Leesa Jones, executive director of the Washington Waterfront Underground Railroad Museum, updated Washington (noon) Rotary members on the progress of her organization.

The museum operates as an affiliate of Washington Harbor District Alliance.

In its early phase, noon Rotary provided assistance preparing the railroad caboose in which it currently operates.

“In 2015, the Washington Waterfront Underground Railroad Museum became a National Park Service Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Site. The designation is recognized both nationally and worldwide, as many people come to the U.S. to visit and learn about underground railroad locations. Many come to the museum to trace their ancestry here to Beaufort County if they have ancestors who came here as black apprentices or craftsmen from other countries.

The Washington Waterfront Underground Railroad Museum was one of the 100 National Park Service Network to Freedom Sites selected to participate in the 2016 Centennial NPS Passport Program. This nationally recognized honor was in part to celebration the National Parks Service 100-year anniversary.

We had had thousands of visitors, from 46 states and nine countries and school groups from as far away as Bertie County and Raleigh,” Jones said.

Leesa Jones can be reached at leesawisdom@aol.com or 252-833-0995.

For more information, visit washingtonncblackhistory.com/ or

www.facebook.com/washingtonundergroundrailroad/.