Historical Harriet Tubman Building Vandalized: Police

COLUMBIA, MD — The Howard County Police Department seeks the public's help in finding the person or people responsible for vandalizing the Harriet Tubman Building in Columbia this week. The building used to be a school for African American students in Howard County and was operational between 1949 and 1965.

But according to the police department, vandals went into the building, which is being restored and renovated into a cultural center and African American museum, and damaged historic artwork, windows and doors. Contractors told Fox45 that the "culprits likely entered the building through a crawl space."

“I was a student in this building -- I graduated in 1962," Bessie Bordenave, president of the Harriet Tubman Foundation, told Fox45 News. "So it's almost like whoever came in here broke into my house.”

"The Harriet Tubman School is important to the history of Howard County and news of recent vandalism as we work to renovate and create the Harriet Tubman Cultural Center is frustrating and upsetting. This site is where many Black Howard County residents received their education and is foundational to our strong legacy of public education here in Howard County. This incident is troubling to our community and the many who have advocated for this Cultural Center for decades. I have confidence in our Howard County Police Department as it conducts its investigation," Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said in a statement.