Inspired by the limestone used on the original Baylor campus in Independence, which research indicates was built at least in part by enslaved people, the Memorial has four distinct but connected ways to learn, understand and process Baylor’s history.
- A cascading water feature constructed of the same limestone used to build the University’s original campus in Independence;
- Foundational scriptures intended to remind visitors of the freedom all men and women have in Christ now and should have experienced when Baylor was founded in 1845;
- A population density map inlayed in the ground in front of the Memorial depicting the number of enslaved individuals in the counties where Baylor was, circa 1860, and is located; and
- A Resonance Garden – to complement the iconic Sadie Jo Black Gardens and the Joy Reynolds Rose Gardens – for individual and collective reflection.
Created by renowned architectural firm Sasaki and K4 Construction, with input from the Campus Experience Project Team and student representatives, the Memorial is intentionally designed to break up the direct walkways on Founders Mall, symbolically bending the otherwise linear Baylor Line and drawing visitors into the experience.
By the Numbers
- 99 – The arced Outer Ring, the Memorial’s focal point, is 99 feet long and six feet high.
- 7 – There are seven separate water sheets atop the Outer Ring with 1,800 gallons of water per minute flowing across them at any given time. In total, 5,150 gallons of water are used in the Memorial’s fountains.
- 33 – There are 33 illuminated voids in the Outer Ring, symbolizing the 33 individuals enslaved by Judge R.E.B. Baylor. The voids are different sizes, representing the different ages of the individuals.
- 41 – There are 41 precast concrete paving slabs in the Inner Ring, representing the 1860 map of Central Texas, and the Inner Ring itself has a circumference of 88 feet.
- 148 – There are 148 limestone blocks that make up the Memorial and the historical context around the Judge Baylor statue. The limestone was quarried near Abilene and fabricated near Austin.
- 850 – 850 words are etched or engraved in the Memorial and the historical context around the Judge Baylor statue.
Note: Dirt from Baylor's original campus site in Independence, Texas, was used for the ceremonial groundbreaking in Waco in February 2024, and the same dirt was buried beneath the Memorial as a permanent connection between the University's two homes.