Seneca Falls Women's History Tour

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This beautiful Victorian-era home is the headquarters of the Seneca Falls Historical Society which was established in 1896. The house was built around 1855 in the Italianate style and was converted to the Queen Anne style around 1875. The Society preserves and promotes the area's rich history through exhibits, its large collection, and the various educational and entertainment events it offers throughout the year. The house also contains original and period furnishings.

2. Wesleyan Chapel

The Wesleyan Chapel is located in Seneca Falls, New York and is best known for hosting the First Women’s Rights Convention, also known as the Seneca Falls Convention. This convention took place on July 19-20, 1848 with about 300 men and women in attendance. It was organized by advocates for women’s rights Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. Most importantly, the Seneca Falls Convention sparked the fight for women’s suffrage and their fight for equal rights. Today, the chapel is still standing in Women’s Rights National Park.

3. Women's Rights National Historical Park

The Women's National Historic Park commemorates the first Women’s Rights Convention, which was held here in Seneca Falls on July 19-20, 1848. The convention was organized by a group of women's rights activists led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902) and Lucretia Mott (1793-1880), who was a Quaker and known for her excellent oratorical skills. The convention marked the beginning of the women's rights and suffrage movements in the country. Elizabeth Cady Stanton fought for these issues for the majority of her adult life and was one of the foremost political figures of the 19th century. Just over six acres in size, the park consists of two properties associated with the convention and the women's suffrage movement—Wesleyan Methodist Church and the Elizabeth Cady Stanton House—and a Visitor Center, which is located next to the church. Other landmarks related to the convention are on the Votes for Women History Trail, including the M'Clintock House and the Richard Hunt House, both of which are located just to the west in the town of Waterloo. The park was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

4. National Women's Hall of Fame (Seneca Knitting Mill)

Located in a community that is widely regarded as the birthplace of the women's rights movement, the National Women's Hall of Fame offers exhibits that share the stories of women who have made significant contributions in a wide range of areas including science, sports, education, arts, business, government, and philanthropy. The organization was established in 1969 and is currently housed in the Helen Mosher Barben Building in downtown Seneca Falls. The Hall is the oldest membership organization in the country devoted to showcasing the achievements of women. In 2020, the Hall relocated to the newly renovated Seneca Knitting Mill. It is contributing property of the Seneca Falls Village Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

5. Historical Marker: The Flats

This historical marker describes the area called The Flats used to be Seneca's bustling industrial center. It was located in an area immediately north of the marker, what is now under the man-made Van Cleef Lake. From the latter years of the 1800s to 1914, hundreds of workers were employed in factories that produced firefighting equipment such as pumps and fire engines, as well as other goods. These factories thrived because they were situated along the Cayuga and Seneca Canal, which was built in 1818. Many of the workers were Italian and Irish immigrants. All of this activity ceased in 1914 when locks of the canal at Seneca Falls were replaced by bigger ones, which, needed more water to operate. As a result, the lake was created, which forced the demolition of over 100 factories and 60 homes. By the time the lake was created, canal usage was on the decline as companies preferred using trains or trucks for shipping. The locks did have generators, however, and as such produced electricity. Today, the lake and canal are used for recreational purposes.

6. "When Anthony Met Stanton"

This statue and historical marker commemorate the historic 1851 meeting between women's rights activists Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who were introduced to each other by fellow activist Amelia Bloomer. Susan and Elizabeth are depicted at the moment they shook hands for the first time, with Amelia looking on. On the ground next to the statue is the historical marker, which provides information about the meeting.

7. "Passage" Monument

Erected in 2015, this monument commemorates the struggle women fought for their right to vote. It consists of three statues depicting men and a timeline that wraps around them. The first date is 1776 with a quote from Abigail Adams stating "remember the ladies." The last date is 1920, the year the 19th Amendment was ratified, which prevents the federal government and states from denying women the right to vote.

8. Amelia Bloomer House

This historic home is significant for being the home of Amelia Bloomer (1818-1894), one of the leading women's rights advocates of the 19th century. She was also a supporter of the temperance movement, which was the movement against consuming alcohol, and the first woman to own and operate a newspaper, which was called The Lily. Bloomer was also known for her association with lower body garments called pantaloons worn by women in the 1850s. They were less cumbersome than traditional women's clothing of the day. She did not invent them but promoted them in her newspaper so as a result, they were called "bloomers." The house itself was originally built in 1830 in the Greek Revival style and was later enlarged and converted to the Italianate style in the 1850s. Apparently, Bloomer only lived in the house for just six months in 1840 after she got married. The home appears to be a private residence but can be viewed from the street.

9. Fourth Ward School

This large red building is the historic former Fourth Ward School. It was built in 1869 and is an excellent example of a mid-19th-century schoolhouse. Designed in the Italianate architectural style, it represents the transition from one-room schoolhouses to multi-room school buildings. It is also significant in that it was among the first schools in New York to be built after the state legislature, in 1867, passed legislation that consolidated school districts into larger ones. This gave local communities greater control over raising taxes for schools (some state money helped fund schools as well). Public education became "free" as a result of these changes. Finally, Fourth Ward School is also important because its size illustrates the growth of Seneca Falls during the mid-to-late 19th century as a result of the economic benefits generated by the Erie Canal. Today, the old school, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is an apartment building.

10. Grassmere: The Elizabeth Cady Stanton House

This home, which was known as "Grassmere" in the mid-19th century, was the home of suffragist and women's rights leader Elizabeth Cady Stanton from 1847-1862. The property is now part of the Women's Rights National Historic Park which also includes historic sites related to the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention that included the Declaration of Sentiments which included many of the tenets of the first wave of feminist thought in the United States. Stanton was a pioneer in the movement for women's suffrage and also an influential voice among white Northen abolitionists.

This Tour is a Walking Tour.

Seneca Falls Women's History Tour

Created by Clio Admin on January 7th 2019, 7:40:43 pm.

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Description

This walking tour begins at the historic home of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and concludes with the Women's Rights National Historic Park, National Women's Hall of Fame and the Seneca Falls Historical Society. Highlights of the tour include several monuments that commemorate the history of women's suffrage and the role of Seneca Falls in the movement for women's rights in the 19th and early 20th century. The tour also includes Seneca Falls' Wesleyan Chapel. In 1848, this church held the First Women’s Rights Convention which is also known as the Seneca Falls Convention.

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Seneca Falls Women's History Tour

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