Established February 14, 2018
The long journey of Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey from enslavement to internationally famous abolitionist, author, and statesman Frederick Douglass began in Talbot County, on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Much of the landscape of Douglass’s youth, which he so vividly describes in his writing, remains intact today.
To honor the life and legacy of Frederick Douglass, the Talbot County Council named an undeveloped park at 13213 Lewistown Road near the town of Queen Anne in his honor. An emotional groundbreaking ceremony was held on February 14, 2018, the 200th anniversary of Douglass’s birth, and was attended by nearly 300 people.
The Park
The 66.96-acre property was purchased in 2006 with $1.8 million from Maryland Department of Natural Resources Program Open Space. The family of George C. and Naomi H. Moore donated another 40.2 acres of wetlands adjacent to this parcel in 2011, bringing the total to 107.16 acres.
Key to this park is its location near Douglass’s actual birthplace. In his first autobiography, The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, the author himself writes, “I was born in Tuckahoe, near Hillsborough, and about twelve miles from Easton, in Talbot County, Maryland.”
The new park – named Frederick Douglass Park on the Tuckahoe — is located just upstream from the farm where Douglass was born in 1818. The wetlands were named the George C. and Naomi H. Moore Nature Preserve to honor the donation made by the Moore family, lifelong Eastern Shore residents.
Goals for The Park
The 66.96-acre property was purchased in 2006 with $1.8 million from Maryland Department of Natural Resources Program Open Space. The family of George C. and Naomi H. Moore donated another 40.2 acres of wetlands adjacent to this parcel in 2011, bringing the total to 107.16 acres.
Key to this park is its location near Douglass’s actual birthplace. In his first autobiography, The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, the author himself writes, “I was born in Tuckahoe, near Hillsborough, and about twelve miles from Easton, in Talbot County, Maryland.”
The new park – named Frederick Douglass Park on the Tuckahoe — is located just upstream from the farm where Douglass was born in 1818. The wetlands were named the George C. and Naomi H. Moore Nature Preserve to honor the donation made by the Moore family, lifelong Eastern Shore residents.
Contact & Location
Presented by Talbot County Department of Economic Development and Tourism
For more information about the Frederick Douglass Park or for special requests, please fill out the form below. Your questions, comments and suggestions are appreciated.