Ron Young sculpture unveiled at Carroll Creek to honor downtown vision
The tribute by sculptor Antonio Tobias Mendez recognizes the former mayor’s role in Frederick’s revitalization and the vision behind Carroll Creek Linear Park.
HERE'S WHAT WE KNOW
The sculpture stands at the Carroll Creek Linear Park Amphitheater. Antonio Tobias Mendez created the tribute to Young’s role in downtown Frederick’s revitalization. Young served as mayor from 1974 to 1990 and helped launch the flood-control and park vision following the 1976 flood.
A new sculpture at the Carroll Creek Linear Park Amphitheater honors former Frederick Mayor Ron Young in the setting of one of the projects most closely associated with his time in office.
Young unveiled the sculpture Sunday before an audience gathered at the park, The Frederick News-Post reports. Artist Antonio Tobias Mendez created the work, positioning it to look along Carroll Creek toward downtown Frederick.
The tribute recognizes Young’s vision during his 1974–1990 tenure as mayor, particularly the response to the devastating 1976 flood, according to committee chair Jan Gardner.
The flood brought 7 inches of rain over 16 hours. Young helped set in motion a major flood-control project and a plan for the linear park above it, linking protection from future flooding with an effort to bring people and businesses back downtown.
At the unveiling, he recalled that those ideas were not always popular. Residents questioned the expense and feasibility of the park, and other projects, including the city’s first parking garage, drew opposition.
“The real irony is me being honored with a statue for the thing that got me thrown out of office,” Young told the audience.
Young said he had hoped to finish the park during another term but appreciated that the work continued after he left office. He also credited former Mayor Jennifer Dougherty with developing buildings along Market Street.
Speakers at the ceremony described the surrounding downtown as evidence of the lasting effect of his efforts. The Delaplaine Foundation helped fund the sculpture, and the city’s tribute committee formed around the beginning of 2025 to advance the project.
Young’s wife, Karen Lewis Young, told the News-Post that earlier attempts to establish a tribute went back at least two decades. She wanted him to see the recognition during his lifetime.
Young said his work was motivated by affection for the community and memories of a more active downtown. Festivals, concerts, landscaping, history and the arts were part of his approach to drawing people back.
His hope now is that the sculpture encourages others to contribute to their own communities.
WHAT IT MEANS
The tribute connects a familiar downtown gathering place with the planning and public debate that preceded it. It also recognizes a project whose development continued beyond Young’s years in office.
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