Kate Mullany National Historic Site, Troy

About Kate Mullany National Historic Site

Kate Mullany National Historic Site is a three-story brick house preserving the life and labor activism of an Irish immigrant laundry worker in 1860s Troy. Visitors explore exhibits about Kate Mullany, who organized the all-female Collar Laundry Union in 1864 and led a successful strike for higher wages. The site tells the story of Troy's detachable collar industry, which employed over 3,700 women working 14-hour days in oppressive heat for minimal pay. The house itself is the only surviving building associated with Mullany, now designated a National Historic Landmark and National Historic Site. Exhibits cover the Collar Laundry Union's formation with 200 workers, their strike that won a 25-cent raise within a week, and the union's continued activity assisting other labor organizations. Educational materials including lesson plans and videos such as "Don't Iron While the Strike is Hot," a musical about the 1864 strike, supplement visits. The site suits anyone interested in early women's labor history and American industrial heritage in Troy, New York.