The Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center in Cambridge, Maryland, is calling on the community for support after a devastating break-in.
Only a month after celebrating its grand reopening following extensive flood repairs, the museum has been forced to close its doors once again. Over the weekend, the site dedicated to the legendary civil rights icon was targeted in a robbery that saw its entire donation box wiped out and its rear entrance destroyed.
“The weekend of July 11, we were the unfortunate victims of vandalism. Our back door was broken, and our donation box was stolen,” the museum stated on its website. “We will be closed until further notice as we assess the damage and work to repair it.”
Investigators suspect the perpetrators possessed intimate knowledge of the museum’s floor plan, specifically targeting the location of the donation box, which reportedly held roughly $3,000, according to the Baltimore Sun.
“They knew exactly where the money was,” said Cambridge Police Capt. Antoine Patton, per WBOC. “We believe this was an opportunist who had been inside the museum before. It appeared that they broke into the rear door, walked right in, walked directly to the money, took the money container, and walked out. Nothing else inside the museum was disturbed or bothered.”
The investigation has been complicated by the fact that the museum’s security cameras were inactive due to the ongoing transition period following their recent renovations. Consequently, authorities are now canvassing the surrounding area, hoping that neighboring surveillance footage might capture a lead.
For the museum, which operates entirely on donations to maintain its free-admission policy, this theft represents a significant blow. For years, the Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center has served as a vital cultural touchstone, preserving the legacy of Harriet Tubman and other influential figures from Maryland’s Eastern Shore through its programming, exhibits, and community engagement.