Boardinghouse Women: How Southern Keepers, Cooks, Nurses, Widows, and Runaways Shaped Modern America

In 18th, 19th, and 20th century America, there was a place where women of all backgrounds, Black, Jewish, Native American, and white, rich and poor, immigrant and native-born, could gather.

library

Fig. 01 — Southwest Meeting Room, Southwest Regional Library (3605 Shannon Rd)

About the event

In 18th, 19th, and 20th century America, there was a place where women of all backgrounds, Black, Jewish, Native American, and white, rich and poor, immigrant and native-born, could gather. Those places were boardinghouses, and it was inside of these boardinghouses that southern women changed lives and shaped culture.

Celebrate Library Fest 2026 with author Dr. Elizabeth Engelhardt, in conversation with Durham County Library Business Services Manager Ciera Williams, as they discuss the crucial impacts of Southern boardinghouse women who, across racial and social backgrounds, shaped modern American culture.

Elizabeth S. D. Engelhardt is Kenan Eminent Professor of Southern Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Registration is required.

Want to check out other events for Library Fest 2026? Click here!

If you have questions about accessibility, program stimulation levels, and/or need disability accommodations, please contact Raivynn at 919-560-0147 at least three business days before the event.

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