I had the opportunity to step back into the past a few days ago.

The Morristown Historic Preservation Association, the Underground Railroad Museum Board of Directors, members of Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Association, and Morristown Mayor Heather Stitt welcomed John Carey, director of the Governor’s Office of Appalachia and former Ohio senator, for a tour of the Blackhorse Inn. I was on hand to help cover the visit, and it was my first time to actually walk through the historic structure that dates to 1807.

Thanks to a $3.9 million Appalachian Community Grant, the building that housed those traveling along National Road for decades will be renovated to become the new home of the Underground Railroad Museum.

I have visited the museum many times, and I even served on its board of directors for a time. But it is now housed in a 1930s bank building in Flushing. Although it is a wonderful attraction and an important educational resource, there is just something special about the fact that it will one day be located inside a structure that was actually standing and in operation when fugitive slaves were making their way to freedom via the Underground Railroad. In fact, its possible that a few of them passed through the building itself.

As we walked through the old inn, I was fascinated by its layout and with the structural details that could be seen where plaster has fallen and repairs are badly needed. It was almost as if I could hear or feel the spirits of the many, many visitors who had been there before.

I am grateful to have been invited to attend the tour, and I truly appreciate the hard work that has gone into making this project a reality.

As Morristown Historic Preservation Association member Pamela McCort pointed out to me in an email, this project has actually been 35 years in the making.

Kudos to all involved — including those who were wise enough to preserve and protect the 200-year-old building to benefit future generations. I’m confident it will be well worth it in the end.