Sophia Hayden facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sophia Hayden
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Sophia G Hayden, Architect of the Woman's Building at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago
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| Born |
Sophia Gregoria Hayden
October 17, 1868 |
| Died | February 3, 1953 (aged 84) |
| Alma mater | MIT |
| Known for | Woman's Building at the World's Columbian Exposition in 1892 |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Architecture |
Sophia Hayden (born October 17, 1868 – died February 3, 1953) was an American architect. She was the very first woman to complete the four-year architecture program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Contents
Sophia Hayden's Life
Her Early Years
Sophia Gregoria Hayden was born in Santiago, Chile. Her mother, Elezena Fernandez, was from Chile. Her father, George Henry Hayden, was an American dentist from Boston. Sophia had one sister and two brothers.
When she was six, Sophia moved to Jamaica Plain, a town near Boston. She lived there with her grandparents and went to the Hillside School. While attending West Roxbury High School from 1883 to 1886, she became very interested in architecture. After high school, her family moved to Richmond, Virginia. But Sophia returned to Boston for college.
Her Education and Training
Sophia Hayden graduated from MIT in 1890. She earned her degree in architecture with honors. She even shared a drafting room with another female architect, Lois Lilley Howe, at MIT. Her work was greatly influenced by her MIT professor, Eugène Létang.
After finishing her studies, it was hard for Sophia to find a job as an architect. This was because she was a woman. So, she took a job teaching mechanical drawing at a high school in Boston.
Sophia's Career as an Architect
Designing the Woman's Building
Sophia Hayden is most famous for designing The Woman's Building. This building was part of the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893. Sophia was only 21 years old when she designed it! The Woman's Building was the most important design competition for women at that time.
Sophia based her design on a project she did for her college thesis. It was called "Renaissance Museum of Fine Arts." Her design was a grand two-story building with many arches and columns. It showed her training in the Beaux-Art style.
Sophia's design won first place out of thirteen entries from other trained female architects. She received $1,000 for her design. To compare, some male architects earned $10,000 for designing similar buildings.
Challenges and Recognition
During the building's construction, Sophia faced many challenges. The construction committee kept asking for changes to her design. The head of the committee, Bertha Palmer, even removed Sophia from the project for a time. However, Sophia was present at the opening celebration. Other architects supported her and spoke up for her.
Some people unfairly used her struggles to say that women were not good at supervising construction. But many architects understood her situation and defended her. In the end, things improved. Sophia's building received an award for its "Delicacy of style, artistic taste, and geniality and elegance of the interior." Most of the buildings from the Fair were taken down within a few years. After this experience, Sophia did not work as an architect again.
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Later Life
In 1900, Sophia married William Blackstone Bennett. He was a portrait painter and later an interior designer. They lived in Winthrop, Massachusetts. William had a daughter from a previous marriage, Jennie "Minnie" May Bennett. Sophia and William did not have any children together. William passed away in 1909.
In 1894, Sophia designed a memorial for women's clubs in the U.S.. However, it was never built. She spent many years working as an artist. She lived a quiet life in Winthrop, Massachusetts. Sophia Hayden passed away in 1953 at the age of 84. She died from pneumonia after having a stroke.
Images for kids
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Ground Plan and Gallery Plan of the Woman's Building
See also
In Spanish: Sophia Hayden Bennett para niños
