Women's History Month
March 2011
Our History is Our Strength

Featured Historic Properties for Women's History Month 2010:

Anna Hyatt Huntington Photo taken Peter A. Juley & Son Repository: Smithsonian Institution

Anna Hyatt Huntington, Georgetown County, South Carolina
For Women’s History Month, the National Register is showcasing two historic sites associated with the world famous woman sculptress Anna Hyatt Huntington (March 10, 1876 – October 4, 1973).

Atalaya, Georgetown County, South Carolina:
Atalaya was the winter home of world famous sculptor, Anna Hyatt Huntington, and her philanthropist husband, Archer Milton Huntington. In addition to being Anna's husband, Archer was also the designer of Atalaya.

Brookgreen Gardens, Georgetown County, South Carolina
Brookgreen Gardens is known today as a botanical and sculpture garden. Anna Hyatt Huntington was co-founder of Brookgreen Gardens and many of her sculptures are on display there.

Past highlights:

Still Pond Historic District in Kent County, Maryland located at a crossroads surrounded by family farms, Still Pond served as a commercial hub and center of community life on Maryland's Upper Eastern Shore. On May 2, 1908 Mary Jane Howard, Annasandra "Annie" Maxwell, and Eliza Kelley made history as the first women in Maryland to vote in an election. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places over 100 years later in August, 2009.

Mary and Eliza Freeman Houses are significant as the last two houses to survive of "Little Liberia," a settlement of free African Americans in Bridgeport, Connecticut

La Casa Grande of the Hearst Estate, Julia Morgan architect Photograph by Shannon Bell

O'Keefe, Georgia, Home and Studio: The home and studio of the artist Georgia O'Keeffe (1887-1986) in Abiquiu, New Mexico (approximately 50 miles northwest of Santa Fe), is one of the most important artistic sites in the southwestern United States.

Mulberry Plantation, Kershaw County, South Carolina: is the most important site associated with the writing of Mary Boykin Chesnut's remarkable first hand account of southern society during the Civil War.

Architecture of Julia Morgan: Julia Morgan was one of the nation's first prominent female architects. Among the almost 800 buildings she designed are: Hearst San Simeon Estate, San Luis Obispo County, California, Berkeley Women's City Club, in Alameda County, California,

Grandma Prisbrey's Bottle Village, Ventura County, California: Built between 1956 and 1965, Bottle Village is a 1/3-acre unique folk art environment designed and erected by folk artist, Tressa "Grandma" Prisbrey.

Azurest South, Chesterfield County, Virginia: Designed by Amaza Lee Meredith (1895-1984), one of the nation's few black female architects, the house is a significant landmark of African-American material culture and design.

Piney Point Coast Guard Light Station: Between 1776 and 1942, 141 women were officially appointed Keepers of the Light by the United States government. Nineteen women served as keepers in the state of Maryland on the Chesapeake Bay.

Rachel Carson Home: in Silver Spring, Maryland, is significant as the place in which American biologist, naturalist, writer, and poet, Rachel Carson, wrote the highly acclaimed 1962 book, Silent Spring, which made her, more than any other person, the acknowledged advocate of the early ecology movement.

Willa Cather Properties in Webster County, Nebraska: Willa Cather captured the spirit of the pioneer era as perhaps no other American author.

Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter Buildings, Coconino County, Arizona: The Hopi House, Hermit's Rest, the Lookout Studio and the Desert View Watchtower are not only the best and least altered, but some of the only remaining works of the master architect and interior designer Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter.

Sister Aimee Semple McPerhson preaching in 1938 Photograph courtesy of the Regional History Center

Angelus Temple, Los Angeles County, California: is historically significant as the base of operations for Aimee Semple McPherson, a pioneer in the field of radio evangelism.

Marietta Canty House: in Hartford, Connecticut, is primarily significant for its association with actress Marietta Canty (1905-1986), who received critical acclaim for her performances in theater, radio, motion pictures, and television as well as her political and social activities.

David T. and Nan Wood Honeyman House in Multnomah County, Oregon: Nan Wood Honeyman (1881-1970) was a progressive local and national leader for the Democratic party and of Prohibition reform.

Clara Barton National Historic Site in Montgomery County, Maryland: Resting on a slight knoll in a quiet, shaded yard above the Potomac River Valley, a large, pale yellow, warehouse-like building stands as a memorial to the complicated personality and persistent character of Clara Barton, a pioneer in women's history.

Hotel Metropolitan in McCracken County, Kentucky: The Hotel Metropolitan, the first hotel owned and operated by and for African Americans in Paducah, was constructed for a young black woman in 1909.

