The Underground Railroad in Ridgefield: A Hidden Piece of Black History, Revealed
A lesser-known chapter of Ridgefield’s Black history comes into focus during this Black History Month conversation featuring Ridgefield Town Historian Jack Sanders and acclaimed broadcaster and Ridgefield Poet Laureate Ira Joe Fisher. Centered on Sanders’ book Uncle Ned’s Mountain: Three Centuries of African Americans — Free and Enslaved — in a Small New England Town, the program explores the lives of Black residents in Ridgefield from the town’s earliest days to the present. The discussion highlights Sanders’ research into a previously undocumented Underground Railroad station maintained by Ned and Betsy Armstrong, free Black residents who risked severe penalties under the Fugitive Slave Acts to shelter individuals fleeing enslavement.
The hour-long program will take place on Saturday, February 21, 2026, at 2 pm at The Meetinghouse, located at Ridgebury Congregational Church, 605 Ridgebury Road, Ridgefield, CT. A snow date is scheduled for February 28. The event is presented by the Ridgefield Historical Society and The Meetinghouse in Ridgebury as part of both organizations’ commemoration of the 250th anniversary of America in 2026. A reception will follow at Shields Hall across Ridgebury Road, with parking available on that side of the street and limited accessible parking on Canterbury Lane. Tickets are limited and nonrefundable, with admission priced at $20 per person or $15 for members of the Ridgefield Historical Society and The Meetinghouse. Tickets and additional details are available through ridgefieldhistoricalsociety.org, or by contacting 203-438-5821 or info@ridgefieldhistoricalsociety.org.
