digging for a promised land  

September 23, 2021 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.

Town Clock Church (2nd Baptist Church)
300 East Main Street
New Albany, IN 47150

When imagining an archaeological dig, many of us picture exotic, faraway places and ancient artifacts. But there are archaeological investigations within two different North American urban settings that in fact connect our community with fascinating local people and stories from the past two centuries.

Join us for an evening of discovery as you meet Anne Bader, principal archaeologist with Corn Island Archaeology, and learn about the artifacts and stories uncovered at the Beecher Terrace Housing Complex in downtown Louisville. The Fitzbutler family story from the Beecher Terrace site intersects with an earlier dig from the 1980s at the home of Thornton and Lucie Blackburn in Toronto, Canada. The Blackburns fled Louisville during the Fourth of July weekend in 1831 in a harrowing escape from slavery that eventually terminated in Toronto. Directed by Karolyn Smardz Frost, the Blackburn archaeological dig led to many years of subsequent research and an award-winning book on the topic, I’ve Got a Home in Glory Land. Karolyn will be joining us virtually from her home in Canada.

What better place to hold these important conversations than the Town Clock Church in New Albany, Indiana. Completed in 1852, the church holds its own rich history, including ties to the Underground Railroad in the metro area. Learn more about this historic site through an introduction from Jerry Finn, Friends of the Town Clock Church, and enjoy a few words from Lavel D. White, local filmmaker and creator of the documentary The Beecher Terrace Story.

Admission is free of charge (with reservations). Special thanks to the Caesars Foundation of Floyd County for their generous support of this program.

Please note: Seating is limited and advance registration is required. Masks will be required for everyone attending, regardless of vaccination status. To reserve a space, please click on the link below.