Published Nov. 20, 1997, in The Post-Standard.
Syracuse is on the verge of losing an historic treasure. And that is a shame.
On the basement walls of the Wesleyan Methodist Church at 304 E. Onondaga St. lie deteriorating sculptures of faces that are believed to be the work of slaves awaiting their chance for freedom using the Underground Railroad.
The shame is also that so few know about it. That's much of the reason few have done anything to keep the historic link to the battle against slavery in Syracuse. And fewer have had the means to do so.
Now, we could lose this link if a last-ditch effort by a group of local people fails to draw attention to the sculptures, to galvanize support to keep them here and to secure a commitment from someone with the power and the resources to follow it through.
Their first public meeting is scheduled for noon today at Bethany Baptist Church, 149 Beattie St. in Syracuse.
Lawyer Vaughn Lang, who owns Wesleyan Methodist and the sculptures, said the faces have already been donated to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, to be built in Cincinnati. The $70 million center is scheduled to open in 2002.
The local group is holding out hope, though. Wesleyan Methodist is a listed national landmark, but that does not keep the sculptures from being removed. They belong to Lang, who bought the church in 1988 after the congregation vacated the building. He saved it from demolition and spent half-a-million dollars to restore the church into an office and restaurant, Windows on Columbus Circle.
Vaughn said he contacted city officials, the National Park Service and others about raising money to save the fast-deteriorating sculptures, but found no interest or financial support.
Now, barring a significant turnaround, the sculptures will leave the city.
The local group organizing the public meeting includes the Rev. Ronald Dewberry, pastor of Bethany Baptist Church, Onondaga County Legislator Sam Roberts and Doug Armstrong, president of the Preservation Association of Central New York.
Roberts said it's not too late. The main thrust of the meeting is to walk away with a firm commitment to action, not just feel-good talk. Since Mayor Roy Bernardi already has a meeting scheduled for that time, a representative is expected to attend, Roberts said.
Some knew about the sculptures, Roberts said, but didn't realize the situation at hand. Decay already has claimed several of the faces.
Armstrong, chairman of Syracuse University's anthropology department, researched the artwork in the basement and persuaded the owner to change construction plans to avoid damaging the faces. They were cut into the church's clay foundation along a 50-foot earthen passageway that ends under the front door.
No one studied the faces beneath the church, built in 1846, until Armstrong's SU team did.
Armstrong believes the passageway and the faces predate the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863. He said the faces and a clay bench were probably the products of fugitive slaves awaiting safe transportation to Canada.
On the bright side, at least the sculptures have been protected with a sheath since the summer. Nomatter what the outcome of the meetings, the public will have a chance to see them, even if it has to be in Cincinnati.
Still, these historic artifacts belong in Syracuse, where they were created, so a complete picture is painted of the rich educational history Central New York offers.
It remains to be seen whether Central New York's actions line up with that goal. And it remains to be seen whether or not those actions make a difference.