Sourland Conservancy transfers historic property to Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum

In a first-of-its-kind collaboration in Somerset County, N.J., that bridges history, agriculture and the environment, the Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum (SSAAM) and the Sourland Conservancy have partnered to shed light on the rich history of African Americans in the Sourland region.

By transferring its co-ownership of the historic True Farmstead entirely to SSAAM, Sourland Conservancy restores an important cultural and ecological landmark to the African American community.

In 2022, SSAAM and The Sourland Conservancy partnered to purchase the True Farmstead property with support from the Somerset County Cultural Heritage Commission and the Green Acres Program of the NJ Department of Environmental Protection. On May 17, 2024, the two groups executed an agreement fully transferring the deed to SSAAM.

“What these two organizations have achieved with this measure is remarkable,” said SSAAM Board President Catherine Fulmer-Hogan. “The team at SSAAM has so much gratitude for our friends and collaborators at The Sourland Conservancy for understanding the True Farmstead’s significance to the history of African Americans of the region, and then making the critical and equitable choice to transfer their ownership to SSAAM. What a powerful and beautiful legacy for us all.”

Sourland Conservancy Board President Paul Gehris agreed, adding, “With the return of the property to full African American ownership, we are now truly in a full-circle moment. The Sourland Conservancy is proud to support SSAAM and to have been a part of making this happen.”

The True Farmstead was originally owned by a Black Union Army veteran who worked as a farmer after the Civil War. In 1891, after his death, his wife Corinda married Spencer True, a descendant of the formerly enslaved Friday Truehart. Truehart gained his freedom in 1802 and became an early African American landowner in the Sourland Region.

Spencer and Corinda True made their home on the farmstead, which originally included the land on which the National Historic Register-listed Mt. Zion AME Church stands today. SSAAM has been engaged in preservation of the church building since the organization’s inception in 2016.

Patricia Payne, a Truehart descendant and Board Trustee of SSAAM, shared, “The True Farmstead is my legacy. It represents the strength and perseverance of Black families to survive and thrive in the Sourlands. That SSAAM and the Sourland Conservancy were able to purchase and preserve the property honors my family. To transfer ownership of the property to SSAAM represents a sincere desire on the part of the Sourland Conservancy to preserve our Black history as well as the precious natural resources of the Sourland region.”

For information about SSAAM, visit www.SSAAMuseum.org. For information about the Sourland Conservancy, visit www.sourland.org.

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