Anthony Birthplace Plans Unveiled
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| The Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum |
ADAMS – After years of uncertainty and speculation, plans for the birthplace of famed suffragette and women's rights leader Susan B. Anthony are poised to move forward.
A site plan for the half-acre property on East Road, slated to go before the Planning Board on March 31, reveals that the 19th-century farmhouse will be reconstructed to look as it did when Anthony herself lived there.
"The first floor will be restored to the condition and character it was in at the time of Susan B. Anthony's residence there," said James Leitch, the senior designer for Westall Architects of Williamstown, who is in charge of the project.
The site plan for the so-called Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum outlines additions to the land surrounding the four-bedroom, two-bathroom house, including a picket fence along the front, a vegetable garden, a clothesline and an "illustrative outhouse." Walkways will also traverse the property, which will allow visitors to explore the property as it was in the 1820s.
"The idea certainly is for the public to view the property and have the experience Anthony had when she was there," said Leitch.
Anthony, who lived in the house from 1820 to 1826, was born in one of the front rooms on the first floor. Her Quaker father, Daniel Anthony, operated a textile store out of the back room before the family relocated to Battenville, N.Y., when Susan was 6 years old.
She lived in Rochester, N.Y., most of her adult life and is buried there.
The birthplace has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1985 and Carol Crossed, of Rochester, bought the property at an August 2006 public auction for $164,500. A board member of Feminists for Life of New York, Crossed originally wasn't sure what use the property would have, though she did know she wanted to preserve Anthony's legacy.
Late last year, Crossed announced that the house would become a museum with herself as director, putting to rest rumors that the house might be moved to another location. Talk of other options – which included using the property as a women's retreat or a support center for pregnant students – ended when Burke Construction Co. began to remove the later additions to the house in December.
"Burke is still in the process of implementing structural repairs to the building and re-establishing the residential dwelling unit," said Leitch.
Burke is stripping the house back to its original form, repairing rotting sills and timber framing. A kitchenette and bathroom have also been constructed for the house's eventual caretaker.
The store that was believed to display and sell fabrics will be recreated in its original space and a back door will be constructed to accommodate visitors.
The site plans also calls for the construction of a 10-space parking area on the property.
In addition to the Planning Board, the town's Conservation Commission must approve the plan to ensure that the project doesn't violate the Wetlands Preservation Act. The property is adjacent to two waterways.
The museum is seeking artifacts such as furnishings, clothing, textiles, documents, books, kitchenware, and Quaker items from the Berkshire area for use in the house. The items must be from the time period in which Anthony lived and any suffrage or personal family items are especially encouraged.
Crossed was not immediately available for comment.
According to Leitch, the next phase of construction will begin as soon as permits are issued.
"If this goes as we hope, this can be completed well before the end of the calendar year," he said.
