Southern Ohio Helps Commemorate Path to Freedom

In August 2004, 85 members of Local 18 Ohio saw their labor come to fruition at the opening of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Thanks to their efforts, the Freedom Center stands as a three-pavilion, five-story, 158,000 square-foot structure that rests on the north bank of the Ohio River.

Member Steven Snow.	The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center during construction.

The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center during construction.	From top left, Local 18 OH members Nate Alexander, Quinton Gordon, and Kathy Rivers.

A number of signatory contractors were involved in this project. Construction began in spring 2003 when Local 18 OH members working for Expert Masonry, Inc. laid the structural block. Members employed by Blakely Corporation waterproofed the block and set the Italian travertine stone on the interior and exterior, and members working for TH Winston Company built the Center’s impressive granite staircase and also installed 15,000 square feet of tile on the interior.

Member Rich Opecia.	Member Kathy Rivers.

Tile, brick, and stone on the exterior of the building were installed by members employed by Carnevale Tile & Marble, who also played a significant role in the creation of the Center’s “underground tunnel,” where descriptive murals and other relics tell the plight of the runaway slaves. In addition, these members constructed the tunnel, while members working for Pioneer Cladding installed the copper panel façade on the north and south sides of the structure. Caulkers, employed by Pioneer and Ison Inc. remained on the job well into the fall of 2004, three months after the Center opened. All in all, Local 18 members worked roughly 100,000 hours on the Center’s construction.

Members working for TH Winston Company built the Center’s granite staircase.	The five-story building’s curved rough exterior exemplifies the challenging path to freedom.

Southern Ohio Administrative District Council Director Mike Bednarczuk said of the project, “The extensive utilization of masonry, the oldest and most durable of building materials, installed by members of the oldest continuous labor union in the country, was most appropriate in immortalizing such an important historic period. We are proud to have been a part of the building of the National Freedom Center.”

Members set Italian travertine stone on the Center’s interior and exterior.

Member Jason Goodin.

Members installed the structure’s copper panel façade.

A total of 15,000 square feet of tile was used on the structure’s interior.

Each pavilion is a pillar for the fundamental principles of the Underground Railroad movement – courage, cooperation, and perseverance. They also symbolize the three constitutional amendments that brought an end to inequality – the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery, the 14th Amendment enforcing equal protection regardless of race, and the 15th Amendment giving African Americans the right to vote. The architects, Blackburn Architects of Indianapolis and BOORA of Portland, Oregon, designed the project to express the steadfastness of the cause, the challenging path to freedom, and the winding turns of the Ohio River through the structure’s curved rough exterior stone. The Center has been called the “crown jewel” of the Cincinnati riverfront’s $2 billion redevelopment project.

The first proposal to construct the Freedom Center, by the National Conference of Community and Justice, dates back to 1994. Six years later, Congress passed the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center Act, but at a funding level of $35 million – only one-third of the $110 million needed to complete the project. During the next few years, a total of $65 million was raised through private donations. Taking into account planning, fundraising, and construction, the Freedom Center’s project timeline spanned nearly a decade.

After a 150-year wait, Americans involved in the Underground Railroad have finally been acknowledged for their courage, cooperation, and perseverance. Today, the Center, a Smithsonian museum affiliate, stands as a stirring and influential story in American history – a story that will inform and inspire future generations, thanks to the contributions and craftsmanship of members of Local 18 Ohio.