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Part of the American
History & Genealogy Project |
Mary Tileston Hemenway 1822 ~ 1894
Mary Tileston Hemenway, philanthropist,
was born in New York City, in 1822; daughter of Thomas Tileston,
wealthy New York merchant. Her husband, a Boston business man,
the owner of extensive silver mines in South America; acquired a
large fortune, and after his death she came into possession of
about $15,000,000, thus becoming the richest woman in Boston.
During her long life Mrs. Hemenway bestowed much thought and
money upon charitable and educational institutions. She gave the
sum of $100,000 to found the Tileston Normal School, Wilmington,
North Carolina. In 1876, when the existence of the Old South
Meeting House, Boston, was threatened, she gave one-half of the
$200,000 necessary to save the historic edifice from being torn
down. In 1878 the series of free lectures for children was
started at her suggestion in the Old South Church, which
continued informally until 1883, when the regular free course of
historical lectures for young people was inaugurated.
In 1881 she established four annual prizes for High School
pupils for the best essays on scientific topics and American
history. She also established kitchen gardens, sew-ing schools,
cooking schools and the Boston Normal School of Gymnastics;
contributed duly to the support of archaeological expeditions
and explorations in the Southwest and to the funds of the
American Archaeological Institute; was the patroness of the
"Journal of American Ethnology and Archaeology," and gave
generously to the "Boston Teachers Mutual Benefit Association."
After her death the trustees of her estate conveyed to the state
board of education the "Boston Normal School of Household Arts,"
established by her, and which was subsequently transferred to
Farmingham, Massachusetts. She died in Boston, Massachusetts,
March 6, 1894.
Women of
America
Source: The Part Taken by Women in
American History, By Mrs. John A. Logan, Published by The Perry-Nalle
Publishing Company, Wilmington, Delaware, 1912.
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