Anna Wagner Keichline (1889-1943)
Bellefonte, Centre County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
First woman registered as an architect by the state (1920), this Bellefonte native, inventor, Cornell grad & women's suffrage advocate designed numerous buildings, including the Plaza Theatre here. She served as Special Agent, Army intelligence, WWI.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
Anna Wagner Keichline of Bellefonte broke ground in more ways than one. A Cornell graduate and suffrage advocate, in 1920 she became the first woman registered as an architect in Pennsylvania, designing buildings including the town's Plaza Theatre. She was also a prolific inventor, and during the First World War she served her country as a Special Agent in Army intelligence.
Why it matters
Keichline claimed a place for women in a profession that had all but excluded them, embodying the ambition and expanding opportunity of women in the early 20th century.
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Related people
- · Anna Wagner Keichline
Themes & tags
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