ABSTRACT
Genealogies of the modern historic preservation movement have long acknowledged a number of important women as pioneering leaders in the protection of important old buildings. This chapter explores a hitherto unknown dimension to this story by tracing very early and mostly forgotten calls for preservation found in works of American literature written by politically engaged women, and comparing these to the thoughts and work of the first great civic preservationist, Charleston’s Susan Pringle Frost. What emerges is a consistent drive towards the flowering of city life, made possible by beautiful urban fabric that is both enriched by historic meaning and ennobled by progressive reforms.
