The city of Rochester announced that it has purchased 10 Frederick Douglass statues with plans to restore and relocate the monuments to new locations.

The statues were originally created for the "Year of Douglass" Bicentennial Commemoration in 2018.

The statues will be temporarily removed from their locations and undergo repairs and restorations before being placed in new indoor locations.

Among the locations to house the statues will be the Rochester City Hall, the Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County, and the Aqueduct Building, that according to the city is close to where Douglass produced The North Star and The Frederick Douglass Newspaper.

“Frederick Douglass is integral to the fabric of Rochester and these statues have become beloved landmarks in our community beyond the moment in time they were designed to celebrate,” Rochester Mayor Malik Evans said in a statement. “We look forward to returning these statues to their original grandeur so that they can continue to inspire and educate.”

The city says the statues have been on display outdoors for nearly five years, two years longer than initially planned. Artist Olivia Kim, who first created the statues, will work to repair them.

The city says 13 statues were part of the “Year of Douglass,” initiative, with the city purchasing 10 of the statues from Rochester Community Television (RCTV). The RCTV, Rochester Educational Opportunity Center and the University of Rochester maintain in possession of three other statues, with a fourth privately commissioned moment remaining in private ownership.