The National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, established by Congress in 1998 and administered by the National Park Service, recognizes places, programs, and people with verifiable connections to the Underground Railroad. The program honors the history of resistance to enslavement and affirms the enduring human right to self-determination and freedom from oppression.

​

The Gardner House is a verified Network to Freedom site based on documented family testimony and historical accounts. Ozem Gardner (1797–1880) and his wife Jane Gardner (1804–1869) began assisting freedom seekers as early as 1835. Their son Joseph later recalled helping a freedom seeker named John Ward from Tennessee during the winter of 1842. Another son, Wilson Gardner, recounted that Jane Gardner was identified by contemporaries as a station keeper.

​

Completed around 1840, the Gardner family’s brick Federal-style house served as a place of refuge for freedom seekers for at least 30 years. Ozem Gardner provided transportation, and the entire family participated in this sustained effort to aid escape from enslavement.

​

The Gardner House is currently undergoing renovation, with plans in progress to welcome visitors to the site. These preservation and access efforts ensure that the Gardner family’s legacy—and the broader story of the Underground Railroad in central Ohio—can continue to educate and inspire future generations.