Cambridge, Maryland

Bucktown Village Store

This 1830s store is believed to be the site of Harriet Tubman's first stand.

The Bucktown Village store is a 19th-century general store that has been preserved in its 1830s condition. But the fact that it still stands isn’t what makes this building so interesting.

The store was where Harriet Tubman first defied her oppressors. According to the National Park Service, while in the store as a teenager, Tubman sided with a slave instead of helping the overseer recapture the man. Infuriated, the white man threw a two-pound weight at the enslaved man’s head. He missed, hurling the object at Tubman instead.

The attack nearly killed her. It fractured her skull and caused her to suffer from epilepsy throughout her life. She was sent back to work shortly after the attack, which many now refer to as her first stand against her oppressors.

Now, the old country store is a museum. It’s full of artifacts and information that tell Tubman’s story and detail the history of slavery. It’s part of a recently designated Harriet Tubman Byway project in Maryland.

Even if you don’t make an appointment to tour the inside, there are displays with information on the artifacts and history of the place. The inside of the one room store is clearly visible through the windows.