Tubman, Harriet, Grave
Why it's listed
Harriet Tubman's grave lies in Fort Hill Cemetery in Auburn, New York, in a section laid out in the Olmsted tradition with curving roads and paths across hilly ground. It rests among several others beneath a large Norway spruce. The granite stone, roughly three feet tall, has a gently curved top with concave notches at the corners. The front carries the name Harriet Tubman Davis. The back commemorates her work on the Underground Railroad and her service as scout and nurse in the Civil War, and includes the words "Servant of God, Well Done." Tubman died on March 10, 1913, and was buried with military honors after a funeral attended by hundreds. At that time only the spruce marked the spot. The present stone was placed in 1937 by the Empire State Federation of Women's Clubs. The grave was listed for its link to Tubman, celebrated as a hero of the Underground Railroad and the Civil War and admired for her later charitable work, and it remains a pilgrimage destination.
Significance in brief: The grave is nominated under Criterion B for its association with Harriet Tubman, a person of outstanding importance in American history, and under Criteria Consideration C as a grave. It is also a commemorative site and a regular stop on the annual pilgrimage held by the A.M.E. Zion Church. The nomination states that it retains integrity of setting, location, feeling and association.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 99000348, listed April 2, 1999. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Fort Hill Cemetery, Auburn |
|---|---|
| County | Cayuga County |
| Listed | April 2, 1999 |
| Reference number | 99000348 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | 1913 |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Black, Social History |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still a pilgrimage site and the focus of an annual pilgrimage conducted by the A.M.E. Zion Church; the setting and the Norway spruce remain. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.92468, -76.57427 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Sites (archaeological sites, battlefields, landscapes) are often listed with a restricted address to protect them from looting or disturbance. Listing is honorary for private owners; federal undertakings on or near the site go through Section 106 review, and state laws may protect burials and artefacts regardless of listing.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 99000348.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5664351
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.