of Henry Clay. She married Ga. merchant Richard Tubman in 1818. A widow after 1836, she gave to many Ky.charities. When Frankfort 1st Christian Church burned in 1870, she donated $30,000 to build a new structure.

(Reverse) After her husband’s death, Tubman asked Ga. legislature to free her slaves and let them live in Ga. When petition was denied she gave slaves a chance to move to Africa or remain with her. Of 144 slaves 69 chose Africa. A descendant of one of her slaves was president of Liberia in the 20th century. Tubman died in 1885.