For #WomensHistoryMonth, the story of a refuge.
Esther Lape and Elizabeth Read would often escape their busy Greenwich Village apartment for the beauty of the Connecticut coast. The home of Esther Lape and her partner Elizabeth Read was frequented by Eleanor Roosevelt as early as the 1920s when the three first met, and the visits continued even during Roosevelt’s time as First Lady. Many of the discussions at the home centered on women’s rights and desegregation.
In 1972, Lape donated the estate to the Service, becoming the first parcel in what is today Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge offers an opportunity for visitors to learn more about the historic house and its original owners.
Photo of Esther Lape (left) and Elizabeth Read (right).
