Closing Reflections: The Enduring Legacy of the Maryland Women’s Heritage Center

12/31/2025

How many times over the years have you wondered: “How have I never heard of that woman?”

For those who were or are teachers, remember when you saw that little spark in a student’s eyes that said “Wow, maybe I could do something like that, too.”

Have you looked at fellow volunteers, board members and supporters, thinking “I love being around passionate women who care about lifting other women up?” 

At the MWHC artist receptions, did you see the joy in each of their faces when sharing their view of the world through art, several for the first time in public? 

And, especially lately, have you looked at the world and thought “Don’t you dare leave women and their accomplishments to this world behind?” 

The Maryland Women’s Heritage Center touched lives and made a difference in this world. 

We celebrated women of accomplishment in STEM fields in partnership with NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. We told the stories of 100 mostly unknown women in Maryland who fought for suffrage; we researched and coordinated placement of over 16 permanent historical markers in communities all over Maryland that highlight women who fought for the right to vote.

We supported the Maryland Women’s Hall of Fame selection process and made sure that the physical structure had a permanent home at the Notre Dame of Maryland University.

We brought names and history alive by researching the history of the people the former Women’s Industrial Exchange, a Baltimore landmark. 

We lent our expertise about women’s history to other nonprofits, to Maryland Public Television and to national organizations such as National Women’s History Alliance and the Clara Barton national historic site.  

We supported emerging student historians by funding the Award for Excellence in Women’s History, a part of Maryland Humanities Maryland History Day; developed materials about women’s history months for hundreds of Maryland schools; we presented dozens of virtual and in person programs about women and the issues that face them. 

A legacy of inspirational women

We did our best to make sure that we were inclusive, fair and accurate in sharing women’s history in Maryland. It was our responsibility since we are the only organization in Maryland and one of the few in the country completely devoted to telling women’s stories. We met many accomplished and beautiful women, past and present, along the way.

Despite the pain of closing MWHC, our legacy lives on. 

The MWHC donated a large portion of our collections of displays, exhibits, books, memorabilia, photos and research to community partners who will use them to celebrate the legacy of Maryland’s women. Click here to see more details.

Click on photo gallery to read captions.

A woman holding a framed photograph with MWHC meeting venue in background
Artist Rowan Bathurst, seated in front of multiple art works. Wearing white jeans and head resting on hands
Fannie Mae Salter, about 65 years old, cleaning the lens of a lighthouse light
Wilma Foster, perhaps age late 80s, wearing a pink blouse and black jacket
Joanne Goldsmith
head shot of Ms. King ; she has curly grey hair and wearing a royal blue blouse
Board member Dr. Amy Rosenkrans (second from l) welcomed the support of student interns from Notre Dame of Maryland University’s Morrissy Honors program, Anna Choudhary and Eliza Davis (to her left) in researching the history of the Women's Industrial Exchange. They played a major role in research and website development. Brittany Powell (l) a former student of Dr. Rosenkrans, designed and produced the display of WIE artifacts contained in the WIE’s street-fronting window. Signup For Our Newsletter admin@mdwomensheritagecenter.org Maryland Women's Heritage Center Home About Events Exhibits Suffrage Project Media Resources Contact Donate MWHC’s board members, executive director and volunteers made these things happen this past year: Added HERstory to history to tell OUR story Researched and celebrated the history of Baltimore’s Woman’s Industrial Exchange (WIE) Continued our successful Women’s Artist Exhibition series Maintained and developed community partnerships to better tell stories of Maryland’s women Updated and developed new digital ways to share women’s stories MWHC concluded a two-year project to uncover and save forgotten history of the Woman’s Industrial Exchange Please click on the gallery to enlarge photos and read captions. Layne Bosserman worked as a waitress for the Women’s Industrial Exchange in the 1990s. She helped MWHC to research and preserve WIE stories and memories. She is standing inside the WIE former storefront. 1234567891011 Honor Maryland’s valiant suffragists. Vote! In photos: A look back from another year as Maryland’s only nonprofit dedicated to telling and preserving women’s stories Please click on the gallery to enlarge photos and read captions. Board member Dr. Amy Rosenkrans (second from l) welcomed the support of student interns from Notre Dame of Maryland University’s Morrissy Honors program, Anna Choudhary and Eliza Davis (to her left) in researching the history of the Women's Industrial Exchange. They played a major role in research and website development. Brittany Powell (l) a former student of Dr. Rosenkrans, designed and produced the display of WIE artifacts contained in the WIE’s street-fronting window. 123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627 Maryland HERstory Minute Goes Live in 2024: See Billy Holiday by Kalin Thomas, MWHC VP of Communications
Two women wearing red at an Equal Rights Amendment rally.
Bernice Friedland, about 80 years old, standing at a lectern surrounded by ERA posters
Gov. Wes Moore, Danita Terry, Ida Jones and Lt. Gov Aruna Miller standing in front of the mirror in the foyer of the Gov's mansion. The circular staircase is reflected in the mirror.
A man wearing a black t shirt that reads "Men for ERA"
Malynda Madzel wearing a white dress stands in front of an abstract painting and smiles over her shoulder
Lucile Roeder headshot in business suit
Woman standing by historical marker located on Druid Hill Avenue in Baltimore

You can still "add HERstory to history to tell OUR story"

At the Maryland Women’s Heritage Center (MWHC), we worked to make sure that the immense accomplishments of Maryland’s women are recognized and preserved.

Upon closing in 2025, we donated remaining funds to our existing Maryland Women’s Heritage Center Legacy Fund. Now, the Maryland Women’s History Initiative Legacy Fund, will give small grants to nonprofits or independent researchers that continue our mission to “add HER story to history to tell OUR story.”

Projects can take many forms, including writing and research, virtual exhibits, art, music, women in STEM and other innovative approaches.

Your gift to the Maryland Women’s History Initiative Legacy Fund will ensure that our mission to celebrate the contributions of Maryland women, past and present, endures as a gift to future generations.