BUFFALO, N.Y. — The city of Buffalo: not only known for breaking tables, but breaking glass ceilings. 

What You Need To Know

  • Louise Blanchard Bethune was born in Waterloo, New York
  • She lived most of her life in Buffalo, however
  • Bethune was the first female professional architect in the U.S.
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"I was just really struck at my good fortune at living in the city that could claim the first woman architect in the country, and I could say in the world," said Kelly Hayes McAlonie, director of campus planning at University at Buffalo.

Louise Blanchard Bethune was the first female professional architect in the U.S.  

She inspired McAlonie to become an architect herself.

“I've been researching her for over 10 years," she explained.

McAlonie is also writing a book on Bethune, who made her name in a male-dominated field.

"She's a real inspiration for women and men — but particularly women — to follow your dreams," said McAlonie.

Born July 1856 in Waterloo, New York, McAlonie says Bethune wanted to be an architect when she was young.

After her family moved to Buffalo, she graduated from Buffalo High School in 1874, studied architecture at Cornell University, and then accepted an apprenticeship.

"From 1876 to 1881 she worked for Richard Waite, who was the most prominent architect in Buffalo, so that gave her a lot of credibility," she added.  

According to McAlonie, being that Bethune was a woman, but also the only woman in her field, she faced challenges.

"Women at the time wore corsets and long skirts, it was nationally and internationally — it was a general held belief that women did not have the physical stamina to be architects," said McAlonie.  

Yet, Bethune proved the patriarchy wrong again and again.  

In 1881, she opened her architecture firm with her husband as partner.

They helped design a handful of Buffalo Public Schools and Lockport High School.

Driving around Buffalo, you can see her most famous work: she was the architect for Hotel Lafayette, which earned a place on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.

Her other designs included The Sibley and Holmwood Candy Factory and Witkop and Holmes Headquarters, which is now a mixed-use building on Swan Street.

"There's only two statues to women in this city and that is a consistent statistic worldwide," noted McAlonie.

That's why McAlonie and a group of women are raising money to honor America's first female architect.  

Bethune is going to be one of three statues that are going to be dedicating in the city to celebrate women and women pioneers in Buffalo.

It's a long overdue honor, but one soon to be made possible by women, for women.

To donate to The Monument Project: Trailblazing Women of Western New York, visit their website.