Underground Railroad Travel Itinerary Header



Rokeby Rokeby
NHL-NPS Photo
Home to four generations of the Robinson family, Rokeby, built in 1793, is significant for its role in the Underground Railroad and for the many letters, account books, and diaries kept by the family while they lived in the house that document the first two generations' involvement in the antislavery cause. A National Historic Landmark, Rokeby was constructed by Thomas (1761-1851) and Jemima (1761-1846) Robinson, Quakers who were active members of the Vermont and Ferrisburg Anti-Slavery Societies. Their son Rowland Thomas Robinson (1796-1879) made abolition the cause of his life and sheltered fugitive slaves at Rokeby. Hundreds of letters written to Rowland Thomas between 1830 and 1865 are now located at the Sheldon Museum Archive and Research Center in Middlebury, Vermont. With abolition as the most common theme, these letters were written by local and regional antislavery activists, as well as national figures such as Lucretia Mott, William Lloyd Garrison, and Issac T. Hopper. These letters show Rowland Thomas' involvement in the Underground Railroad and are proof that he harbored fugitive slaves at Rokeby, negotiated freedom papers for former slaves from their masters in the South, and helped freedmen find employment. Family letters not only validate Rokeby as a stop, they add to our knowledge, correcting and sharpening our understanding of the Underground Railroad and providing insight into how "the legend outgrew the reality." Now a museum, Rokeby is fully furnished with Robinson family belongings, including furniture, clothing, dishes, books, art, and other artifacts.

Rokeby is located in Ferrisburg, Vermont on US Route 7 at the corner of Robinson Road just north of Ferrisburg. It is open to the public.

Previous | List of Sites | Home | Next

Comments or Questions
Last Modified: EST