Boston woman's 140-acre Maine gift helped pave the way for Acadia
Eliza Homans, a Boston resident, donated 140 acres of land in Maine to help establish Acadia National Park in the early 20th century. Her contribution preserved significant natural features like the Bowl and the Beehive, ensuring they remained protected from commercial development.
Why it matters
This story sheds light on the often-overlooked role of women in the history of American land conservation and the creation of national parks.
Acadia National Park was the first national park created from private lands gifted to the public through the efforts of conservation-minded citizens. Many of the activities surrounding the civic groups that created the park excluded women and people of colour, as per the park's website. However, there was one woman, a longtime resident Eliza Homans, who donated 140 acres of land to the park and this area is a popular hiking and viewing spot today.Eliza Lee Lothorp was born in 1832 in Dover, New Hampshire to Mary and Samuel K. Lothorp. She spent her childhood in Boston and married Charles Dudley Homans in 1856.
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