Hemenway House: What's in a Name?

Hemenway House: What's in a Name?. . The cliff dwelling across the canyon is named for Mary Tileston Hemenway who funded the first scientific archaeological expedition in the southwest. At the time cultural objects were often removed for souvenirs or profit. Hemenway's support provided for their careful study. Although she never set foot in Mesa Verde, she left her mark by helping protect Ancestral Pueblo sites throughout this region., Occupied in the 1200s, Hemenway House has 26 rooms and one kiva. Upper stories were added over time. People living here were part of a larger community with Balcony House and other nearby sites., Women led the way , Hemenway House may be the only site in Mesa Verde named for a woman, but women played a critical role in the creation of the park. In the late 1800s Virginia McClurg, a newspaper reporter from Colorado Springs, made protecting these sites her life's calling., McClurg, a member of the Colorado General Federation of Women's Clubs, enlisted support of this 5,000 member organization. Their committee dedicated to preserving Mesa Verde eventually became the Colorado Cliff Dwellings Association. The association's apt motto was Dux Femina Facti , Latin for "Women Lead the Way.", Many women joined the cause, including Lucy Peabody, of Denver. Peabody's political connections helped push through legislation that established Mesa Verde National Park., Captions [Bottom, left to right] , . Mary Tileston Hemenway (1820-1894), a Boston philanthropist, used her fortune to support many charitable causes. , . Virginia McClurg (1857-1931) started a women's movement to fight for the preservation of Mesa Verde's cultural treasures. , . Lucy Peabody (1865-1934) used her influence in Washington DC to gain support for the idea of a national park. , . An 1884 inscription by W. H. Hayes marks this as one of the earliest cliff dwellings to be explored.