Frederick Douglass Memorial Park Explained

Frederick Douglass Memorial Park is a historic cemetery for African Americans in the Oakwood neighborhood of Staten Island, New York. It is named for abolitionist, orator, statesman, and author Frederick Douglass (1818–1895), although he is not buried there. It has burial sites for numerous prominent African Americans, including a pioneering journalist, athletes, musicians, performers, political leaders, and business people. The park was designated a New York City designated landmark in June 2024.^[1]

History

The original 53-acre cemetery was founded in 1935 by undertaker Rodney Dade, business consultant Benjamin Diamond, and lawyer Frederick Bunn,^[2] who previously built the adjoining Valhalla Burial Park. The Frederick Douglass Memorial Park was managed by African Americans and intended to provide an attractive option for African Americans excluded from segregated cemeteries and facing high burial costs in the vicinity of New York. The first burials at the cemetery were on Monday June 10, 1935.^[3]

In 1961, a bronze bas relief cenotaph monument to Frederick Douglass designed by Angus McDougall was added near the cemetery's entrance. It was reportedly the first monument in New York City honoring the civil rights leader. ^[4]

In May 2018, the historic red-brick pillars and wrought-iron fencing at the cemetery were removed and replaced with a "glossy placard", a move that brought a suit from the Friends of Frederick Douglass Memorial Park Inc.^{[5] [6]} The cemetery had also been reduced to 17 acres by this time.The suit was thrown out by the Civil Supreme Court Justice.^[7]

The memorial park opened with "perpetual care" for graves included in the burial price, but by 2018 many of the graves were in bad repair with some gravesites lost or unrecognizable. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission considered granting landmark status to Frederick Douglass Memorial Park in early 2024,^{[8] [9]} and the park was designated June 18, 2024.^{[10] [11]}

Administration

Original administration (1935):

• president – Frederick A. Bunn
• board members – Kenneth Duncan, vice-president; Rodney Dade, secretary and treasurer; James Beckett; W. C. Brown; William P. Hayes; William M. Kelley; A. Clayton Powell Sr.; Clarence C. Wright
• general manager of sales – W. A. Tooks.

Board of Directors (2020): Lucille H. Herring, President; Duane C. Felton, Vice President; Virginia Allen, Secretary; Pamela M. Marshall, Treasurer; Michael Taylor, 2nd Vice President; Brandon P. Stradford, 3rd Vice President. Assistant Manager (2020): Virginia Footman.^[12]

Notable people interred

• Mamie Smith,^[13] singer, dancer, pianist, and actress
• Elias "Country" Brown – Negro league baseball player^[14]
• Lillyn Brown, singer and entertainer
• Eleanor Bumpurs,^[15] elderly disabled woman shot to death by police in a confrontation during her eviction
• Nannie C. Burden (1891–1947) – singer and political candidate
• Floyd J. Calvin (1902–1939) – journalist and news service founder
• Tommy Ladnier, trumpeter
• Joseph E. Lymas (1883–1947) – violinist
• Wentworth Arthur Matthew (1892–1973)^[16]
• Jimmy Mordecai, tap dancer
• Tom Doyed Overton (1889–1944)
• C. Luckeyth Roberts, pianist and composer
• Sol White, professional baseball player, manager, and executive
• Rev. S. J. Worell
• Julia Pearl Hughes, businesswoman and women's club leader
• Rosa Henderson, singer and entertainer

See also

• List of New York City Designated Landmarks in Staten Island

Further reading

• "Frederick Douglass Memorial Park Fills Long-Felt Need" The New York Age, July 30, 1949
• "Monument Honors Ex-Slave Crusader" New York Times, May 29, 1961
• "Monument Dedicated In N.Y." New Journal and Guide (Norfolk, VA), June 10, 1961
• "A Place of Dignity Falls on Hard Times" New York Times, Oct 17 2008
• "Hard-pressed Staten Island cemetery counting on descendants" Staten Island Advance, May 14, 2009
• "A cemetery holding Black bodies is in disrepair" New York Amsterdam News, May 11, 2017
• "In Oakwood, a troubled final resting place searches for help" Staten Island Advance, Jun 20 2017

External links

• Frederick Douglass Memorial Park Inc.

40.5636°N -74.135°W

Notes and References

1. Web site: Mayor Adams, Landmarks Preservation Commission Designate Staten Island's Frederick Douglass Memorial Park As Individual Landmark . June 18, 2024 . nyc.gov . . 2024-06-23 .
2. Web site: Frederick Douglass Memorial Park grounds manager sued for dismantling 83-year-old iconic gate and sign . Marcius . Chelsia Rose . May 26, 2018 . New York Daily News.
3. News: Frederick Douglass Memorial Park, a 53-Acre Cemetery in Staten Island to be controlled by Negroes . 22 November 2020 . Newspapers.com . . 22 June 1935 . 12.
4. Web site: French. M.. 2018-08-18. Frederick Douglass Memorial Park. New York City Cemetery Project. Mary French.
5. News: Face-off at burial site . Chelsia Rose . Marcius . 22 November 2020 . Newspapers.com . Daily News . 27 May 2018 . 22–23.
6. News: Face-off at burial site . Chelsia Rose . Marcius. 22 November 2020 . Newspapers.com . Daily News . 27 May 2018 . 22–23.
7. News: Judge tosses suit against caretaker of black cemetery . 22 November 2020 . Newspapers.com . Daily News . Marcius . Chelsia Rose . 1 July 2018 . 15.
8. Web site: Landmarks Votes to Calendar Frederick Douglass Memorial Park in Staten Island . CityLand . March 27, 2024 . June 27, 2024.
9. Web site: Liotta . Paul . ‘The bodies have expired, the dreams haven’t;’ This Staten Island cemetery could earn NYC landmark status . silive . April 16, 2024 . June 27, 2024.
10. Web site: Landmarks Designates Frederick Douglass Memorial Park in Staten Island . CityLand . June 19, 2024 . June 27, 2024.
11. Web site: Liotta . Paul . Mayor declares Staten Island has new landmark: ‘It opened its doors when others turned Black New Yorkers away’ . silive . June 19, 2024 . June 27, 2024.
12. Web site: About Us . Frederick Douglass Memorial Park, Inc. . December 3, 2020.
13. Book: Going to Cincinnati: A History of the Blues in the Queen City. Steven Carl. Tracy. 1993. University of Illinois Press. 978-0252019999. Google Books.
14. Web site: Elias Brown Negro Leagues Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference.com.
15. News: Peace, at last. Slain Bronx mom praised for coping with life of poverty . 22 November 2020 . Newspapers.com . Daily News . Rosario . Ruben . 4 November 1984 . 227.
16. Book: American National Biography. John Arthur. Garraty. Mark C.. Carnes. 1999. Oxford University. 978-0195127935. Google Books.