Sarah Smiley: From Mohonk to Saratoga

About this event

To celebrate Women’s History Month, the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation will present an evening virtual program "Sarah Smiley: From Mohonk to Saratoga" on Thursday, March 27 at 7pm. It will highlight Sarah Smiley, a trailblazing woman of the 19th century who built a seasonal residence at 166 Excelsior Avenue, today a local landmark.

Sarah Smiley was an evangelist who made news across the country when in 1872 she spoke before a mixed congregation of men and women.  She insisted that women could study and interpret the scriptures independently of men. Her preaching took her across the United States and Europe, and she authored three books. She also participated in conferences, including the prestigious Mohonk Conferences on International Arbitration, which sought to promote world peace. The Mohonk Mountain House is a renowned resort nestled in the Shawangunk Mountains near New Paltz, New York.  The Smiley family owned and operated the Mohonk Mountain House for over 150 years. The Nature Conservancy designated it as one of Earth’s “last great places." 

Louisa Finn, a fourth-generation Smiley family member and Mohonk Consultations Board Chair, along with Nell Boucher, archivist at Mohonk Mountain House, will explore the life and legacy of Sarah Smiley as an educator, preacher, author, and activist as well as her connections to both the Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, and her residence at the Smiley-Brackett House, in Saratoga Springs.