Alice Paul Institute Awarded $302K For Paulsdale Upgrades

MOORESTOWN, NJ — The Alice Paul Institute has been awarded $302,950 from the National Park Service as part of the History of Equal Rights grant program, a new initiative designed to aid in the preservation of historic sites related to the struggle for equal rights.

It said it plans to use the money for a number of capital projects at Paulsdale, the childhood home of suffragist Alice Paul and the organization’s current headquarters.

Updates to the site include structural stabilization and improvements to the house’s exterior, including lighting, driveway and parking improvements, and storm water management.

The institute, which was founded in 1984 to commemorate Paul's 100th birthday, was one of six grant recipients nationwide.

"Paulsdale is essential to the Alice Paul Institute, not just as our headquarters but as a physical representation of the beliefs about equality that Alice Paul learned here and carried with her throughout her lifelong struggle for gender equality," Alice Paul Institute Executive Director Allison Titman said. "We are so excited to be one of just six sites nationwide selected for funding through the new History of Equal Rights grants program, and look forward to using the funds to ensure that generations to come will be able to visit Paulsdale and be inspired to advocate for equality."

Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1991, Paulsdale is New Jersey’s only National Historic Landmark dedicated to a woman.

Originally built circa 1800, the house was the birthplace and childhood home of Alice Paul, who authored the Equal Rights Amendment, advocated for the passing of the 19th amendment, and fought tirelessly for gender equality in the United States and abroad.

The Alice Paul Institute purchased the property in 1990. Paulsdale now serves as a historic house museum and a home for the Institute.

Paul was born in Mount Laurel in 1885. She attended Moorestown Friends School, graduating at the top of her class. She met Lucy Burns and joined the Women's Suffrage Movement while studying social work in England, according to the National Women's History Museum. She died in Moorestown in 1977.

The Alice Paul Institute’s goal is to further Paul's legacy and advocacy for women's rights, and takes a leadership role in bringing recognition to organizations and historic sites that honor women, according to the institute's website.

A complete list of this year’s grant recipients can be found via the National Park Service website.