Our tour of colonial-era homes in Wilton, Connecticut, in Fall 2024 crossed our paths with Minerva Parker Nichols. Once upon a time, Nichols lived in and lovingly renovated her Wilton home on Sharp Hill Road and her love for the home was infused into her daughter, Adelaide, whose collection of memoirs, Return to Arcady, revolved around her time here. We are so appreciative that this tour brought Nichols and her legacy to our attention and that we can continue to share her inspiring story and talent.

MINERVA PARKER NICHOLS

“If I fail, I should know where to strengthen my armor.”

— Minerva Parker Nichols

Minerva Parker Nichols was born in 1842 and became the first woman in America to practice architecture independently. That is enough to indicate she was intelligent, talented, bold, and perseverant…We are delighted that others have also made efforts to being attention to this extraordinary person. Here’s more..

Before she called Wilton home, Minerva Parker Nichols lived in Philadelphia, where in 1889 she became the first woman to operate a solo architectural practice in the United States. She designed at least eighty known buildings, which included homes, schools, churches, and clubhouses. 

She was originally hired at the firm as a draftsman, and a few years later, after the death of the firm’s principal, she became owner. She did this at the age of 25! Following her marriage to William Nichols, the couple then relocated to Brooklyn and she sold the business.

Margaret (Molly) Lester began researching Nichols as a master’s thesis project, going on to put together a website dedicated to promoting and preserving the architect’s legacy. She writes: “Although her portfolio shows remarkable range—featuring commercial and industrial buildings, a few hotels, a handful of schools and churches, and several women’s clubs—it was residential architecture that Minerva considered her chosen forté. With designs spanning the late 19th and early 20th century, her residential projects track her evolution as a designer, culminating in the house that she designed for herself late in life.” Lester’s work also led to a University of Pennsylvania exhibition on Nichols, documented in this video.

Minerva was responsible for many alterations and improvements to her 18th-century Wilton home, which originally the Nicholses used as a summer home and later their year-round residence. It remained the Nichols’ home for many years until Minerva, now widowed, sold the property; in the mid-1920s, she designed two houses in Westport, Connecticut, on Clinton Avenue—one for daughter Adelaide and her husband, and the other next door for herself. She lived here until her passing in 1949.