Prince Rodgers was born into slavery in 1815 in Bridgewater, New Jersey. His parents, taken captive by the Dutch in the late 1700s and transported to New Jersey, passed down stories of their noble ancestry despite enslavement, and that heritage gave him his name. Cornelius C. Vanhorn manumitted Prince in 1829 under New Jersey's Manumission Act. Prince later married Judith Aan Van DerVeer, and they raised six children. A skilled farmer, he helped construct many early local buildings, including Somerville's first African American church. During the Civil War, he served valiantly for the Union. When he died in 1889, he was buried in Bridgewater in what is now known as Prince Rodgers Cemetery alongside his wife and family. His legacy lives on through a large progeny and numerous landmarks bearing his name.