Turkey Point Lighthouse in Cecil County, Maryland: authorized by Congress in 1831 with the tower and keeper's quarters built in 1833, was tended by more women keepers than any other lighthouse on the Chesapeake Bay.

Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site in Richmond, Virginia: commemorates the life and work of an exceptional woman who became very active in the economic, social, and philanthropic life of Richmond's African American community.

Loretta Ensor, 1923 Image courtesy of Larry Woodworth, Ensor Farmsite & Museum Director

Ensor Farm: in Johnson County, Kansas, is known for its historic association with Loretta Ensor (1904-1991) and her brother, Marshall Hamilton Ensor (1899-1970), two of the most prominent radio amateurs who established one of the most complete amateur radio transmitting stations in America on their property during the early history of radio.

Frank B. Cooper Elementary School: in the West Delridge neighborhood of West Seattle, Washington, the Frank B. Cooper Elementary School is historically associated with Mrs. Thelma Fisher Dewitty, who holds the distinction of being the first African American to teach within the Seattle Public School District.

Lowell National Historical Park in Middlesex County, Massachusetts: While there is no single birthplace of industry, Lowell's planned textile mill city, in scale, technological innovation, and development of an urban working class, marked the beginning of the industrial transformation of America.

Eudora Welty House, Jackson, MS
Home of one of the most influential writers of the 20th century

Ellamae Ellis League House, Macon, GA
Self-designed residence of accomplished Georgia architect Ellamae Ellis League

Woman's Athletic Club of San Francisco, CA
Established by women in 1915 to improve themselves--intellectually, physically and artistically

Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site in Dutchess County, New York: Val-Kill Cottage, the simple, two-story stone building located within the Roosevelt family property at Hyde Park, was the home of Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962) for the last 17 years of her life.

Patsy Cline House, Winchester, VA
Home of 20th-century country music legend Patsy Cline

Matinicus Rock and Whitehead Light Stations, Knox County, Maine
Two lighthouses in Maine tended by a 19th-century female keeper, Abbie Burgess Grant

Rosedown Plantation, West Feliciana Parish, LA
Gardens designed by Martha Turnbull, amateur 19th-century landscape designer

Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site in Washington, DC: was significant as a center for the development of strategies and programs which advanced the interests of African American women and the black community.

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Photo taken by Carl Van Vechten , 1953

Rawlings, Marjorie Kinnan, House and Farm Yard, Cross Creek, Florida
Home of the journalist and author Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings.

Aldrich, Nathan C., House and Resthaven Chapel, Mendon, Massachusetts
Catherine Regina Seabury used this property to benefit the female factory workers of Boston.

Catt, Carrie Chapam House, Briarcliff Manor, New York
The home of the famous suffragist of the same name between 1919 and 1928, during the time when she played a pivotal role in securing the Nineteenth Amendment giving women the right to vote in 1920.

Violet Oakley Studio, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Studio of the artist and muralist Violet Oakley.

Bonniebrook Homestead, Taney County, Missouri
Rose O'Neill, artist and creator of the Kewpie doll lived and worked on this estate.

Anna Leialoha Perry-Fiske, 1939 Photo courtesy of Hawaii State Historic Preservation office and the Anna Ranch Heritage Center

Anna Ranch, Kamuela, Hawaii
Find out about Anna Leialoha Perry-Fiske who saved her ranch, gave to charity, and won horseman ship contests.

Fisk, Robert and Elizabeth, House, Helena, Montana
Political, charitable, activist, and mother: Elizabeth Fisk was a leader in the early days of Helena, Montana.

PUBLICATIONS

Travel Itineraries
Our itineraries are online guides tours to historic places listed in the National Register, National Parks and other historic places. Each includes detailed maps, tourist information, location information, and color photographs. Travel to historic places that tell the fascinating stories of women in various professions including educators, artists, inventors, business leaders, and philanthropists.

• Raleigh: A Capital City
• Cane River National Heritage Area
• Amistad: Seeking Freedom in Connecticut
• Places Where Women Made History
• Ohio and Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor
• Asheville, North Carolina
• Aboard the Underground Railroad
• Ashland, Oregon
• Atlanta, Georgia
• Aviation: From Sand Dunes to Sonic Booms
• Baltimore: A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary
• Detroit: A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary
• Hardin, Iowa
• Lexington, Kentucky: The Athens of the West
• Lewis and Clark Expedition
• Santa Clara County: California's Historic Silicon Valley
• Shaker Historic Trail
• Three Historic Nevada Cities: Caron City, Reno and Nevada City
• Virginia Main Street Communities
• Washington DC: A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary
• We Shall Overcome: Historic Places of the Civil Rights Movement
• World War II in the San Francisco Bay Area
  

The first lady of Las Vegas, Helen J. Stewart, c. 1888, is highlighted in The Old Mormon Fort: Birthplace of Las Vegas, Nevada , our latest lesson plan Courtesy of Nevada State Museum and Historical Society, Las Vegas

Teaching with Historic Places
This program offers a series of award-winning lesson plans that use places listed in the National Register to enliven the study of history, social studies, and geography. TwHP has ready-to-use lesson plans, available for free downloading, that examine important aspects of women's history.

