Lancaster, Ohio has honored its first Black business owner, Scipio Smith, with a new statue now standing on Main Street, near the site of his original tinsmith shop from the 1800s.
Smith, a former slave from Virginia, became a tinsmith and community leader in Ohio after gaining his freedom. The statue depicts him holding an open shackle, marked with the date of his emancipation. Historian Michael Johnson of the Fairfield County Heritage Association helped uncover Smith’s story after finding a reference in a history book and began a fundraiser two years ago that led to the statue’s creation.
Smith’s legacy includes founding Allen Chapel AME Church just four years after being freed. The church’s current pastor, Evan Saunders, noted how Smith’s impact continues today through the community he helped build.
Johnson said Smith’s swift actions following emancipation including starting a church and a business helped open doors for other Black entrepreneurs in the area.
