In 1981, Father Richard Keil, pastor of the Saint Peter Claver Catholic Church, made a down payment on a vacant, 8,500-square-foot warehouse and former nightclub in downtown Macon. This purchase marked the realization of Keil’s dream of almost twenty-two years to create a museum in the South dedicated to African American history and culture. Members of the Saint Peter Claver Church congregation, local high school students, community volunteers, and other supporters donated their time, energy, and money to repair and clean the building, and in 1985, the Harriet Tubman Historical and Cultural Museum opened its doors to the public. The Harriet Tubman Museum was named in honor of the courageous African American woman, known as “the Moses of her people,” who escaped bondage and then led hundreds of other slaves to freedom. The Museum grew over the years to become one of the largest institutions of its type in the region. In the process, the Museum also changed its name to the Tubman African American Museum to better reflect the organization's expanded mission to educate people about African American art, history, and culture and to promote harmony among all races.