Women's History Stories
It's time to celebrate fascinating American women—many of whom have not gotten the attention they deserve. Women such as Reverend Dr. Anna Pauline “Pauli” Murray, the brilliant legal mind who co-founded the National Organization of Women and became an Episcopal saint. Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, the heiress who rebelled against her high-society upbringing to open a studio and encourage American artists. Jane Jacobs, the urban activist whose work presaged so many of our recent findings about the benefits of older buildings for cities. Madam C.J. Walker, a self-made millionaire who broke gender and racial barriers with her pioneering business models. Ann Pamela Cunningham, who brought Northern and Southern women together after the Civil War to save Mount Vernon, and who is effectively the American founder of the preservation movement. These are just a few of the remarkable women whose stories we at the National Trust strive to tell in recognition of women's role in American history. Explore their stories—and many more connected to women's history in the United States—through the stories and places below.
-
Preservation Magazine A Careful Update of Nashville's Hermitage Hotel Keeps its Beaux-Arts Grandeur Intact -
Where Women Made History "Women's Work" at Lyndhurst -
Where Women Made History Victoria Kastner Explores the Inner World of Architect Julia Morgan -
Investing in Preservation’s Future Looking to the Future with Latinos in Heritage Conservation -
Where Women Made History People Saving Places at the National Trust -
Investing in Preservation’s Future The National Votes for Women Trail Leads To Success -
Investing in Preservation’s Future People Saving Places: Johanna A. Favrot and Cynthia Woods Mitchell -
Where Women Made History People Saving Places: Seven Women Advocating and Working for Historic Trades -
Preservation Magazine Q&A: Angela Lee on Durham's Enduring Arts Center in a Former AME Church -
Preservation Magazine A Julia Morgan-Designed Pool in Santa Monica, California, Shines Again -
LGBTQ+ History Take a Virtual Tour Through The Lyon-Martin House
25 - 36 of 200 stories
The Mother Road turns 100 years old in 2026—share your Route 66 story to celebrate the Centennial. Together, we’ll tell the full American story of Route 66!
Share Your Story