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Rankin House

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A lighted candle in an upstairs window of the Rankin House signaled slaves that it was safe to proceed on the route to freedom. From 1825 to 1865, John and Jean Rankin, along with their Brown County neighbors, sheltered more than 2,000 escaping slaves. It has been reported that the Rankins never lost a 'passenger' on the Underground Railroad.

A Presbyterian minister and educator, John Rankin devoted much of his life to the anti-slavery movement. In 1826, he wrote the anti-slavery book, Letters of American Slavery. In 1834, he founded the Ohio Anti-Slavery Society in Zanesville.

The Rankin home is now a National Historic Landmark. Students can take a guided tour of the house and learn about the important roles played by Rev. Rankin and by Ohio in the anti-slavery movement.