Rochester honors Frederick Douglas with historic marker at his home

Frederick Douglass owned and lived in the Rochester home at 271 Hamilton Street that’s still standing. To honor Douglass, the City of Rochester erected a marker at his home that reads, “Douglas House – Frederick Douglas, noted abolitionist and orator, lived here with Sprague Family, 1873-1874. Owned building for 32 years.”

To commemorate the new marker, Mayor Lovely Warren said, “This house is a symbol of freedom and I am proud to know it is still standing in Rochester.” The Mayor went on to thank everyone who has been involved in making the story of the house come alive, including the City Historian, Christine Ridarsky, and her staff; the William G. Pomeroy Foundation, which awarded a grant to fund the marker; and the current homeowner, Ms. Sherri Dukes.

When Ms. Dukes and her husband bought the house more than 45 years ago, they did not know the home’s history and the identity of its former homeowner. But after finding an 1875 receipt in the fireplace, the home eventually was confirmed to be the one formerly owned by Douglass.

The Sprague Family, noted on the marker, was Rosetta Douglass-Sprague (the daughter of Frederick Douglass) her husband, Nathan Sprague, and their family. Even though Douglass lived at the home for only a year, he retained ownership of it for 32 years, which allowed him to continue voting in federal elections even after he moved from Rochester to Washington, D.C., in 1872.