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Title
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Women's Rights National Historical Park, Wesleyan Chapel
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Creator
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Marshall, Ann Wills
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Kinoshita, Ray
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Commemorates
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Women's Rights National Historical Park
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Biographical Text
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Stone building structure featuring engraved text on the front. Originally built in October of 1843 by residents of Seneca Falls.
The monument, Wesleyan Chapel, is located in Seneca Falls, NY. It is one aspect of the Women's Rights National Historical Park. Beginning as the Wesleyan Methodist church, this building marks the location of the first Women's Rights Convention held in 1848. In the 1870s, it became the Johnson Opera House, and was utilized for a range of purposes from a movie theatre to a car repair shop. Through its changes over time the building remained connected to the women's rights movement. Harriot Stanton Blatch placed a plaque on a wall of the opera house in 1908, and celebrations were held there in honor of the 100th anniversary of the convention in 1948.
In 1980, the Women's Rights National Historical Park was established, leading to the chapel receiving newfound attention in 1985 through a design competition to determine its preservation. Ann Wills Marshall and Ray Kinoshita were the winners and chose to utilize some of the buildings original materials for its renovations. The restored Chapel was opened on July 31st, 1993 along with other updated sites dedicated to the convention.
In 2009, the chapel received a second renovation, restoring it to its original 1840 exterior appearance through the careful use of historic structure reports and primary sources.
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Text
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WOMEN'S RIGHTS
NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK
United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service
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Date Created
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1843-10
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Date Modified
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1985
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2009
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Type
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English
Building
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English
Signage
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Bibliographic Citation
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"An unfinished monument for an unfinished movement," The Ithaca Journal. Jul. 08, 1993.
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"Event to Send 'Ripples' for Rights," The Post-Standard. Jul. 29, 1993.
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Wesleyan Chapel, National Park Service
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Project Researcher
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O'Neill, Iris
