Northside District in Lexington in Fayette County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)
Groundbreaking Doctor
1903
| | Downtown African-American Heritage Trail | |
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, March 5, 2023
1. Groundbreaking Doctor Marker
Pushing for equal rights for women
This home belonged to Dr. Mary Ellen Britton, the first African American woman licensed to practice medicine in Lexington (1903). Her medical practice, which specialized in electro- and hydrotherapy, was housed here until 1923.
Dr. Britton (1855-1925) was born a free person of color in Lexington and returned here in 1876 after teaching throughout Kentucky. A great orator, her speeches on social reform were often published.
Advocating for the vote for women
In 1987, Dr. Britton gave a suffrage speech before the Kentucky Colored Teachers Association:
"If a woman is the same as a man, then she has the same rights; if she is distinct from man, then she has a right to the ballot to help make laws for her government."Dr. Britton also helped establish the Colored Orphan Industrial Home and a nursery for the children of working women.
Erected by Together Lexington. (Marker Number 11.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Science & Medicine • Women. A significant historical year for this entry is 1903.
Location. 38° 3.201′ N, 84° 29.236′ W.
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Kentucky’s Bluegrass Region. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: William Morton House (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Paul Laurence Dunbar High School (about 400 feet away); Old Morrison / Transylvania Alumni (approx. 0.4 miles away); Lewis and Clark in Kentucky / George Shannon (approx. 0.4 miles away); Transylvania (approx. 0.4 miles away); Col. Robert Patterson (1753-1827) / Patterson Cabin
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, March 5, 2023
2. Groundbreaking Doctor Marker
Another marker is no longer nearby. Transylvania University (was approx. 0.4 miles away but has been confirmed missing).
Also see . . . Mary E. Britton. Wikipedia entry on the physician, educator, suffragist, journalist and civil rights activist. (Submitted on March 14, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
Unknown via Hutchins Library at Berea College (Public Domain), circa 1925
3. Mary E. Britton (1855-1925)
Credits. This page was last revised on August 7, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 14, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 647 times since then and 58 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 14, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
