Louise Bethune, FAIA, (1856-1913), was America’s first professional woman architect. Yet, despite this historic significance, Bethune is an elusive figure nationally, partly because there is scant information available on her and her firm Bethune, Bethune & Fuchs. Buffalo-based architect Adriana Barbasch, AIA, researched and wrote about Bethune’s career in AIA publications and other important biographies on women throughout the 1970s, ‘80s and ‘90s.

In 2005 Adriana retired and bequeathed her research to Kelly. Since inheriting this cache of information, Kelly has continued Adriana’s work of researching and promoting Bethune’s legacy. In 2006, Kelly successfully nominated Louise Bethune, FAIA, to the Western New York Women’s Hall of Fame located at SUNY Buffalo State. She has discovered new photos of Bethune, Bethune & Fuchs and drawings produced by the firm. Kelly has worked to change this by promoting the legacy of Bethune through research, scholarly writing, lectures, award nominations and two exhibits. In addition, Kelly has advised others who write about Bethune. Through her efforts, Bethune has become a household name in Western New York and is beginning to receive the recognition she deserves nationally.

• Franklin, Sydney, “Overlooked No More: Louise Blanchard Bethune, Who Changed the Face of Buffalo,” New York Times, Nov 4, 2021. Kelly consulted on the article, and provided graphic materials.

• Louise Bethune: Every Woman Her Own Architect monograph and archive

• AIA National Celebration of Louise Bethune

• Buffalo’s Bethune: America’s First Woman Architect Exhibit

• AIA National Headquarters Exhibit

• Promoting the Legacy of Louise Bethune

• Western New York Women’s Hall of Fame

Zina Bethune Archive on Louise Bethune and Bethune Monograph

In 2015, Kelly negotiated the creation of the Zina Bethune Archive on Louise Bethune at the University at Buffalo Special Collections, the only archive dedicated to her. She has authored a biography on Bethune with SUNY Press, Louise Bethune: Every Woman Her Own Architect. This book is part of the Toward an Open Monograph Ecosystem (TOME) program, a collaboration among the Association of American Universities, the Association of Research Libraries and the Association of University Presses. Kelly is the first scholar from the University at Buffalo to participate in this initiative.

100th Anniversary Bethune Commemoration

Louise Bethune is buried with her husband Robert Bethune, AIA, (1855-1915) in Buffalo’s historic Forest Lawn Cemetery. While they share a grave site, only Robert’s name is listed on their headstone. This has been an issue of concern for historians for decades. To commemorate the death of Louise Bethune, on December 18, 2013, Kelly initiated and planned a daylong festival in her honor, beginning with a graveside ceremony. The celebration ended with an AIA Buffalo/WNY Chapter celebration at the Hotel Lafayette, Louise Bethune’s opus. Kelly authored an article for the event, “Louise Bethune: America’s First Woman Architect,” in AIArchitect. December 13, 2013. The event was included in the Women in Architecture exhibit by WIA Houston at the AIA National Convention in Atlanta, 2015.