Boston Women's Memorial


The Boston Women's Memorial is a trio of sculptures on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall in Boston, Massachusetts, commemorating the lives of Phillis Wheatley, Abigail Adams, and Lucy Stone.

Overview

The idea of a memorial to women was first discussed in 1992 in recognition of the under-representation of women among Boston's statues. A collaboration between the Boston Women's Commission, the Commonwealth Avenue Mall Committee and the Massachusetts Historical Society, supported by Angela Menino, the wife of the city's mayor, developed the memorial over the next twelve years.
The design competition was won by New York sculptor Meredith Bergmann. The memorial was unveiled on October 25, 2003, by the mayor of Boston, Thomas Menino.
The statues present the women at street level, rather than on a plinth, although plinths are used as part of the artwork. Stone, for example, is positioned using her plinth as an editorial desk, working on the Woman's Journal, which she founded. Quotations from the women are inscribed on their plinths.
Local people regularly leave items at or on the statues — scarves around the women's necks in winter, a Boston Red Sox cap on Wheatley's head when the team won the World Series in 2004.
The memorial is featured on the Ladies Walk of the Boston Women's Heritage Trail.