Every March, Women’s History Month invites us to pause and look at the people who built our communities. Some of the stories are well known – names etched into monuments or printed in textbooks. But many others, often those of women, live quietly in the margins: teachers who shaped generations, activists who pushed for justice, artists who reimagined the world, caregivers who held neighborhoods together. These women influenced Cambridge in myriad ways, yet for centuries their contributions were scattered, forgotten or never recorded at all.

The Cambridge Women’s Heritage Project was created to change that. It is, at its heart, a restoration project – not of buildings, but of remembrance. This effort seeks to bring women’s contributions into focus, ensuring that they are included in city’s rich history.

Dr. Ruth Marguerite Easterling
Pathologist, first African American woman admitted to Tufts Medical School

The project began in 1996, sparked by a community effort to honor writer May Sarton with a memorial at the Cambridge Public Library. What started as a single tribute quickly revealed a larger truth: Cambridge history was rich with women whose stories deserved recognition. That realization grew into a city-supported initiative to document women’s lives from Cambridge’s founding in 1630 to the present day.

Today, the CWHP is a living, evolving archive. Volunteers, historians and community members work together to research and write biographies of Cambridge women and women’s organizations. Some entries are detailed portraits; others are fragments waiting to be expanded. To date, more than 900 women and groups have been nominated, and the project continues to grow as stories surface.

Flyer for Bread and Roses Restaurant
Gourmet vegetarian restaurant and center for feminism (1974-1978)

The work is meticulous and often challenging. Many women left few written records, and their contributions were not always preserved in traditional archives. The CWHP addresses this by gathering information from published sources, obituaries, local history collections and community submissions. Each entry is edited, fact checked and organized so future researchers, students and residents can explore the city’s history through a more inclusive lens.

But the project is more than a database. It is also a catalyst for public engagement. Over the years, the CWHP has hosted International Women’s Day celebrations, walking tours, lectures and other programs that bring women’s history into the public square. It invites the community to participate – by nominating women, sharing photographs, offering corrections or volunteering to help with research.

Helen Wendler Markham (born Helen Wendler Deane)
Biologist, histochemist, humanitarian

The CWHP was created as a project of the Cambridge Women’s Commission and Cambridge Historical Commission and relies on volunteers from the community to keep growing. The mission is both simple and profound: to celebrate the women of Cambridge, to preserve their stories and to ensure that future generations can see themselves reflected in the city’s past.

During Women’s History Month, the project feels especially resonant. It reminds us that history is not fixed; it is something we build, revise and enrich. We invite you to follow us on social media as we highlight a selection of these individuals and organizations where the stories of women – long overlooked – are finally being given the visibility and honor they deserve.

Visit the Cambridge Women’s Heritage Project database.

Follow the Cambridge Historical Commission on Instagram and WordPress blog.