In 1899, a local hotel waiter campaigned to raise the Frederick Douglass Statue, then the first statue of an African-American in the United States, acknowledging him as Rochester’s “most illustrious citizen.” Douglass lived in the city for much of his life. Here he published his influential anti-slavery newspaper, the North Star. Feel the pride in Douglass and his work reverberate throughout Rochester, but nowhere more than at this bronze monument, standing prominently in Rochester’s Highland Park.
Approach the statue from the south, letting Douglass’ head appear over the top of the Highland Bowl, an open-air performance venue, where events are held during the summer months. Stare up at the 8-foot (2.5-meter) statue, which eternally faces north, in the direction of both his escape and that of other slaves. His farmhouse on nearby South Avenue was a stop on the Underground Railroad. Picture Douglass speaking, the statue capturing him as he was in the midst of a speech in Rochester in 1863, not long after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.
Reflect on Douglass’ words that adorn the pedestal on which he stands. Imagine yourself back in 19th-century Rochester, when he and Susan B. Anthony formed the radical hearts of the city, each deeply affecting the course of American history. Be inspired by his story and his activism
Let the peaceful power of the statue stay with you as you explore Rochester’s many other Douglass sites, from his former home only 300 yards (275 meters) away from where the statue now stands, to his grave site in the equally close Mt. Hope Cemetery.
The Frederick Douglass Statue is in the center of Highland Park, a sprawling complex south of downtown Rochester, next to the main campus of the University of Rochester. Drive here in 10 minutes from Rochester’s main train station or take a bus in 20 minutes. Limited parking is available in the suburban streets surrounding the park and in metered parking structures nearby. Highland Park is open to visitors at any time without an admission fee.
