JOHN BROWN

Inscription

JOHN BROWN
THE ABOLITIONIST IS SAID TO
HAVE BEEN GIVEN REFUGE AT
ST. LUKE'S RECTORY IN 1859 BY
REV. ROBERT W. OLIVER WHILE
TRAVELING THROUGH THE STATE.
THE PENNSYLVANIA CENTER FOR FOLKLORE
WILLIAM G. POMEROY FOUNDATION 2025

St. Luke’s Episcopal Rectory was constructed in 1858. One of St. Luke’s first rectors was the Rev. Robert W. Oliver, who, according to 1860s newspaper accounts, was a fierce abolitionist. When the Civil War erupted in 1861, Oliver departed his Altoona congregation to serve as a chaplain in the 31st Pennsylvania Infantry. He returned to Altoona in 1863, often expressing his views on the carnage of war and the sin of slavery.

In 1863, when Bishop Hopkins of Vermont preached a sermon in defense of slavery, Oliver added his name to a petition of Episcopal clergymen who condemned that sermon. Along with his signature, Rev. Oliver added, “Believing that nothing short of such a protest can do anything efficiently to resist the foul and blasphemous untruths contained in Bishop Hopkins’ defense of slavery, I do, from my inmost soul, thank you for giving me an opportunity of signing.”

During the summer of 1859, John Brown was traveling through Pennsylvania as he raised money and armaments to be used in his war against slavery. According to one source, Brown departed Pittsburgh and arrived in Bedford Spring, Pennsylvania. The only way to travel between the two cities was to pass through Altoona by train. (John Brown: 1800-1859, a biography fifty years after. Oswald Garrison Villard, 1910)

The story of Rev. Oliver giving refuge to John Brown has been passed down in the local community for over a century and this narrative plays a role in Altoona’s conversations about racial justice, particularly during Juneteenth. The story has become a key part of local folklore, influencing how the community views its history and its connection to the abolitionist cause.

JOHN BROWN

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