Hidden tunnel found under Virginia church. Was it part of the Underground Railroad?
A mysterious tunnel was unearthed in Virginia, sparking intrigue about whether the once-hidden passageway was part of the Underground Railroad.
Basilica of St. Mary’s of the Immaculate Conception was being renovated this fall when a jackhammer went straight through the floor, WAVY and other media outlets reported this month.
Crews took a closer look and discovered a tunnel beneath the Catholic church in downtown Norfolk, WVEC reports.
Its existence ignites questions about the Underground Railroad, a network of people and places that helped slaves escape from the South in the 1700s and 1800s. Hiding spots included schools, houses and churches.
St. Mary’s was built in 1858, just after another church stood at the site, according to the basilica.
The former St. Patrick’s church burned “to the ground under mysterious circumstances” weeks after its priest was told to halt interracial services, WAVY reports.
African-Americans started worshiping at St. Mary’s in 1886, and the congregation is now predominately black, according to the church.
The tunnel predates the St. Mary’s building, and it probably was created to drain water, archaeologist David Brown told media outlets.
But “Brown says he does not know what the tunnel could’ve been used for later,” according to WAVY.
The passageway, roughly 3 feet by 4 feet, is large enough that someone would be able to fit inside, according to WVEC.
Some people in Norfolk’s past were involved in the Underground Railroad, historian Cassandra Newby-Alexander told the station.
The Underground Railroad may have formed as early as the late 18th century, and it often used infrastructure that was already in place, according to history.com and The Virginian-Pilot.
Digging deeper into the mystery at St. Mary’s could be difficult, especially if information about the church’s tunnels wasn’t recorded, Brown told the newspaper.
Though an engineer recommended the church fill in the tunnel, the Rev. Jim Curran wants to keep it there — maybe even underneath a glass floor, the newspaper reports.
Hidden crypts
Adding to the intrigue, three crypts were found at the church earlier this year, multiple news outlets report.
They were found in the building’s foundation and could be part of an African-American burial site, according to WVEC.
So whose remains are there?
Experts as of Sunday hadn’t started excavating to figure out who — if anyone — is buried at the church, The Virginian-Pilot reports.
This story was originally published December 16, 2019 at 12:49 PM with the headline "Hidden tunnel found under Virginia church. Was it part of the Underground Railroad?."
