The First Lady concluded her tour in Waterloo, New York, where
she visited the M'Clintock House, the house where the Declaration of
Sentiments was drafted and finalized, and the Wesleyan Methodist Church.
Historical Significance: The M'Clintock House is where the
Declaration
of Rights and Sentiments were finalized, three days before the Womens
Rights Convention in 1848, marking an important first step toward legal,
political, and educational rights for women in America. Elizabeth Cady
Stanton was a primary figure in the womens movement and the events of
1848 at Seneca Falls. The Wesleyan Chapel housed the first Womens Rights
Convention 150 years ago.
Preservation needs: The extant exterior of the M'Clintock House has
been
renovated, but the interior is in shambles with no functioning utility
systems. Plans and specifications are nearly completed to restore the
interior, reconstruct the missing kitchen wing and rehabilitate the
grounds. The house is currently not open to the public.
- The Stanton House is open to the public and the extant portion is
fully restored. However, two missing wings have yet to be reconstructed.
- Wesleyan Chapel has been restored as much as remains of it which
are the two side walls and roof. The chapel will need more protection in
the future.
- Visitor facilities are inadequate, and in addition, represent
modern intrusions on the cultural landscape. There is a proposal to
construct a new Visitors Center at a nearby site along the Cayuga-Seneca
Canal. Visitors would board a canal boat in downtown Seneca Falls and
ride the approximately ½ mile through the Historic District to the site.
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