The Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument is a museum highlighting the fight for women’s suffrage and the equal rights movement
The Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument has been the headquarters for the National Women’s Party (NWP) for almost 90 years. It is named for Alva Belmont (former president and primary funder of the NWP) and Alice Paul (one of the primary strategists for the women’s rights movement). The entryway to the house features paintings and busts of women who were influential in the women’s suffrage and women’s equality movements. The Belmont-Paul house became the NWP’s Washington headquarters almost a decade after women were given the right to vote. It served as the base of operations for lobbying for the Equal Rights Amendment and more than 100 other legislative actions to ensure women’s rights were protected under the law.
Most visitors to the Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument will be surprised to learn that the women’s suffrage movement was much more than banners and parades. The grueling struggle for women’s rights and the violent reaction by politicians and the public are aspects of women’s suffrage that are not usually taught in American schools. I, for one, was surprised to learn that Emmeline Pankhurst was a real person and not just a song lyric in Mary Poppins. The many banners on display were actually used by suffragettes to protest around the country, including in front of the White House. As you go up the stairs to the second floor, you can touch the original banner poles used to proudly display these banners and reflect on the resilience of these women for whom failure was not an option.
More than 500 women were arrested for protesting in front of the White House (charged with “obstructing traffic”). Despite this, women continued to show up every day, and in all the extremes of DC weather, to protest. Almost 200 women served time in jail under squalid conditions. They were beaten, violently force-fed when they conducted a hunger strike, and were often imprisoned without notification to their families. In the face of this horrific treatment, these women defiantly smuggled out the key to District Prison and being incarcerated became a badge of honor for members of the women’s suffrage movement. The key is now on display in the “Tactics and Strategies” exhibit of the museum.
Today’s users of the internet probably believe cat memes are unique to this generation. The anti-suffrage movement created Suffrage Cat to mock suffragettes and portray them as silly and unfeminine. Cartoons and postcards portrayed unhappy cats at home to illustrate women’s suffrage as a threat to traditional domestic ideals. I personally think Suffrage Cat is awesome and can easily image both suffragettes and modern feminists proudly embracing what was intended as an insult.
One of my favorite parts of the Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument is the interactive elements they have added throughout the museum. On the first floor, women are encouraged to sign a card pledging to vote in honor of the women who fought so hard to gain this right for future generations. Mirrors throughout the house include selfie-ready empowering sayings like “I stand on the shoulders of the women before me,” “I will run for office,” and “This is what a leader looks like.” The last saying is shown below in one of the bedrooms used by NWP members as a second home when working in DC.
It is impossible to miss the gorgeous stained glass fanlight in a peacock design and the matching sidelights around the front door of the house. The design has become a symbol for the house and the NWP. The windows were recently restored and reinstalled, so they are especially bright and colorful now.
The Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument is a museum honoring the bold women of history who fought for the rights of women and endured great personal sacrifice for their cause. Although you can tour the Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument on your own, I strongly recommend taking a guided tour with one of the park rangers. The tour lasts an hour to 90 minutes and is led by incredibly passionate and enthusiastic rangers with a wealth of knowledge about the site. The short video at the beginning of the tour (narrated by Allison Janney of the West Wing) is a bit awkward to watch standing around the TV in the enclosed porch, but it provides context for the museum’s exhibits and the women’s rights movement. The Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument is one of my favorite adventures in DC, and I learn something new every time I stop by.
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Address
144 Constitution Ave NE
Metro Station
- Union Station (RD)
- Capitol South (OR, BL, SV)
Directions
The entrance to the museum at the back of the house. To get there, go up the stairs at the side of the house on 2nd Street NE.
Accessibility
The Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument has a wheelchair lift at the 2nd Street entrance. There is another lift from the enclosed porch to get to the exhibits on the fully accessible main floor. Due to the historic nature of the house, the second floor is not accessible.
Cost
Free
Hours
Wednesday to Sunday from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm. Guided tours at 9:30 am, 11:00 am, 2:00 pm, and 3:30 pm.
Closed January 1 – 30, 2018 for restoration work.
Length of Adventure
90 minutes
