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About The George & Rebecca Barnes Foundation

Location:

930 JAMES STREET, SYRACUSE, NY 13203, US

Mission Statement

The George & Rebecca Barnes Foundation was formed to meet the growing demands of preservation, restoration and maintenance of 930 James street. The Foundations goal is to preserve the home and educate the general public about the significance of the home and its original occupants.

Description

George and Rebecca Barnes built the home in 1853. As ardent abolitionists, George and Rebecca placed themselves in danger to help slaves flee to safety. Along with other prominent citizen’s, such as the Sedgwicks, Wilkinsons, Amoses and Hiscocks; George Barnes paved the way for change that can still be felt today. The mansion has been recognized as a stop on the Underground Railroad and is listed on the National Parks Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.

The Barnes Daughter, Mary Elizabeth, married Frank Hiscock and inherited the house in 1895. The Hiscocks undertook a three year renovation to convert the orginal two story Italianate villa into a three story Georgian Colonial. Many renovations were made, but the original footprint of the house remains. The Hiscocks also chose to keep the dining room as it was when it was redecorated in 1884. Today, we can celebrate the history that took place in this beautiful, architecturally rich building

After Judge Hiscock's death in 1946, the house was donated to the Syracuse Foundation. Then in 1948, Lemoyne College held its first classes in the historic mansion. The Corinthian Club purchased the building in 1949 and used it as their club house. For over sixty years their stewardship preserved the last remaining mansion on James Street. The Barnes Foundation received the house as a gift from the Corinthian Club in 2009 and continues the preservation and restoration of the Barnes Hiscock Mansion.