William Hosley: "Emily S. G. Holcombe: Champion of Connecticut State Pride"

Celebrate women's history month by learning about Emily Seymour Goodwin Holcombe with acclaimed historian and lecturer, Bill Hosley.

Connecticut never had a greater champion than Emily Holcombe. She was a entire movement unto herself and a pioneer in historic preservation, half a century before the founding of the National Trust.

This is her story (and also the story of her grandson, the late Shepherd Holcombe - a renowned champion of Hartford).

In 1904, Emily  Holcombe (1852-1922) was the most famous person (or one of them) in Hartford. A key word search of the historical Courant shows dozens of news stories as she emerged as a pioneering preservation leader on the national stage.