Partner Ida Helen Ogilvies, Eloise Payne Luquer

Queer Places:
Airlie Farm, Bedford/Rippowam-Cisqua School area, Bedford, NY 10506
Albany Rural Cemetery, 68 Cemetery Ave, Albany, NY 12204, United States

Delia West Marble (April 6, 1868 – June 17, 1951) was born in New York City on April 6, 1868, to Manton Malone Marble, a prominent proprietor and editor of The World newspaper, and Delia Bishop West Marble. Her family background placed her within influential intellectual and social circles, though her mother tragically passed away around the time of her birth. Growing up alongside her brother Frank and half-siblings, Marble developed a profound sense of civic duty and land stewardship that would define her lifetime achievements.

For approximately six decades, Marble made her primary home in Bedford, Westchester County, New York, residing on her cherished family estate, Airlie Farm. Here, she established herself not only as a progressive agriculturist but also as a titan of regional civic leadership. In 1898, she became a charter member of the District Nursing Association of Northern Westchester County, serving as its first secretary for two decades, later acting as its president, co-authoring its institutional history, and ultimately holding the title of honorary president until her passing. Deeply committed to education and community development, she also helped found the Rippowam School at Bedford and served actively on its board.

Marble's dedication to conservation and environmental education left a permanent mark on Westchester County. As a former president of the Bedford Garden Club and the chair of its conservation committee, she was instrumental in establishing a nature trail and museum in the Pound Ridge Reservation. In recognition of her extraordinary environmental leadership, the Garden Club of America honored her with a medal for distinguished service in 1942.

When the United States entered World War I, Marble channeled her agricultural knowledge and civic energy into national service. She helped organize the pioneering Mount Kisco unit of the Women’s Land Army of America (WLAA) with headquarters near her Bedford farm. Serving on the Advisory Council and as Director of Camp Standards, Marble toured the country to establish units that mitigated critical wartime labor shortages by deploying women—affectionately known as "farmerettes"—to drive tractors, harvest crops, and manage livestock.

Following the war, Marble transformed Airlie Farm into a permanent, thriving commercial enterprise alongside her lifelong partner and collaborator, Dr. Ida Helen Ogilvies, a distinguished geologist and head of the Barnard College Geology Department. Together, they operated a scientific general farm run entirely by women, proving that female-led agricultural ventures could achieve lasting professional and economic viability. Alongside her partnership with Dr. Ogilvie, Marble shared deep personal and social ties within prominent women's networks, including her close connections to figures like Eloise Payne Luquer.

In her later years, Marble relocated to Germantown in Columbia County, New York, where she lived for approximately ten years. She passed away following a long illness on June 17, 1951, at the age of 83 in Troy, New York. She was laid to rest at the Albany Rural Cemetery in Menands, Albany County, New York, leaving behind an extraordinary legacy as a conservationist, agricultural pioneer, and champion of women's independence.

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