John G. Chaplin November 30th 1828 – January 5th, 1907 

John ChaplinHi, my name is John G. Chaplin. I was born November 30th, 1828 and died January 5th, 1907.

I was a free black man who descended on both sides of my family from slaves brought to Huntingdon county from Maryland, after the Revolutionary War by Joseph Norris of Penn Township. I was born in Huntingdon and became a barber.
I became on of this area’s most famous artists and my paintings are found throughout the United States.
It was reported that I studied art in Germany.
My barber shop was located in the building that now stands on the South East corner of Fifth and Washington Streets in Huntingdon. Both Juniata College and the Huntingdon County Historical Society have several of my paintings.

Frederick Schneider