The Preservation Society of Fall River is proud to announce a capital campaign to create the Dr. Isaac Fiske House Fall River Underground Railroad Museum.

Funds raised will go directly to support the establishment of an Underground Railroad Museum in Fall River, Massachusetts, which would be the first in the Southcoast region open to the general public.

As a nonprofit organization, the Preservation Society is seeking support from the community to create a new educational, historical, and cultural resource in the City of Fall River. The Preservation Society of Fall River seeks to raise $50,000 that will be used to apply for matching grants which require a 1:1 dollar match. This would enable the Preservation Society to complete a variety of projects in the future museum and make the space exhibit ready so it can open its door to visitors.

If you’d like to be a part of history too and help make the Dr. Isaac Fiske House Underground Railroad Museum a reality, donations can be made and dedicated specifically to this project.

Your tax-deductible donation will help us continue the fight to protect Fall River’s history by supporting Preservation Society activities and programs throughout the city.

Donations by Check can be made out to:
The Preservation Society of Fall River, Inc.

and mailed to:
263 Pine Street Apt. B1, Fall River, MA 02720

The Preservation Society’s goal is to create a series of impactful exhibits and historical information to serve as a resource for residents and the wider region. As of 2023, there are no Underground Railroad Museums in New England open to the public at-large.

The Preservation Society purchased the Dr. Isaac Fiske House, situated in the Lower Highlands National Historic District at 263 Pine Street, in 2018. The Fiske House is one of only six known Underground Railroad sites in Fall River, Massachusetts.

In the mid-nineteenth century, Dr. Isaac Fiske, the city’s first homeopathic surgeon, operated his doctor’s office from the basement of his house on Pine Street, but he also used his home as a stop for escaped enslaved people making their way north. The Dr. Isaac Fiske House was designated by the National Park Service as a Network To Freedom site in 2023 after years of research and work by volunteers.

The Preservation Society received a Cultural Organization Recovery grant in the amount of $10,490 from the Mass Cultural Council in 2022, which has been earmarked for the HVAC project now underway.

Among the work planned is the installation of a heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC) unit to make the space climate controlled followed by reconfiguration of the space, which was converted into an apartment more than 100 years ago. Also planned is making the entrance and restroom accessible and creating the spaces to house future exhibits.