Birthplace of Sophia Smith, Hatfield, Mass. Founder of Smith College

From the collections of PVMA • Digital image © Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Assoc. • Image use information

About this item

This 1790s homestead was the birthplace and home of Sophia Smith for nearly 70 years. The daughter of a well-to-do farmer, Sophia never married. At age 40, she became deaf and somewhat of a recluse in this house. She inherited all of her family’s wealth and when she died in 1870, left the bulk of her large fortune (about $390,000) to found Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. The property was purchased in 1915 by the Alumnae Association of Smith College, and the class of 1896 restored and furnished the house with much of the original furniture.

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Details

Item typePhotograph
Postcard
PhotographerScott Photo Company
Dateafter 1915
PlaceHatfield, Massachusetts
TopicEducation, Literacy
Gender, Gender Roles, Women
Architecture, Buildings
EraProgressive Era, World War I, 1900–1928
MaterialPaper
Process/FormatPhotography
Dimension detailsHeight: 3.50 in Width: 5.50 in
Catalog #1997.08.01.0104
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Scott Photo Company, photographer. Birthplace of Sophia Smith, Hatfield, Mass. Founder of Smith College. Photograph. after 1915. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/1997-08-01-0104/. Accessed on October 11, 2024.

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