Rochester in Monroe County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Austin Steward 1793-1869
Photographed By Yugoboy, May 25, 2012
1. Austin Steward 1793-1869 Marker
Austin Steward, a freed slave, settled in Rochesterville in 1817, where he opened a butcher shop. In 1818, he constructed a two-story building on this site for his expanding grocery and dry goods store. Steward was a strong advocate of temperance and refused to sell alcohol. In an 1827 newspaper article he was described as "an industrious, respectable African."
Steward served as a trustee of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. As an ardent Abolitionist, he participated in many anti slavery conventions. His autobiography, published in Rochester in 1857, Twenty-Two Years a Slave, Forty Years a Free Man , provided a rare portrait of the experience of black Americans before the Civil War.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Abolition & Underground RR • African Americans • Churches & Religion • Civil Rights. In addition, it is included in the African Methodist Episcopal Zion (AME Zion) Church series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1817.
Location. 43° 9.396′ N, 77° 36.55′ W. Marker is in Rochester, New
Photographed By Yugoboy, May 25, 2012
2. Austin Steward 1793-1869 Marker
Wide shot of Marker and intersection of Main St. and St. Paul. Marker is the dark grey pedestal in the lower center of picture.
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Granite Building (a few steps from this marker); Main Street Bridge (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Genesee River (about 300 feet away); Erie Canal (about 300 feet away); From Hunting Ground to City (about 400 feet away); Early Mills and Races (about 500 feet away); Front Street (about 500 feet away); Historic Site in Journalism (about 800 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Rochester.
Regarding Austin Steward 1793-1869. Marker is a few yards east of the Downtown Radisson Hotel. Inside the hotel near the Skyway over to the Rochester Riverside Convention Center is a bust and series of murals of Austin Steward.
Photographed By Yugoboy, May 25, 2012
3. Austin Steward 1793-1869 Marker
Facing west. Marker can be seen just beyond the news box. Behind the trees is the Downtown Radisson Hotel where the Austin Steward bust and murals can be viewed (to the right of the skyway visible in the distance.)
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on May 28, 2012, by Yugoboy of Rochester, New York. This page has been viewed 671 times since then and 28 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 28, 2012, by Yugoboy of Rochester, New York. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
