Fugitive Slave Chapel moves to new location

CTV London: Slave chapel moves to new location London’s historic Fugitive Slave Chapel made more history Wednesday, as it was re-located to its new home. Bryan Bicknell explains.

An historic chapel in London is now in a new location.

The Fugitive Slave Chapel was moved from 275 Thames Street to 432 Grey Street on Wednesday morning.

The chapel reached its new destination beside Beth Emanuel Church around 11 a.m.

It was an emotional day for Pastor Delta McNeish who says "Coming down Grey Street [it's] like bringing the mother home to see the daughter. And it's really - it really takes you back in your seat to realize the amount of people that came on board to let this happen."

Built in 1848, the modest building had been sitting in shambles on Thames Street near downtown London for many years.

The building was a fugitive slave chapel and a safe haven for many back in the mid 1800's.

More recently, it served as a storage space for a local business, but when the property owner applied to tear it down, activists got involved.

Historian Joe O'Neill says "Everybody thinks history is something grand. The Taj Mahal. the Eiffel Tower. There's so much important history that affected not just Canada but the United States that came out of the simplest of buildings, and to me that's what's important."

Organizers are still raising funds to pay for the re-location cost, estimated at $165,000, plus there will be additional restoration costs.

Weather permitting, the the chapel will be set down on its new foundation on Friday.