LANCASTER, Ind. (WISH) — Situated a few miles north of the Kentucky state line in Lancaster, Indiana Eleutherian College was founded in 1848 by anti-slavery Baptists.

Jan Vetrhus, president of Eleutherian’s board of directors, says the founders believed formerly enslaved Blacks couldn’t be truly free unless they were educated.

“They opened this school to all, without regard to race or gender and they educated them together,” Vetrhus said.

At its peak, Eleutherian had 150 students, and about 15% of them were escaped slaves, or slaves who bought their freedom.

“They started with kindergarten and went all the way through college. College included philosophy, Latin, sometimes German, sometimes French,” Vetrhus said.

Although Indiana supported the Union effort in the Civil War, the state revised its Constitution in 1851 and banned slaves from moving to the state.

“The 1850 Fugitive Slave Law had just passed, which means it was a federal crime to help enslaved people,” Vetrhus said.

That didn’t deter Eleutherian’s mission. The school expanded to the three-story building that still stands.

“This building, three stories tall, limestone top of the hill, was kind of a third-finger salute to those new laws,” Vetrhus said.

Eleutherian was also a stop on the Underground Railroad.

Board member Roland Newman says some of the slaves who escaped only stayed a couple days before heading farther north, while others made Eleutherian their permanent home.

“They were taken in by some in the community here, and basically afforded lodging and safety for the time they were staying here. Education was another opportunity here and they basically could take advantage of that,” Newman said.

After the Civil War, Eleutherian College closed and eventually became an elementary school before the building was vacated in the 1930s.

Vetrhus said, “The fact that these folks were so committed to this cause that they would sacrifice to make sure that people were able to get an education.”

Eleutherian board members are trying to compile a complete list of students who attended the school. Members are looking for any descendants of students who can help them. The board is also seeking donations to preserve the building.