ELMIRA, N.Y. (WENY) -- In the mid to late 1800s, one man's courage and dedication to freedom changed lives and shaped history. John W. Jones was an escaped slave from Virginia who escaped, found refuge, and became a key figure in the Underground Railroad right here in Elmira.

Jones made his way to Elmira in 1844. During his years in the region, he owned a private residence that now sits on Davis Street and is known as the John W. Jones Museum.

Rather than just seeking safety for himself, Jones helped others to freedom along the Underground Railroad.

"People need to know that John W. Jones chose to live here and this is where he did his important work of advocacy," said Talima Aaron, the president of the board of trustees at the John W. Jones Museum. "He was the Underground Railroad Station Master, helping over 800 people reach freedom, with the help of some local sympathizers, but he was the primary contact and he did this for nine years."

The museum sits near the entrance to Woodlawn Cemetery. Within the cemetery is also Woodlawn National Cemetery, which was created because of Jones' work as a sexton. He buried 2,973 deceased Confederate soldiers from the Elmira Prison Camp and kept records of each one. Because of these documents, the federal government declared the burial site a national cemetery in 1877.

Jones also served as sexton of the Former First Baptist Church, a stop on the Underground Railroad in Elmira. During that time, Elmira served as the only regular agency and published station on the railroad between Philadelphia and St. Catharines, Canada.

"Black history is 365, not just February..." said Aaron. "So it's local history, it's national history and it actually affects global history. But this is a place that the community can come. They should be familiar with this story. It's one that Elmira has solely. We can't say that some other place can claim it because he did the work here."

To keep sharing Jones' legacy, Aaron says the museum is continuing to expand.

"The Crossing" statue was unveiled outside the museum last June and depicts Jones in his role as a station master and conductor for the Underground Railroad. Now, a walkway is being built from this statue to the sidewalk.

Additionally, Aaron shared that a room will soon be added to the museum to accommodate classrooms and tour bus groups sometime in the near future.

Last month, the museum continued its yearly collaboration with the Steele Memorial Library to host a film series for Black History Month. Aaron says that they focus on education through entertainment in the partnership and the museum is thankful for the library's knowledgeable and supportive staff. Also, the titles from this year's series can now be found in the library and are available to all cardholders.

"The other important thing is we need you to come out and see us and we thank everyone for their support," said Aaron. "This is totally funded locally. We've had a few state grants, one federal grant, two federal grants but day-to-day is the people, local people that make this happen. So our success is their success and again, we appreciate it and we don't want you to stop giving because we still have so much work to do."

To raise money for future programming and expansions, the John W. Jones Museum is hosting a capital campaign. People can purchase a personalized granite brick for $150 each that will be placed in the walkway to the statue.

The museum is currently closed for the season but is typically open from May to October from 12:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. Tuesday through Saturday. However, Aaron says the museum is aiming to open earlier this year.

Information on how to purchase a brick is on the museum's homepage now and the updated hours can also be found on the website when they are made available.