Founder of the Susan B. Anthony Museum and House in Rochester, New York
If you ever visited or plan to visit the Susan B. Anthony Museum and House in Rochester, New York, you may or may not be aware that the woman who started this museum was a native of Westford. Her name was Martha Taylor Howard who was born in Westford in 1875.
Martha Taylor grew up on the Old Oaken Bucket Farm on 70 Lowell Road owned by her father Samuel Law Taylor. In addition to being a successful farmer. Samuel was a member of Troop F. Cavalry, Massachusetts Volunteer Militia, and served on the Westford Board of Assessors. Taylor also contributed articles for the Westford Wardsman on a regular basis.
Martha’s mother, Alta M. Taylor was a Swedish mill girl from Lowell, Massachusetts. Alta became prominent since she was one of the first woman in Massachusetts elected to a school board and one the first woman to serve on the Westford School Committee. She served on the committee from 1895 to 1897. Incredibly, Ms. Taylor would be the last woman to serve on the Westford School Committee until 1923.
The Taylor’s were a very patriotic family. Samuel Taylor was a direct descendent of President John Adams. This patriotism was one of the main reasons that Martha would in later live become involved in such organizations as the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Daughters of the American Colonists.
Martha graduated from Westford Academy in 1893. She then enrolled at Mt. Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts and graduated from Mt. Holyoke in 1899. At college, she was a literary major and served as class secretary and yearbook editor. After graduating from Mt. Holyoke, Martha taught elementary school for one year and then taught psychology at Western College in Ohio.
In 1910, Martha Married George Howard, Jr. of New Jersey. George Howard worked as a stock trader and for many years was associated with M.C. Bouvier and Company which was one of the oldest stock brokerage firms in New York City. John Vernon Bouvier, owner of the firm was the father of Jacqueline (Bouvier) Kennedy. Martha and George were married at the Taylor house in Westford.
The former Westford farm girl also had an adventurous spirit. In 1909, she and a friend drove across the country to California in a car. This was a remarkable achievement considering the state of automobiles and roads in the country at the time.
Martha Taylor Howard came from a Republican family and considered herself to be a “rock-ribbed” Republican. She viewed politics as a civic duty but considered her involvement with clubs as more important than politics. Most women in the women suffrage movement belonged to the Republican party since the GOP was the party of the suffrage movement and Susan B. Anthony was a Republican.
During the 1920’s, Martha and George Howard were living in New York City. George was still working for the Bouvier firm. The couple had two sons; George Taylor Howard who was born in 1914. Tragically, their second son Lawrence Salisbury Howard died in 1926 at the age of nine from scarlet fever.
Tragedy struck Martha again in 1933 when her husband George died from a then rare disease. Her mother Alta had died in 1922 and her father Samuel passed away in 1932. Then in her early fifties, she was alone without an income. This was before the days of Social Security. Her son George was now a student at Amherst College.
Putting her literary talents to work, she started to work as a free-lance journalist writing for such newspapers as the New York Times, New York Sun, and other publications. Martha also continued to be associated with her clubs such as her continued work with the D.A.R. She was also highly active with the New York City Women’s Press Club.
After graduating from Amherst College and Harvard Business School in 1939, George jr. got a job with Kodak in Rochester, New York. Martha decided to move with him and his new bride and together they rented a house. Martha had only been to Rochester once before but being a great traveler, she had contacts in this city.
Martha moved to Rochester in October 1939 when she was in her mid-sixties. In Rochester, she continued her work with the Daughters of the American Revolution. Her keen sense of patriotism, interest in women’s issues and her believe that being a descendant of U.S. presidents compelled her to become involved in local history and affairs.
While living in Rochester, Martha became a member of the Christian Science Church. One reason for joining this church was that it was a short distance from her home. However, more importantly was the church’s emphasis on “living a bold and compassionate life.” During this time, the former Westford resident began subscribing and contributing to the Christian Science Monitor. She also became friends with Elmer Lutz, who wrote for the Monitor and had written a biography on Susan B. Anthony.
After moving to Rochester, Martha joined a women’s club founded by Susan B. Anthony. It was here that Ms. Taylor discovered that Anthony had been a strong advocate of women running for school boards. This would certainly have peaked Martha’s interest in the women’s suffrage leader because of her mother’s term on the Westford School Committee.
Martha then wondered why there was not some type of memorial at Anthony’s former residence. After finding out that too many Rochester residents did not even know where Susan B. Anthony had lived, Martha knew that something had to be done to honor the suffrage leader.
While visiting Susan B. Anthony’s former home with five other women, the widow who lived in the house informed the group that the house was for sale. After the visit, Martha and her five friends (the group would later be known as the Rochester Federation of Women’s Club) decided that they would raise funds and buy the home. All five of Martha’s friends contributed one dollar apiece for the purchase of the residence. This would be the start of the fund-raising efforts.
The purchase price for the house was $8.500. In total, the group would need to raise a total of $ 10,000 to buy and renovate the home. Impressed on how the Christian Science Publishing Society raised funds, Martha and her group did not go door to door in their fund-raising efforts. Instead, they simply placed adds in the newspaper stating the importance of creating a memorial for Susan B. Anthony. This method worked since contributions began to come in both large and small.
By 1945, Martha and her group stepped up their fund-raising efforts. This included a national fund-raising broadcast over CBS radio which Martha took part. Other women’s groups throughout the country also took part in the fund raising. By the end of the year, the group raised $5,000 and were able to make a down payment and receive the deed for the former Anthony home.
After purchasing the dwelling, Martha and the Rochester Federation of Women’s Clubs wanted another organization to take over the memorial. They approached the Rochester Public Library and various historical organizations throughout the country. Although these groups supported the group’s efforts, they were not interested in taking control of the Anthony memorial.
Undeterred, Howard and her supporters relied on private memberships to run the museum and complete the house’s restoration. Finally, after all their efforts, The Susan B. Anthony Museum and House opened to the public on February 14, 1947. The group had even got the City of Rochester to pave the road in front of the home before the opening. A crowd of four hundred people were there for the celebration.
Martha Taylor Howard continued to work on women’s issues for the remainder of her life. She also maintained contact with her hometown of Westford. Martha was active with the Westford Academy Alumni Association and often attended the annual Westford Academy Alumni banquet.
Ms. Howard died in Rochester on July 11, 1962. In her obituary she is described as the “Incomparable Mrs. George Howard… Defender of patriotism and people.”
Martha Taylor Howard was buried in Fairview Cemetery, not far from the Old Oaken Bucket Farm. (James VanBever, 2022)
Sources:
Paquette, Thomas G. Legendary Locals of Westford. P. 32.
Lowell Sun, July 17, 1962, p. 3,
Martha Taylor Howard, “Savior of 17 Madison Street”, Jenny Lloyd.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zVbciKhdUs
Rochester Chronicle and Democrat, July 12, 1962, p.29. “Mrs. George Howard Dies, Historical, Social Leader.”
Virginia Mo0re, Local History Librarian, J.V. Fletcher Library, Westford, MA
Bob Oliphant, Town Historian, Westford MA