March 1, 2002
Women’s History Month programs highlight contributions of women from Williamsburg over four centuries
In celebration of Women’s History Month in March, the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum at Colonial Williamsburg will offer a series of programs that take a look at the role women had in shaping Williamsburg over the last four centuries. All programs will be held in the Hennage Auditorium.
- Four Centuries of Williamsburg’s Women, Their Fashions and Their Passions, 3 p.m. Tuesday, March 5, 12, 26 and Wednesday, March 20. Colonial Williamsburg interpreters will portray eight different women and talk about their contributions to the town. These women include: Anne Shields, tavern owner, on the eve of her marriage to Henry Wetherburn; Litisha Tyler Semple, daughter of President John Tyler, who established a hospital for Civil War soldiers on the grounds of the old Capitol; and Clara Byrd Baker, a teacher of Williamsburg’s African-American children during the first half of the 20th century.
- Our Founding Mothers: Women from Colonial Williamsburg’s Early Years, 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 27. Join Peggy McDonald Howells, manager of museum professional services, as she explores several of the women who made significant contributions to the Restoration of Williamsburg. Meet these women and discover how their work on the Restoration between 1920-45 impacted the rest of their lives.
Programs are included in museum admission. For more information, call 7724.