Fanny Fern Residence

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Former home of Sara Willis Parton, feminist writer and the first female with a regular newspaper column

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From 1859 until her death in 1872, this was the residence of Fanny Fern, the first and hugely successful woman columnist ($100 per column; $10,000 per book). Fern was an ardent feminist, writing alone out of her own experience and observation. Fern was terrifically influential in the 19th century through her weekly columns and books--and in recent years through a biography and two plays. Her works are now being rediscovered and reissued. When I visit, I am touched and moved that behind the walls of this brownstone, a remarkable woman lived and wrote her works for decades. I would like to see the doorway lintel restored and the place identified with a marker.