National Historic Landmark

New Century Guild

Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
Listed
November 4, 1993
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
93001611

About this property

The New Century Guild, now the New Century Trust, is an historic women's support organization which is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1882, it is one of the oldest and largest organizations devoted to meeting the needs of women in the labor force. From its founding, the organization's goal has been to address the specific needs of "self-supporting women." Its headquarters building at 1307 Locust Street in Center City, Philadelphia is a National Historic Landmark. In 1882, Eliza Sproat Turner and other members of the New Century Club formed a committee for working women named the New Century Guild. It grew out a collection of evening classes for working women that began in 1880. She was assisted by artist Gabrielle D. Clements and Florence Kelley, later known as Florence Wischnevetsky. Its purpose was to provide education and opportunities for working women to learn a vocation. Soon afterward, the Guild became a separate organization and it needed its own building by 1892 to support programs and classes. The New Century Trust was formed in 1893 to facilitate funding for its first building. The Guild headquarters are in a four-story Italianate brick rowhouse built in 1851. It was purchased by the Guild in 1906 from the estate of Dr. Thomas Drysdale. In addition to housing the offices of the guild, it has a library and meeting spaces available for its membership. The building was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1993 in recognition of the guild's history. List of National Historic Landmarks in Philadelphia National Register of Historic Places listings in Center City, Philadelphia Gender Justice Fund, legal successor to the New Century Guild The New Century Trust Records (1854-2004), including organizational records, photographs and other materials related to The New Century Trust and New Century Guild, are available for research use at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

Location

1307 Locust St.
Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
39.94825, -75.16267

Categories

SOCIAL HISTORY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

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Nearby Battles

Battle of Germantown Oct 4 1777
1777Revolutionary War
3 mi
Battle of Gloucester (NJ) 1777
1777Revolutionary War
4.4 mi
Battle of Barren Hill
1778Revolutionary War
4.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was New Century Guild listed on the National Register?

New Century Guild was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 4, 1993.

What type of historic resource is New Century Guild?

New Century Guild is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is New Century Guild a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. New Century Guild has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for New Century Guild?

The period of significance for New Century Guild is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near New Century Guild?

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