New Rochelle in Westchester County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Lillian & Dorothy Gish
(1893 - 1993) (1898 - 1968)
| | New Rochelle Walk of Fame | |
Lillian Gish was called the First Lady of American Cinema. She is particularly associated with the films of director D. W. Griffith including The Birth of a Nation (1915) and Intolerance (1916). Dorothy Gish was noted as a fine comedian, and many of her films were comedies. Both sisters had great success on the stage and Dorothy was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame.
When D. W. Griffith moved his film production company from Holywood to Mamaroneck's Orienta Point in 1919, his leading ladies Lillian and Dorothy Gish followed. The two sisters rented a home overlooking the Sound in the south end of New Rochelle that was to become the Huguenot Yacht Club. The sisters resided there for the next few years communicating to Griffith's studios located on the former Flager estate, working on some of his most important movies. Among them, Way Down East, starred Lillian Gish as an unwed mother opposite New Rochelle resident Richard Barthelmess and Orphans of the Storm starred both sisters. Lillian Gish used her adopted community of New Rochelle to film one of the few silent movies directed by a woman. In 1920, Gish
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Lillian also starred in some memorable sound films including Duel in the Sun (1946), The Night of the Hunter (1955) and The Whales of August (1987). In 1948, she made her television debut in The Late Christopher Bean, and continued to regularly appear on television for the rest of her life.
In 1970, LIllian was awarded a special Academy Award for "superlative artistry and for distinguished contribution to the progress of motion pictures." She died in 1993. Dorothy died in 1968 and both sisters are entombed in Saint Bartholomew's Episcopal Church in New York City.
Erected by City of New Rochelle, NY; New Rochelle Downtown Business District.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment • Women. A significant historical year for this entry is 1919.
Location. 40° 54.615′ N, 73° 46.958′ W. Marker is in New Rochelle, New York, in Westchester County. It is on Lawton Street south of Huguenot Street (U.S. 1), on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker
Regionally, this marker is in the Hudson Valley and in the New York City Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Northeast, in the Mid-Atlantic, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Netherland and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Henry Heimlich (here, next to this marker); Jay Leno (here, next to this marker); Nell Brinkley (here, next to this marker); Reginald Marsh (here, next to this marker); Claire Trevor (here, next to this marker); Fritz Pollard (here, next to this marker); Mariano Rivera (here, next to this marker); New Rochelle in the NFL (here, next to this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in New Rochelle.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 20, 2025. It was originally submitted on April 20, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 349 times since then and 45 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 20, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
