A selected survey of Underground Railroad sites in Virginia, undertaken by Hanbury Preservation Consulting in collaboration with the William and Mary Center for Archaeological Research and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, included reconnaissance-level survey of 30 sites in Virginia previously identified by the National Park Service through the Network to Freedom project but not been recorded in Virginia’s survey database, and the identification of 20 additional sites identified through background research. An accompanying survey report provided context on the history of the Underground Railroad in Virginia, with an overview of the identified sites, and recommendations for further work.
Created by federal legislation in 1998, the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom program was established to:
- Educate the public.
- Provide technical assistance for documenting, preserving, and interpreting Underground Railroad history.
- Create a network of historic sites; interpretive and educational programs; and research and educational facilities all with a "verifiable association" to the Underground Railroad.
Through consultation and events, the program continues to document and designate places that tell the story of the “resistance to enslavement through escape and flight.”