Harriet Tubman Square

Harriet Tubman Square, formerly known as Columbus Square, is a small triangular park located in the South End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. The park sits at the intersection of Columbus Avenue and West Newton Street, serving as a gateway to the South End.

The square honors the life and legacy of Harriet Tubman, the famed abolitionist and conductor of the Underground Railroad. It features two notable sculptures: the Harriet Tubman Memorial created by sculptor Fern Cunningham, and "Emancipation" by Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller. The Tubman memorial, unveiled in 1999, depicts Tubman leading a small group of people to freedom. Fuller's "Emancipation" sculpture was created in 1913 on the 50th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation.

The park's design incorporates decorative brick paving inlaid with bronze pavers depicting aspects of the Underground Railroad story. Surrounded by historic brownstone buildings characteristic of the South End, Harriet Tubman Square provides a space for reflection on Tubman's contributions to the fight against slavery and for civil rights.

While Tubman herself did not live in Boston, she had connections to the city through her network of abolitionist friends and made several visits in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The park serves as a reminder of Boston's role in the abolitionist movement and the ongoing struggle for equality.