Celebrating Women's Heritage
A Collaboration with the National Trust for Historic Preservation
In honor of the 100-year anniversary of the women's suffrage movement, as well as the ratification of the 19th amendment that prohibited denying the right to vote based on gender,Benjamin Moore committed to highlight places where women made history through historic preservation.
Alongside one of our valued partners, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and its campaign for Where Women Made History, and aligned to our commitment to preservation and sustainability, we identified several historic sites across the U.S. with roots in women's history.In collaboration with various stakeholders—from painting contractors to historians—we transformed iconic buildings, and along the way, shared the stories behind the newly painted walls and facades. Each project and property truly highlights the transformative power of paint.
A Celebration of Women's Heritage
The National Trust's campaign for Where Women Made History uncovered uplifting stories of female trailblazers who shaped us into the nation we are today. As part of this initiative, Benjamin Moore provided $100,000 in grant funding and donated over 1,600 gallons of paint to transform the places where this history happened.
Azurest South
Petersburgh, VA
Amaza Lee Meredith was an educator, artist, and one of the country's first black female architects. Her first project, Azurest South, was completed in 1939 as a residence and personal studio for Meredith and her partner, Dr. Edna Meade Colson. A landmark of African American culture and design, it reveals Meredith’s fascination with avant-garde design and her leadership as a LGBTQIA+ woman of color in the early 20th century.Now a center for alumni and guests of Virginia State University where the building is located, Azurest South is on the National Register of Historic Places and is a reminder to all who visit the significant impact that Amaza Lee and women of color made on history.
Through our partnership with the National Trust and the Virginia State University Alumni Association, we revitalized the exterior of this one-of-a-kind structure to its former glory.
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Tate, Etienne, and Prevost Center (formally McDonogh 19 Elementary School)
New Orleans, LA
Built in 1929, McDonogh 19 Elementary School is one of the first two schools integrated in New Orleans six years after Brown v. Board of Education. On November 14, 1960, Federal Marshals escorted three six-year-old girls through a crowd of protestors to attend the school. On the same morning, not far from her peers at McDonogh 19, Ruby Bridges integrated William Frantz Elementary School. These four girls would continue to make history for years to come.Walking past screaming crowds, Leona Tate, Gail Etienne, and Tessie Prevost climbed the 18 stairs to enter McDonogh 19 Elementary School, becoming the first black students in the formerly whites-only school. These trailblazing young students attended school alone for a year and a half, while white classmates were sent to private or parochial schools. Classroom windows were covered in paper, and the school's water fountains were turned off in case of poisoning.
Closed in 2004, McDonogh 19 Elementary School has been renovated by the Leona Tate Foundation for Change, Inc. into a racial justice center, interpretive space, and a new and inspiring location for senior housing, which is reopening as the Tate, Etienne, and Prevost Center. Benjamin Moore provided a significant paint donation to support its entire interior transformation.
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The Women's Building
San Francisco, CA
An incubator for emerging Bay Area women's projects, The Women's Building is located in Dovre Hall, a former Sons of Norway meeting hall and neighborhood bar since 1979.The building's colorful mural, MAESTRAPEACE, depicts the power and contributions of women throughout history and the world. The Women's Building is a women-led community space that advocates self-determination, gender equality, and social justice.
Benjamin Moore enhanced the grand staircase that showcases the building's colorful mural as it makes its way from the exterior of the building and into the heart of the interior space.
MAESTRAPEACE Mural, ©1994 and 2000, Juana Alicia, Miranda Bergman, Edythe Boone, Susan Kelk Cervantes, Meera Desai, Yvonne Littleton, and Irene Perez. All Rights Reserved.
Odd Fellows Building
Astoria, OR
Located in the port city of Astoria, the oldest American settlement west of the Rockies, the Odd Fellows Building was the first structure rebuilt after a devastating fire in 1923.Today, three women own the Odd Fellows Building, which has served the local community for over 90 years. Astoria Arts and Movement , the heart of the building, is a flourishing center for local dance, performing arts, and physical education classes that enhance, inspire, and engage the community.
Tenants in the building are all women-owned businesses, including an art studio, apothecary, gallery, and a coffee shop.
Benjamin Moore supported this incredible transformation through color consultations, renderings, and the donation of product.
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The Odd Fellows Building has served the community for 90 years. Currently owned by three local women, the building is a hub for arts and culture. See how Benjamin Moore's support has made an impact on the site as part of a collaboration with the National Trust.
