Rochester Women Building A Legacy

Women Building a Legacy is a program developed by Habitat for Humanity that invites women to build new homes with low income working families in order to address the problem of substandard housing and its effects on the health and well-being of children. Click here to learn more about Habitat's program, now known simply as "Women Build" .

Volunteer Ruth McMillen at work.

Libby Pataki, wife of New York's governor George Pataki, added a door knocker to officially complete the project.

Allison Bourne, a friend of homeowner Rita Alexander, was a frequent volunteer and compiled a beautiful photo album as a housewarming gift. Click here to peek inside.

This is an extraordinary Habitat house, with careful use of period architectural cues.

In the spring of 2002, FCHH invited the women of Rochester to help construct a new home in the Susan B. Anthony historic neighborhood. The famed social reformer and women's rights campaigner called this neighborhood her home for 40 years. This project, Flower City Habitat's fourth women-built home, commemorates the 150th anniversary of her involvement in the women's rights movement.

Construction of the 1,100 square foot home at 4 North Madison Park began in June 2002 and was completed in the late fall. Habitat homeowner Rita Alexander and her family moved in on December 1st.

Long-time Habitat architects Sheila Sloan and Gene Laneri from Greater Living Architecture designed the home, using period architectural styling cues that help the house fit into the neighborhood. Driveway access is from a rear alley.

This unusual Habitat house was built on a site with an interesting history ...and many connections to Susan B. Anthony. Click here to learn more.

Flower City Habitat's Women Building a Legacy project was led by a steering committee of local women, with subcommittees lending their talents to fundraising, publicity, promotion and invitations to celebrity women to join us on the build.

In the Summer 2003 issue of the Women Build News, Habitat for Humanity International published an article about Rochester's Women Build project.
Click here to read the article.
Click here to download the full newsletter in PDF format.

Kent Joshpe of Saatchi & Saatchi Rowland (Fairport, NY) donated a wonderful set of poster designs to promote the project.