Thank you for giving me the opportunity to comment on Judith Wellman’s paper, “The Underground Railroad and the National Register of Historic Places: Historical Importance vs. Architectural Integrity?”1 Judy Wellman and I have discussed the issues raised in her paper on a number of occasions. We are in complete agreement on the importance of identifying, protecting, and commemorating places associated with the Underground Railroad, a part of our shared history in which we can all take pride. I strongly endorse the methodology that Professor Wellman has developed to document the significance of resources associated with the Underground Railroad. Her methods seem to me an excellent way both to acknowledge the central importance of oral traditions in identifying the places associated with this semi-clandestine activity and to locate the documentary evidence needed to confirm those traditions. I would recommend that any group embarking on such a documentation project follow the detailed guidance she developed for the Oswego County survey. As Keeper of the National Register, however, I disagree with the dichotomy suggested in the subtitle of Professor Wellman’s article: “Historical Importance vs. Architectural Integrity?” Eligibility for listing in the