The Chapel Project

The Chapel Project aims to relocate the small wood building known as the Fugitive Slave Chapel from its current location on Grey Street to Fanshawe Pioneer Village. There it will be fully restored and repurposed to teach about slavery, the Underground Railroad, and the area’s Black histories. Built around 1848, the building is the oldest surviving structure that relates to London’s historic Black community.

“The history that is associated with The Fugitive Slave Chapel involves our ancestors’ passage through the Underground Railroad to Freedom. It is important for members of the Black Community, in London, to see historical buildings that tell "Our Story”. lt is even more important for the community at large to become more informed of the role London played in the Freedom of Black slaves” - Nikisha Evans, President of the Congress of Black Women of Canada, London Chapter.

As it stands in its current location, the building is at risk of further deterioration. The TIME IS NOW to support the preservation of this key piece of the London area’s Black History, so its important story can be shared. Together with support of local community groups - London Black History Coordinating Committee, the Chapel Committee, Congress of Black Women of Canada, and Black Lives Matter London - Fanshawe Pioneer Village is working collaboratively to make this happen – but funding is key.

Your contributions to this fund will directly support the relocation, restoration and preservation of the building known as the Fugitive Slave Chapel, and the development of its interpretive programming at Fanshawe Pioneer Village. The fundraising goal of the Chapel Project is $300,000.

Make a secure online donation using the form on the right, or donate by cheque via Canada Post. Our mailing address is:

London Community Foundation Covent Garden Market 130 King Street London, ON N6A 1C5

For more information on other ways to support the Chapel Project, please contact Diane Silva, LCF’s Director of Philanthropy, at dsilva@lcf.on.ca or 519.667.1600 ext.

Thank you for supporting the Chapel Project!