Site of Women’s Educational and Industrial Union
The Women’s Educational and Industrial Union (WEIU), now EMPath, has supported Boston women with job training, advocacy, and transitional housing for nearly 130 years.
Park Square: Women Editors, Artists, and Entrepreneurs
The Park Square area and Boylston Street were once a hub for women editors, artists, social activists, and entrepreneurs, with offices in small buildings lining the street.
Trinity Church & Parish House: Stained Glass by Woman Artists
Sarah Wyman Whitman (1842-1904) and Margaret Redmond (1867-1948), created stained glass windows in the Trinity Church Parish House. Redmond’s work is also in Trinity Church itself.
Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA)
The Boston Young Women’s Christian Association, the first YWCA in the nation, was founded in 1866 by upper middle-class Protestant women to guide and support young rural women coming to the city.
Hotel and Restaurant Workers’ Union
Until the mid-1960s, only male waiters could work at the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel. In 1966, fifty-seven women won a landmark discrimination case to change that.
Former Site of Miss Farmer’s School of Cookery: Fannie Farmer
Fannie Farmer (1857-1915) was an influential educator and author who opened Miss Farmer’s School of Cookery in 1902. She trained many women to be competent cooks and lectured on nutrition.
Cafe Budapest: Edith Ban
Edith Ban (1917-1988), a Holocaust survivor opened Cafe Budapest that served Hungarian cuisine in 1959. She and her mother catered to customers serving innovative Hungarian cuisine.
Boston Public Library
Copley Square’s Boston Public Library has been an educational and reform hub for women, showcasing art, literature, and influential contributions in its historic McKim building.
Guild of Boston Artists
The Guild of Boston Artists, founded in 1914, is an association of painters, sculptors, and printmakers. Women have always been active in the Guild and are among the founding members.
The Copley Society of Art
The Copley Society of Art, America’s oldest art association, was founded in 1879 by Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts School graduates. It has a rich history of contributions from women artists.
Muriel Snowden International High School
The Snowden International School is named for Muriel S. Snowden (1916-1988), a long-time African American community activist recognized for her impactful work in human rights and advocacy.
Kip Tiernan Memorial
This memorial honors Kip Tiernan (1926-2011), an indefatigable activist who founded Rosie’s Place, America’s first shelter for homeless women in an abandoned supermarket in 1974.
Chauncy Hall: MA Woman Suffrage Association
In 1913, this building – known as Chauncy Hall – was described as a “busy bee hive full of workers for women.” It was the home of numerous suffrage organizations and publications.
School of Fashion Design
This site was the original location of the School of Fashion Design, founded in 1934 as the Modern School of Applied Art. It became a premier institution under Isobel Sinesi in the mid-1900s.
Gibbs College
This site was once home to Gibbs College, a pioneering institution for women’s business education founded by Katharine Gibbs (1863-1934).
Junior League of Boston
Founded in 1907, the Junior League of Boston is the second oldest in the country. It evolved from a sewing circle to addressing social issues, welcoming all women volunteers.
Site of Home of Isabella Stewart Gardner
Isabella Stewart Gardner (1840-1924) created the Gardner Museum, a Renaissance palace in the Fenway, to educate and delight the public with her art collection while living here.
Former Site of Massachusetts Association Opposed to the Further Extension of Suffrage to Women
The nation’s first anti-suffrage organization, the Massachusetts Association Opposed to Further Suffrage for Women, was founded in Boston in 1895. The original building no longer exists.
The Society of Arts and Crafts
Former site of the Society of Arts and Crafts, founded in 1897 and now in Boston’s Seaport. It’s the oldest nonprofit crafts organization in America, with major contributions from women artists.
Spiritualist Temple and Exeter Street Theater
Known as the Exeter Street Theater after 1913, this building was originally built as the First Spiritualist Temple in 1885. Young women played an important role in spiritualist meetings here.