LexSeeHer MONUMENT CONCEPT

January 6, 2022: LexSeeHer is excited to share the updated design sketch from sculptor Meredith Bergmann! Learn more about all of the honorees, who were selected following a 5 month open nomination period. Many honorees are featured in Lexington Historical Society's "Something Must Be Done" exhibit, some are included in the work of Freedom's Way, and additional research by Steering Committee members and members of our Advisory Board helped bring forward inspiring women across time. Special thanks to historian and author Mary Keenan.

ABOVE: Preliminary sketch: Something Is Being Done, a monument for Lexington, Massachusetts by Meredith Bergmann.   RIGHT TOP: Meredith Bergmann, artist. RIGHT BELOW: Artist's site concept.

PHOTO CREDIT: Michael Bergmann   Scroll down for opposite side and additional honorees.

ABOVE: Preliminary monument key - a guide to identifying the contributions made by Lexington women across time. 1.6.22  This is a work in progress, as we strive to share many inspiring stories about women who have helped improve our community and country!

Descriptive Essay - from Jessie Steigerwald, LexSeeHer

Meredith Bergmann’s preliminary sketch for Something Is Being Done! recognizes contributions made by bold Lexington women who, when faced with injustice or seemingly insurmountable obstacles, determined that “Something Must Be Done.” Visitors will be welcomed to stand amidst these courageous women, draw strength from them, and help lead the future!

On April 19, 1775, Abigail Harrington famously declared “The reg’lars are coming and something must be done” as she awakened Jonathan, her sleeping son, who was fifer for Lexington’s militia company. Here in the Birthplace of American Liberty, our monuments and memorials have historically celebrated men’s agency in the pursuit of liberty and freedom. It is time to properly recognize and celebrate “women’s work.” 

“Something Is Being Done” recognizes women as powerful agents of change. They were literally Mothers of the Revolution; Abigail Harrington and Phebe Banister Burdoo serve to remind viewers that women gave birth to, raised and supported the men who are recognized for their service in the Revolution. In the years preceding the Battle of Lexington, despite being disempowered from owning property and outright excluded from voting, running for, or serving in office, women exercised political and economic agency. They made an impact through boycotts and acts of defiance, including the 1769 Spinning Match protest which was hosted by Anna Harrington. Women were believed to have joined the 1773 Lexington Tea Burning protest and took charge to carry out the boycott. Abigail Harrington and Ruth Buckman sustained the boycott by organizing, respectively, family meals and meals for visitors at Buckman Tavern. 

In addition to oppression from the monarchy and patriarchy, Black women shouldered additional burdens of racism and, for some, enslavement. Enslaved women in Lexington could and did have their children taken away and sold as property. Margaret Tulip arrived in Lexington as a child, as other Black people did, and was considered property rather than a free person. Margaret Tulip was initially emancipated, but was then "unjustly taken" and enslaved again. Through determination, strength, and persistence, Margaret Tulip sued for her freedom in the courts in 1768 and won in 1770. Slavery remained legal in Massachusetts for more than a decade, and legal in America until 1865.

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LexSeeHer Monument Timeline

Milestones in government approval process:​

• 3/8/20: LexSeeHer launched with proposal for a privately funded monument to women in a highly visible and accessible location.

• Summer 2020: Gathered signatures for Citizens Petition for Fall 2020 Special Town Meeting

• Fall 2020: Brought Article 7 to Town Meeting

• Nov. '20 - Jan '21 Pursued Plan A to locate a monument outside Cary Library

• Feb. '21 - April '21: Developed Plan B to locate a monument on Visitors Center lawn

• Spring -Summer 2021: Call to Artists, Founders Campaign

• 12/28/21: Commission on Disability voted unanimously in support of proposed monument, plaza and site

• 1/22: Monuments & Memorials Committee voted in support of budget threshold of 90%.

• 2/3/22: Center Committee voted unanimously in support of proposed monument.

• 2/10/22: Historic Districts Commission voted in favor of Certificate of Appropriateness with request for follow-up on specific issue, including axial rotation.

• 2/14/22: LexSeeHer and HDC liaison held site visit to review axial rotation.

• 3/1/22: LexSeeHer provided presentation at Council for the Arts.

• 3/31/22: Tourism Committee votes in support of monument but opposes sitting at "Site 15".

• 4/7/22: Monuments & Memorials Committee takes two votes (a) in support of monument (b) not in favor of Site 15. Chair suggests LexSeeHer find "less offensive" site.

• April - May  Site Visits
  Gathering input on possible alternate sites.

• May / June: Requested opportunity to present to Select Board with monument at Site 15. Feedback from community stakeholders indicated there is widespread support for Site 15, and that alternate site have drawbacks (and less support).

• July 25, 2022: Select Board voted unanimously in support of LexSeeHer proposal

ABOVE: Preliminary sketch: Something Is Being Done, a monument for Lexington, Massachusetts by Meredith Bergmann.    Scroll up for opposite side and additional honorees.

Women pursued liberty and justice in the 1800s as activists, authors, and educators, as well as through their relationships with friends and family. Mary Elizabeth Bibb was the first African-American woman to graduate from the Normal School. She was a leader in education, journalism, and the abolitionist movement. Author and abolitionist Eliza Follen employed empathy to communicate moral messages to youth and adults. She encouraged Lexington women to become activists, telling Julia Robbins: “abolition is women’s work.” Julia Robbins supported abolition and woman suffrage. Her niece, Ellen Adelia Stone, shattered a local glass ceiling when she became the first woman in a local election to win a seat on Lexington's School Committee. Three generations of Wellingtons employed the power of petition, publicity, and fundraising for a woman’s right to vote. Caroline Wellington, a ‘granddaughter of the Revolution,’ supported local, state, and national efforts to enable women to vote. Women contributed socially, intellectually, financially, and culturally, which enriched civic associations across town.

In the 20th century, individual Lexington women continued to reach new heights, with aviator Peggy Kimball earning the highest pilot ratings available at the time. Many women’s achievements resulted from collaboration. Sarah Pillsbury Harkness was a founder of The Architects Collaborative who valued accessible design and sustainable practices. Expanded liberty presented new opportunities to seize, and women continued to address barriers to equality. Progress in achieving equal political representation remained slow. Though the town was incorporated in 1713, it was not until 1956 that Ruth Morey became the first woman elected to serve as a “Selectman.” Lexington went another 31 years before years before Margery Milne Battin became the first elected woman to serve as Town Moderator in 1987. Margery was instrumental in leading the evolution of Lexington's local government. Sylvia Ferrell-Jones pursued racial and gender justice throughout her entire life, and was recognized for the impact of her work with the Racial Amity Award in 2015. Educator and musician, Janet Haas channeled her talents and energy to benefit thousands of students in Lexington's Public Schools by teaching students from Kindergarten through high school self expression through the arts.

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Bergmann includes two representative figures: one marches on toward the future, and the other tends to a historic fire. These figures recognize that today's youth are tomorrow's leaders, and the people who will continue the pursuit of liberty and equality when they see that "Something Must Be Done."