Woodstock
But a new tour being offered this season focuses solely on the contributions of the women of the families.
“There’s women behind those three men who made contributions to conservation,” said park ranger Mary Merges, who leads the “Women’s Wednesdays” tours. Merges tells the stories of Carolyn Crane Marsh; Julia Parmly Billings and her daughters; and Billings’ granddaughter, Mary French Rockefeller.
As she researched for the tour, Merges said, she tried to look for themes that tied the three families together, beyond the obvious ties to the land.
“They all had an interest in educating young women,” she said.
They also had husbands who supported their intellectual pursuits. Marsh, for example, published a book the same year as her husband, George Perkins Marsh.
Billings, the wife of Frederick Billings, oversaw renovations at the mansion and largely was responsible for the art that graced its walls.
“It was because of Julia and her friendship with artists,” Merges said, “that she and her husband became art collectors.”
Elizabeth Billings, one of the couple’s daughters, was well-known for her interest in gardening, and the mansion’s gardens largely were her doing.
“She was quite a botanist,” Merges said.
The granddaughter of Julia and Frederick Billings, Mary French Rockefeller and her husband, Laurance Spelman Rockefeller, were the last to reside in the mansion before it was donated to the National Park Service. On the second floor of the mansion, Merges pointed out a small detail that would be easy to overlook: the towels in Laurance Spelman Rockefeller’s bathroom were embroidered with his wife’s initials.
“He didn’t want to overshadow her,” Merges said.
Throughout the 1½-hour program, it was clear that the women were just as influential as their husbands. And thanks to the new tour at Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller, they finally get their due.
Editor’s note:“Women’s Wednesdays” tours will be held every Wednesday at 1 p.m., beginning at the Carriage Barn Visitors Center at Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park, 54 Elm St., Woodstock. Adults $8, seniors 62 and over or passholders $4, 15 and under free. Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling 802-457-3368, ext. 222. For more information about the park, visit www.nps.gov/mabi/index.htm.
Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.com or 603-727-3221.
