Rosie the Riveter Memorial

Part of the Rosie the Riveter Memorial structure.

NPS photo/Luther Bailey

Quick Facts

Location:

Marina Bay Park, Regatta Blvd, Richmond, CA

Significance:

Rosie the Riveter Memorial

MANAGED BY:

City of Richmond, California

Amenities

1 listed

Restroom

Honoring the Women of WWII: The Rosie the Riveter Memorial

The Rosie the Riveter Memorial originated as a public art project for the City of Richmond in the 1990s. As the project progressed, the National Park Service was invited to collaborate, a partnership that ultimately led to the establishment of the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, California.

The memorial was designed by visual artist Susan Schwartzenberg and landscape architect/environmental sculptor Cheryl Barton. Officially titled "Rosie the Riveter Memorial: Honoring American Women's Labor During WWII," it holds the distinction of being the first national memorial dedicated to commemorating and illustrating the vital contributions of American women during the Second World War. Chairwoman Donna Powers spearheaded the campaign to establish the Memorial, and the sculpture was commissioned by the City of Richmond and the Richmond Redevelopment Agency.

The main feature of the memorial is a walkway that spans the length of a ship's keel, gently sloping toward the San Francisco Bay and aligning with the Golden Gate Bridge. Along this path, a timeline of the home front and quotes from female workers are etched into white granite. Sculptural stainless steel elements, inspired by ship blueprints, depict the unfinished forms of a hull, stack, and stern under construction. The location of the ship's fore and aft hatches is marked by two gardens—one filled with rockrose and the other with dune grass.

Porcelain enamel panels on the hull and stack display memorabilia and letters collected from former shipyard workers, as well as photographs of women engaged in various wartime jobs across the nation. These panels, along with the quotes and timeline, highlight the diverse experiences of women during the war years, including the challenges of gender discrimination, hazardous working conditions, food rationing, and the shortage of housing and childcare.

The inspiration for the memorial came from two women in Donna Powers' family: her mother-in-law Ruth Powers, a teacher at the Richmond shipyards daycare centers, and her great aunt Clarissa Hicks, a riveter at Douglas Aircraft in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Their compelling stories motivated Powers to reach out to other women in Richmond about their wartime experiences. Under the leadership of historian and cultural planner Donna Graves, the project evolved into a significant tribute to the women of the WWII home front.

Features of the Rosie the Riveter Memorial

- Walkway Design: A central walkway, the length of a ship's keel, that slopes toward the San Francisco Bay and aligns with the Golden Gate Bridge.

- Timeline and Quotes: The pathway is inscribed with a timeline about the WWII home front and quotes from women workers sandblasted into white granite.

- Sculptural Elements: Stainless steel structures inspired by ship blueprints, representing the unfinished forms of a hull, stack, and stern under construction.

- Gardens: Two gardens featuring rockrose and dune grass, symbolizing the ship's fore and aft hatches.

- Porcelain Enamel Panels: Panels on the hull and stack displaying memorabilia, letters, and photographs of women at work, gathered from former shipyard workers.

- Historical Context: Illustrations of the complex challenges faced by women during the war, including gender discrimination, hazardous working conditions, food rationing, and shortages of housing and childcare.

- Inspiration and Leadership: The memorial was inspired by the stories of women in Donna Powers' family and expanded under the leadership of historian and cultural planner Donna Graves.

- Commissioning and Design: The project was commissioned by the City of Richmond and the Richmond Redevelopment Agency and designed by visual artist Susan Schwartzenberg and landscape architect/environmental sculptor Cheryl Barton.
 

How to Listen to the Audio Program

The play button is the small sideways triangle on the left side of the audio player, below. You can also download the file to your computer or phone with the downward arrow button on the top right of the audio player. 

• Rosie the Riveter Memorial

  
  

  This program is part of an introduction to the history of the park and the WWII Home Front. You can listen to it at home, while driving, before your visit to the park visitor center or as part of the official NPS App driving tour. These files are also available as a free download on our website and can be a great educational tool for your classroom.

  Credit / Author:

  NPS/Luther Bailey and Lauren Goode

  Date created:

  07/18/2023

  Audio Transcript

  The Rosie the Riveter Memorial began as a public art project for the City of Richmond in the 1990's. During the creation of the memorial, the National Park Service was invited to participate, and this partnership led to the founding of the National Park in Richmond, California.

  Designed by visual artist Susan Schwartzenberg and landscape architect and environmental sculptor Cheryl Barton, the Rosie the Riveter Memorial: Honoring American Women's Labor During WWII is the first in the nation to honor and describe this important chapter of American history. Chairwoman Donna Powers led the campaign to establish the Memorial and the sculpture was commissioned by the City of Richmond and the Richmond Redevelopment Agency.

  The principal component is a walkway, the length of a ship's keel, which slopes toward the San Francisco Bay and aligns with the Golden Gate Bridge. The path is inscribed with a timeline about the home front and quotes from women workers sandblasted into white granite. Sculptural elements of stainless steel encountered on the walkway are drawn from ship's blueprints and suggest the unfinished forms of hull, stack, and stern under construction. Two gardens - one of rockrose and one of dune grass - occupy the location of the ship's fore and aft hatches. Porcelain enamel panels on the hull and stack reproduce memorabilia and letters gathered from former shipyard workers during the course of the Memorial project, along with photographs of women at work in jobs across the nation.

  The panels, quotes and timeline illustrate the complex opportunities, challenges and hardships faced by women during the war years, including gender discrimination, hazardous working conditions, food rationing, and shortages of housing and childcare.

  Donna Powers was inspired to create the Memorial by two women in her family. Her mother-in-law Ruth Powers was a teacher at the Richmond shipyards daycare centers and her great aunt Clarissa Hicks was a riveter at Douglas Aircraft in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Their wonderful stories led her to ask other women around Richmond what their jobs and lives were like during WWII, and the project grew under the leadership of historian and cultural planner Donna Graves.