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| Photo courtesy of Cincinnati Museum Center |
In 1922, Mary hired a nationally recognized planning firm to design a ideal community on property she had purchaed. Her model town, Mariemont, was designed to provide housing for about 5,000 people from every level of society. Mariemont contained cottages and single-family homes, schools, recreational facilities, and shops as well as a library, theatre, town hall, and church. Although not all of the goals envisioned for the community were realized, urban planners and reformers praised Mariemont as a "national exemplar."
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| Photo courtesy of Cincinnati Museum Center |
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| Aerial view of Mariemont Photo courtesy of Cincinnati Museum Center |
In 1916, Mary Emery and Anna Sinton Taft each put up $125,000 to purchase the financially troubled Cincinnati Zoo. Once they became owners, the two agreed to cover any deficits for the next five years to further secure the future of the Zoo.
Mary was also a major benefactor of the Cincinnati Art Museum and University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. She funded the construction of Children's Hospital, orphanages, churches, recreational facilities and helped found the Cincinnati Opera.
As her final act of philanthropy, Mary created a $29 million charitable trust to continue her work after death. Her generosity continues to leave a lasting imprint on the city.
To learn more about the influential women of Cincinnati, check out the Daughters of the Queen City exhibit at Cincinnati Museum Center.
