March is Women’s History Month – an opportunity to highlight and celebrate the incredible women on our staff, Board, Council, and exemplary parks advocates past and present. 

As some of America’s oldest public greenspaces, the Boston Common, Public Garden, and Commonwealth Avenue Mall have all played important roles in the history of this nation. Countless talented women made significant contributions to the Friends and these parks, and we are proud to highlight several of these histories. Learn more about the impact of women leaders on parks across Greater Boston here. 

GET TO KNOW THE “FIRST FRIENDS”

We honor the tenacious efforts of our organization’s early leaders–Stella Trafford, Polly Wakefield, Ruth McKay, and Genie Beale. These remarkable women served as conveners, horticulturists, arborists, visionaries, and, most important, tenacious activists. They were the driving force behind the monumental changes achieved by the Friends in the early years–you can read the stories of these incredible pioneers here. 

VISIT THE WOMEN’S MEMORIAL

The Boston Women’s Memorial, dedicated in 2003, is the newest sculpture on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall, funded by the Boston Women’s Commission. The project was initiated in 1992 to address the underrepresentation of women in public statues, with Mayor Thomas M. Menino reserving the Fairfield-Gloucester block of the Mall for the Memorial site. 

The three women honored in the Memorial share a strong connection to Boston and our national history, and a commitment to social justice. Abigail Adams, the wife of the second U.S. president and mother of the sixth, was known for her influential letters advocating for women’s advancement. Phillis Wheatley, an enslaved child brought to Boston from Africa, achieved literary success and became the first African writer to have a book published in America. Lucy Stone, an ardent abolitionist and suffragist, was a prominent orator and key figure in the fight for women’s rights, inspiring others such as Susan B. Anthony.

Thanks to the work of the Boston Women’s Heritage Trail and Talking Statues, you can now “hear” the words of these historical figures. Scan the QR code by the statue to listen to readings by the three women, voiced by women leaders like Attorney General Andrea Campell and Mayor Michelle Wu. 

VISIT THE WORK OF WOMEN SCULPTORS

Did you know that over one-quarter of our public art collection is by women sculptors? From the beloved Make Way for Ducklings sculpture by Nancy Schön in the Public Garden to the Leif Erikson statue by Ann Whitney, located at Charlesgate, we celebrate the work of these incredible artists and encourage our community to do the same the next time you stroll through the #threeparks.  

PUBLIC GARDEN 

  • Ducklings Sculpture – Nancy Schön 

  • Triton Babies – Anna Coleman Ladd 

  • Bagheera Fountain – Lillian Swan Saarinen 

  • Tadeusz Kosciuszko Memorial – Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson 

  • Boy and Bird Fountain – Bashka Paeff 

  • Small Child Fountain – Mary E. Moore 


COMMONWEALTH AVENUE MALL 

  • Mayor Patrick Andrew Collins – Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson 

  • Samuel Elliot Morison – Penelope Jencks 

  • Boston Women’s Memorial – Meredith Bergmann 

  • Domingo Faustino Sarmiento – Ivette Compagnion 

  • Leif Erikson – Ann Whitney 


Our parks highlight women’s history in Boston as they serve and inspire today’s women. While we dedicate March to celebrating the women who have left a mark on these treasured greenspaces, highlighting their contributions continues year-round. Interested in helping bring these stories to the fore? Friends of the Public Garden is currently raising funds to re-light the Women’s Memorial with state-of-the-art lighting technology, ensuring that they shine brightly for decades to come. Reach out to us at support@friendsofthepublicgarden.org if you would like to contribute to this special project.