In commemoration of the centennial of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guaranteed women’s right to vote, the National Collaborative for Women’s History Sites (NCWHS) and the William G. Pomeroy Foundation have partnered to launch a historic marker program identifying individuals and events connected to the history of women’s suffrage. Historic markers awarded through the Pomeroy Foundation’s grant program highlight sites on the National Votes for Women Trail (nvwt.org), a project of the NCWHS. Eight markers have been awarded in Delaware.
On Tuesday, four of the Pomeroy markers were dedicated in Wilmington. The event took place on the grounds of St. Michael’s Day Nursery, 7th and Walnut.
About the 4 Wilmington Pomeroy Suffrage Markers:
Site of the Thomas Garrett Settlement House, 7th and Walnut Streets. Meetings of the African American Equal Suffrage Study Club and occasional integrated suffrage events were held here, 1914-1920.
Rodney Square. Site of the May 1914 suffrage parade and rally for “Votes for Women.” The parade started at the train station and ended here on Market Street, between 10th and 11th streets.
Home of Blanche Williams Stubbs, 827 N. Tatnall Street. Blanche Stubbs, an advocate for civil rights and voting rights, led the African American Equal Suffrage Study Club in the 1914 parade.
Home of Alice Dunbar-Nelson, 1310 N. French Street. Author, poet, journalist, teacher, and advocate for racial and gender equity, Dunbar-Nelson was the first president of the Equal Suffrage Study Club, 1914.
The William G. Pomeroy Foundation is a private, grant-making foundation established in 2005. The Foundation is committed to supporting the celebration and preservation of community history; and to raising awareness, supporting research and improving the quality of care for patients and their families who are facing a blood cancer diagnosis. To date, the Foundation has awarded over 1,100 roadside markers and plaques nationwide. Visit: www.wpgfoundation.org
The National Collaborative for Women’s History Sites is a non-profit organization established to support and promote the preservation and interpretation of sites and locales that bear witness to women’s participation in American history. NCWHS is dedicated to making women’s contributions to history visible so all women’s experiences and potential are fully valued. Visit: www.ncwhs.org
Source: City of Wilmington