Titles include:

• Navesink Lighthouse and Robbins Reef Lighthouse: Lighting the Way Through New York Bay
• The Old Mormon Fort: Birthplace of Las Vegas, Nevada
• Adeline Hornbek and the Homestead Act: A Colorado Success Story
• Back Stairs at Brucemore: Life as Servants in early 20th-Century America
• The Battle of Prairie Grove: Civilian Recollections of the Civil War
• Birthplace of John F. Kennedy: Home of the Boy Who Would Be President
• Chatham Plantation: Witness to the Civil War
• Clara Barton's House: Home of the American Red Cross
• First Lady of the World: Eleanor Roosevelt at Val-Kill
• From Canterbury to Little Rock:
  The Struggle for Educational Equality for African Americans
• Floyd Bennett Field: Naval Aviation's Home in Brooklyn
• The M'Clintock House: A Home to the Women's Rights Movement
• The Penniman House: A Whaling Story
• Two American Entrepreneurs: Madam C.J. Walker and J.C. Penney

WOMEN'S HISTORY IN THE PARKS

• Women's History Month - National Park Service wide portal
• Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site
• Maggie L. Walker at Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site (past feature)
• Clara Barton at Clara Barton National Historic Site (past feature)
• Mary J. Colter Properties at Grand Canyon National Park (past feature)
• Lowell National Historical Park (past feature)
• Johnstown Flood National Memorial
• Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site (past feature)
• Rosie the Riveter-World War II Home Front National Historical Park
  
• Sewall-Belmont House National Historic Site
  
• Whitman Mission National Historic Site
  
• Women's Rights National Historical Park
  

LEARN MORE

Women's History Month - National Park Service wide portal

Women's History Month: government wide portal

Eleanor Roosevelt: American Visionary
This dynamic new website celebrates Eleanor Roosevelt, niece of President Theodore Roosevelt and the wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Eleanor helped transform the role of First Lady and became a champion of domestic social reform, economic justice, and human rights. The website includes virtual tours of historic places associated with the former First Lady, and numerous images of fascination museum objects.

Interpreting Women's History in the National Park Service
This publication focuses on what women's history is, the current status of women's history in the national parks, new ways for scholars of women's history and NPS staff to work together, and the role of the National Park Service in the preservation, commemoration, and interpretation of the history of American women.

National Park Service Uniforms: Breeches, Blouses, and Skirts 1918-1991
The National Park Service has, for most of its existence, been a male dominated organization. Women's role in the Service was never clearly defined until the 1960's, at which time a Victorian mentality prevailed, treating them as objects to be protected, instead of the ranger status to which they aspired. This on-line book tells the story of those women who fought to achieve their goal of equality with their male counterparts not only as rangers, but as rangers with the right to wear the appropriate attire to perform the job.

National Women's History Project
The National Women's History Project is a non-profit organization dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the diverse and historic accomplishments of women by providing information and educational material and programs. The goal of the NWHP is to "make history" accurate by recognizing and celebrating women's contributions through its current and future projects.

National Collaborative for Women's History Sites
NCWHS supports and promotes the preservation and interpretation of sites and locales that bear witness to women's participation in American life. The Collaborative makes women's contributions to history visible so that all women's experiences and potential are fully valued.

National Register Information System
Since its inception in 1966, nearly 80,000 properties have been listed in the National Register. Together these files hold information on more than 1.4 million individual resources--buildings, sites, districts, structures, and objects--and therefore provide a link to the country's heritage at the national, state, and local levels. Search by name, location, agency, or theme to locate National Register properties associated with women's history.

Library of Congress: Built in America (HABS/HAER/HALS)
The Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) and Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) collections document achievements in architecture, engineering, and design in the United States through a comprehensive range of building types and engineering technologies, including sites related to women's history. Searches on keywords like "women's rights," "women," or "rights," will provide information on an array of associated sites. Also try searching on women architects such as Mary Colter, Julia Morgan, Marion Mahoney Griffin; or on famous women such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton or Maggie Walker. Most of the documentation for the sites include publication-quality drawings and photographs, as well as historical data. Furthermore, the Historic American Buildings Survey website provides a brief history of the Sewall-Belmont House, home to the National Woman's Party since 1929.

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