The "Something Is Being Done" Monument

Meet Lexington's Bold Women - from Jessie Steigerwald, LexSeeHer President

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 out 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. The monument includes Cate Chester and Her Mother with a representation that marks the pain of family separation. Cate was separated from her family as a young child, and taken from Boston to Boxborough. She was enslaved throughout her childhood, and somehow managed to negotiate for her freedom and a piece of land. Cate came to Lexington just before the Revolution and married Prince Chester. They had two daughters while living in Town, and were paid for their spinning work. The Chesters moved back to Boxborough.

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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 Miles 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. Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin discovered the composition of the sun, and her work on multivariable stars was groundbreaking. She went on to become the first woman tenured professor at Harvard. Jean Fletcher and Sarah Pillsbury Harkness were founders 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 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 representative figures: one marches on toward the future carrying a "Persist" sign, and another shares women's stories as she stands beside a fire. These figures recognize that young women are tomorrow's leaders, and the people who will continue the pursuit of liberty and equality when they see that "Something Must Be Done."