City Center in Chattanooga in Hamilton County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
Frances Willard House
placed on the
National Register
of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Charity & Public Work • Fraternal or Sororal Organizations • Women. A significant historical year for this entry is 1928.
Location. 35° 2.937′ N, 85° 18.292′ W. Marker is in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in Hamilton County. It is in City Center. Marker is on Lindsay Street south of Vine Street, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 615 Lindsay St, Chattanooga TN 37403, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Hamilton County (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Military History of Chattanooga (about 600 feet away); Abby Crawford Milton (about 700 feet away); First Methodist Church (about 700 feet away); Point in the Line of Fort Sherman (approx. 0.2 miles away); Headquarters of Brigadier General George D. Wagner (approx. 0.2 miles away); Site of General Bragg's Headquarters (approx. 0.2 miles away); Chancellor T. M. McConnell House (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chattanooga.
Regarding Frances Willard House. Excerpt from the historical and architectural survey:
During the 1880's, Chattanooga was beginning to grow rapidly and many new jobs became available. As a result, The Frances Willard Home was established in 1887 as a home to provide a protected home environment for young women from rural areas who had come to the city seeking these jobs. This home was the result of efforts of the Chattanooga Chapter of the Women's Christian Temperance Union, established in 1882 as one of the first W.C.T.U. chapters in Tennessee.
The concept of this type of home originated with Frances Willard's "Rest Collage" experiment of a residential club for business women in Illinois. …
In the early years the home was located in various places, but in 1890 it moved into a permanent home for the next thirty years. By the 1920's, these facilities were not sufficient for the number of women seeking rooms, and the W.C.T.U. began the construction of a new building adjacent to their former structure. In 1928 the new
home was opened … Today, none of the former Frances Willard Homes remain; thus 1928 structure is the only building remaining in Chattanooga associated with this concept.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 18, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 354 times since then and 55 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 18, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 4. submitted on April 9, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. 5. submitted on October 18, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.