What a lone woman accomplished, and how it can inspire you...

When we are truly intentional about it, our homes can be an amazing vehicle to share with the world the things we love, the things we value, and the ways we want to contribute and make a difference--a true expression of ourselves and what is in our hearts. 

This past week I came across this article about Madam C.J. Walker, the first female self-made millionaire in America, and the story of her journey "from cabin to castle." Being fascinated as I am with old houses, and people's life stories, I was intrigued...

What a REMARKABLE woman, and what a glorious house...

The photo above is from her company, Madam C.J. Walker Manufacturing Co.’s, 1924 Christmas card, showing her humble birthplace (she was the first in her family to be born free) in Louisiana, and the stunning, elegant home she built, Villa Lewaro, in New York's Hudson Valley. 

In this article, her great-granddaughter, A'Lelia Bundles states:

"Walker wished for Villa Lewaro to serve as an inspiration to African-Americans at a time when racist and discriminatory Jim Crow laws denied their basic civil rights and excluded them from educational opportunities and economic prosperity. She built her mansion, she said, not for personal aggrandizement but rather 'to convince members of my race of the wealth of business possibilities, to point to young Negroes what a lone woman accomplished and to inspire them to do big things.'”

I really wanted to share this with you this week, because it so inspired me--and I hope it will do the same for you. You can read the full story HERE. 

“As one of our National Treasures, Villa Lewaro continues to live up to its role in inspiring all of us to reach our highest potential.” Brent Leggs, director of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s recently launched African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund.