Bridge Builder in Petticoats: Emily Warren Roebling and the Brooklyn Bridge
Wednesday, October 13, 2021 @ 7:00 pm via Zoom
Presenter: Carol Simon Levin, Storyteller and Historical Impersonator
Recording Available On Request Please email us at OnRequest@PenningtonLibrary.org for a full list of links to Pennington Public Library program recordings that are by request only. Visit our official YouTube Channel for all our public video recordings.
Many books and films have featured the Brooklyn Bridge and millions of people have crossed it. Built between 1869 and 1883, without modern machines or even electric light, it was one of the most amazing technological achievements of its time. Yet few people know that a woman helped manage much of its construction. After her husband was bedridden, Emily Roebling became his liaison to the project – eventually communicating with the engineers and suppliers so well that it was rumored that she had become the Chief Engineer herself!
Later she helped design the family mansion in Trenton, studied law, organized relief for returning troops from the Spanish American War, attended the coronation of the Tsar of Russia and even took tea with Queen Victoria. At Emily’s death, she was called “the most famous woman in New Jersey” and “one of the most noted women in the country,” yet today almost no one knows her name!
Carol Simon Levin is a professional storyteller, historical impersonator and NJ Council for the Humanities Scholar specializing in “Fascinating Women History Forgot” — women of all colors and creeds who have fought for women’s rights. She is the author of the book Remembering the Ladies: From Patriots in Petticoats to Presidential Candidates and the Garden State Legacy article “Reclaiming Our Voice: NJ’s Role in the Fight for Woman Suffrage.”