Peoria Civic Center
When the revitalization plans for the Peoria Civic Center were being formulated in 2002, the Peoria Civic Center Authority made a commitment to commemorate the historic Pettengill Home Site. The home of Moses and Lucy Pettengill stood at the corner of Liberty and Jefferson where the Peoria Civic Center now stands.
This site is historically significant because the Pettengill's were active in the anti-slavery movement and provided assistance to those seeking freedom on the Underground Railroad.
In December 2005, the Pettengill Home Site was inducted into the National Underground Railroad Network To Freedom Program of the National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior. It is one of eleven Illinois Underground Railroad sites in the program, and it is the only Peoria site in the Network.
To commemorate the Pettengill Home Site, internationally-recognized Peoria sculptor Preston Jackson commissioned the Peoria Civic Center Underground Railroad Monument called "Knockin' on Freedom's Door" to celebrate the place where Moses and Lucy Pettengill aided travelers on their path to freedom. The sculpture is located on the outside of the Peoria Civic Center building at the intersection of Liberty St. and Jefferson Ave.
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