New York City Mayor Eric Adams and the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission have announced the designation of the Frederick Douglass Memorial Park in Oakwood Heights, Staten Island, as an individual landmark. Opened in 1935, the park is the only existing non-sectarian cemetery founded by and for New York City’s Black community.
The 14.88-acre burial site memorializes Black heritage and honors the generations of Black Americans who are buried there, including prominent figures like jazz and blues singer Mamie Smith, jazz trumpeter Tommy Ladnier, and professional baseball player and author Sol White. The memorial park also features New York City’s first monument to Frederick Douglass, designed by Angus McDougall and dedicated in 1961.
The designation reflects the Landmarks Preservation Commission’s ongoing commitment to equity and inclusion as part of their Equity Framework, which aims to preserve places that tell the story of all New Yorkers and make the significant history embodied in landmarks more accessible.
“The designation of Frederick Douglass Memorial Park as an individual landmark is a long-overdue recognition of Staten Island’s rich Black heritage,” said New York state assemblymember Charles D. Fall. “This cemetery, which served as a dignified resting place for Black New Yorkers during times of segregation and discrimination, will be preserved for future generations. I want to thank Mayor Adams and the Landmarks Preservation Commission for highlighting the importance of preserving and celebrating the legacy of Black Americans on Staten Island and beyond.”
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