The property was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1997 for its association with Rowland T. Robinson, a Quaker and ardent abolitionist who openly sheltered escaped slaves at Rokeby as part of the Underground Railroad.

Rokeby Museum is set on the east side of United States Route 7 in the rural community of Ferrisburgh.

[3] For almost 200 years, the house was the home of the Robinson family, who were millers, farmers, abolitionists, authors, naturalists, and artists.

Letters from the family of Rowland T. and Rachel Gilpin Robinson, devout Quakers and radical abolitionists, mention fugitive slaves by name and in some detail.

[4] The record of their correspondence gives an important view into the practices and methods of abolitionists and details about the operation of the Underground Railroad.