The Revolutionary ‘Women’s Building’ Was Fraught with Drama
The “grand dame” of Chicago society Bertha Palmer insisted on not only having a Woman’s Building at the Fair, but that it must be (gasp!) designed by a woman. Sophia Hayden, a 21-year-old Massachusetts Institute of Technology architecture graduate, was awarded the project and a $1,000 prize. It was her first design. It impressed Daniel Burnham so much he encouraged her to stay in Chicago for her professional practice. The experience was less than idyllic, though. She conflicted with Palmer about the interior design of the building. Palmer took over the interior design, filling it with the displays and exhibits Hayden wanted to keep clean and minimal. When Hayden complained to Burnham, she had a breakdown in his office. She voluntarily went to a rest home, coming back for the dedication of her building, but she left the architectural profession for good, never to design another building.