Queer Places:
297 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02116, USA
191 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02116, USA
Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA
Elizabeth Brewster Ely (October 23, 1870 - October 23, 1953) was born in Newton, Massachusetts, on October 23, 1870, as the daughter of Alfred Brewster
Ely and Harriet Elizabeth Ely, and she was the sister of Alfred Ely, II and William Brewster Ely. Growing up, she attended Miss Catherine I. Ireland's private school located at 92 Mount Vernon Street on Beacon Hill in Boston. She later
preserved the papers of the Tomboy Spinsters, a turn-of-the-century club whose members went on hiking expeditions in the White Mountains—where they used
playful nicknames such as The Trainer, The Tumbler, The Athlete, and The Novice—and visited the Ely summer home in Manchester known as "Dame Cottage".
Professionally, Miss Ely dedicated more than fifty years of her life to social work and civic and philanthropic endeavors. After graduating from the
Simmons College School of Social Work, she served as a director of the Elizabeth Peabody House starting in 1903, using her role to help numerous families
and individuals in Boston's West End and becoming a friend to many. In addition to her career, she was a member of the American Association of Social
Workers and was actively involved for many years in the work of the Girls' Friendly Society of the Protestant Episcopal Church.
Outside of her professional and community commitments, she was a supporter of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, and
she belonged to the Women's City Club of Boston as well as being a life member of the Appalachian Mountain Club. Later in life, she resided at 191 Commonwealth Avenue
in Boston. Elizabeth Brewster Ely passed away on October 23, 1953, on her eighty-third birthday. Funeral services were held at the Lindsey Memorial Chapel of Emmanuel Church, followed by burial in Mount
Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge.
References:
Other references:
- The Elizabeth Peabody House Archives: Institutional records, director logs, and historical documentation detailing her tenure as director starting in 1903 and her social work in Boston's West End.
- Simmons College School of Social Work: Alumni records, institutional histories, and graduation documentation regarding her professional training.
- The Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) Archives: Historical membership ledgers, club publications, and records detailing her participation and outdoor activities.
- The White Mountains History and Hiking Archives / Special Collections: Collections preserving the papers, journals, photographs, and ephemera of turn-of-the-century outdoor groups, including the Tomboy Spinsters club papers and records of their expeditions and stays at "Dame Cottage" in Manchester.
- The Girls Friendly Society of the Protestant Episcopal Church Records: Organizational reports, diocesan records, and activity logs documenting her volunteer and leadership work.
- Vital Statistics, Census, and Probate Records: Massachusetts vital records documenting her birth on October 25, 1870, her family lineage (as the daughter of Alfred Brewster Ely and Harriet Elizabeth Ely), and her death on October 26, 1953.
- Boston Newspapers and Periodical Obituaries: Contemporary newspaper death notices and obituaries (such as Boston-area daily press from late October 1953) detailing her life, career, and memberships in organizations like the Women's City Club, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.
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