Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Washington, D.C. Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument
AO Edited

Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument

Housing the National Women's Party since 1929, this historic house is now a monument to the fight for gender equality.

Washington, D.C.

Added By
Rachel B. Doyle
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument   AgnosticPreachersKid
Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument   Bill Rand
  fishwish / Atlas Obscura User
  fishwish / Atlas Obscura User
  e1savage / Atlas Obscura User
  e1savage / Atlas Obscura User
  e1savage / Atlas Obscura User
Stain glass door   Mywalker / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The historic red brick home at 144 Constitution Avenue has been there since 1800, but more than its longevity, the Sewall-Belmont House and Museum, which has been redubbed the Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument, is remarkable for its importance to the history of the women's rights movement.

The home was originally constructed by Robert Sewall, and it looked a bit different than it does today. The first home on the spot was a smaller building connected to a farmhouse, but it evolved over the decades to it's current state. It is said to have burned in the War of 1812, but was rebuilt and built up by the Sewall descendants until it was taken over by Vermont Senator Porter Dale in 1922, who then sold it to the National Women's Party in 1929.

Ever since then the house has remained under the ownership of the NWP, seeing it through decades of struggles for equality including the suffrage movement and the fight for women to receive equal pay. Despite near-constant issues getting funding to both staff and keep up with the repairs to the aging structure, it has continued to serve as the organization's headquarters and now as a museum to women's fight for their rights. Among the monuments and artifacts on display include a bust of NWP co-founder Alice Paul, and Susan B. Anthony's desk.

On April 12, 2016, Equal Pay Day, President Obama named christened the Sewall-Belmont House as a national monument to the struggle for equality in America. It was already a national historic landmark, but now as the Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument, it will make sure that barring an apocalypse, people in 100 years will be able to look back, and never forget the time when women had to fight for their very rights.

Update as of June 2022: Closed for renovations through 2022. 

Related Tags

Eccentric Homes Monuments Politics Homes

Know Before You Go

It is a free museum. They have a handicapped entrance, but as of June 2019 it was broken.

Community Contributors

Added By

racheldoyle

Edited By

AF, e1savage, Emily J Dudek, EricGrundhauser...

  • AF
  • e1savage
  • Emily J Dudek
  • EricGrundhauser
  • Mywalker
  • fishwish

Published

April 14, 2016

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/wash/dc82.htm
  • https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/04/11/obama-to-designate-a-national-monument-in-d-c-to-honor-womens-equality-tuesday/
  • https://www.nwhm.org/education-resources/activities/womans-suffrage-tours
  • https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/celebrating-womens-suffrage-at-the-struggling-sewall-belmont-house/2015/03/09/950742da-c676-11e4-aa1a-86135599fb0f_story.html
  • http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2015/08/12/capitol-hill-womens-history-site-may-become-park.html
Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument
144 Constitution Avenue, NE
Washington, District of Columbia, 20002
United States
38.892316, -77.003767
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

The Highest Court In the Land

Washington, D.C.

miles away

Capitol Bollards

Washington, D.C.

miles away

Reading Room at the Folger Shakespeare Library

Washington, D.C.

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

United States

Places 285
Stories 49

Nearby Places

The Highest Court In the Land

Washington, D.C.

miles away

Capitol Bollards

Washington, D.C.

miles away

Reading Room at the Folger Shakespeare Library

Washington, D.C.

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

United States

Places 285
Stories 49

Related Places

  • Summerseat

    Morrisville, Pennsylvania

    Summerseat

    This colonial mansion has been home to a staggering number of American historic figures.

  • Georg-von-Rauch-Haus

    Berlin, Germany

    Georg-von-Rauch-Haus

    Named after a militant urban guerilla, this famous former squat is a graffiti-covered stronghold of leftist culture.

  • Cambridge, Massachusetts

    Longfellow House

    One of America's most historic homes also holds a startling literary legacy.

  • New Hyde Park, New York

    Denton House McDonald's

    This outpost of America's most popular fast-food restaurant is housed inside a palatial mansion.

  • Sheffield, Australia

    Tasmania's 'Town of Murals'

    The once-dying town of Sheffield, Tasmania has reinvented itself as a village of painted wonders.

  • Tijuana, Mexico

    La Mona

    Giant nude woman of Tijuana is also the artist's home.

  • Calipatria, California

    Salvation Mountain

    A hand-built folk art installation covered with messages of God's love.

  • Chicago, Illinois

    Former Home of MTV’s “The Real World Chicago"

    Location of the Real World's disastrous, and protested, eleventh season.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.