Women's Rights: Martha Coffin Wright - Seneca Falls, NY

Women's Rights

Martha Coffin Wright

Seneca Falls, NY

Martha Coffin Wright (on right)

N 42° 54.637 W 076° 48.010

Short Description: 

A statue of Martha Coffin Wright is located on the first floor of the Women's Rights National Historic Park at 136 Fall Street, Seneca Falls, NY.

Martha Coffin Wright 

Long Description:

Martha Coffin was born on December 25, 1806 in Boston, MA. She was the youngest of eight children and the sister of Lucretia Coffin Mott. Her first marriage ended after two years with the death of her husband, Peter Pelham. They had one child. She moved to Auburn, NY, married David Wright, and had six more children.

Martha, like her more famous sister Lucretia, was an ardent abolitionist. Her home in Auburn was a station in the underground railroad. When Martha was pregnant with her seventh child she and her sister Lucretia attended the first Women's Rights Convention in Seneca Falls, NY on July 19-20, 1848. Martha went on to participated in many state and national women’s rights conventions. She was secretary of the 1852 and 1856 National Women’s Rights Conventions, served as an officer at the 1853 and 1854 National Women’s Rights Conventions, presided over the National Women’s Rights Convention in 1855 in Ohio, and the 1855 New York State Women’s Rights Convention in Saratoga.

Life size bronze statues of Martha Coffin Wright was created by Lloyd Lillie. She stand at ground level along with other members of the First Wave, a sculptural grouping of nineteen women's rights activists. She is dressed in period clothing with a long dress which is belted high around her waist, a ribbon around her neck, and a bonnet in her hair that has a rose on the left side. She is holding a handkerchief in her left hand. She stands to the left of an unidentified person who has her hand in Martha Wright's arm.

Visitor Center is open Wednesday-Sunday from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM (except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day). All public programs, tours, exhibits, and film are free to the public.