The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center (Stop #14 on the Tubman Byway) has a significant new piece of art – a bronze bust of Frederick Douglass created by sculptor Brendan O’Neill, Sr. of Talbot County, Maryland. Talbot County is where Douglass was born in 1818. The sculptor also created the bust of Tubman that greets visitors by the front door. The Douglass piece captures the famous abolitionist in 1855. The bust stands on a pedestal of a 450-year-old white oak crafted by McMartin & Beggins Furniture in Talbot County, meant to mimic a lectern where Douglass might have given one of his powerful speeches.
Two of the world’s most famous abolitionists – Tubman and Douglass – were both born on Maryland’s Eastern Shore in Dorchester and Talbot Counties, just miles apart.
📆 Learn more about the life and legacy of Douglass, the most influential civil rights leader in the 19th century, on Aug. 16 at 2pm, when there’s a talk, “The Illustrious life of Frederick Douglass.”
📌 Explore more on the road trip known as the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway and the Frederick Douglass Driving Tour.