Black History Month – Lantern of Liberty – Harriet Tubman Wall Mural

The Tubman mural was created by the

Philadelphia Mural Project in six weeks at

a cost of $45-thousand dollars in order to

be finished in time for the Republican

National Convention in Philadelphia in

July of 2000. The inscription on the

mural contains the names of

Philadelphians who played important

roles in the underground railroad.

The building it was painted on was torn down in June of 2002 to make way for an expansion of the parking lot. A spokesman for the city of Philadelphia said the decision was made due to the economic benefits of the additional parking.

No wall mural is a permanent piece of

art. The average life of a wall mural is 20

to 25 years. Harriet Tubman’s Lantern of

Liberty lasted 23 months.