Maria Sanford Chapter, NSDAR, Regent
Maria Sanford Chapter, NSDAR
Welcomes you!
On behalf of the members of the Maria Sanford Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR or DAR), we welcome you! Our chapter was formed in 1923 and our members come from all over the Twin Cities including Minneapolis, Golden Valley, Saint Louis Park, Richfield, Bloomington, Eden Prairie, Brooklyn Park, Woodbury, Saint Paul, Cottage Grove, Plymouth, North Oaks, Eagan, Chaska, Brooklyn Center, Moundsview, White Bear Lake, and more!
We are a non-profit women’s service organization that values education, historic preservation, and patriotism.
About Our Chapter
One of the older DAR chapters in Minnesota, Maria Sanford Chapter, NSDAR, was chartered in Minneapolis on September 6, 1923. The chapter will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2023. The chapter has focused on volunteer efforts that were important to Maria Sanford, including education, conservation, and patriotism.
Maria Sanford (1836 – 1920) was a beloved and tireless advocate for the welfare of people and the land, a pioneer for education for all and women’s rights, the first female professor at the University of Minnesota, founder of the Minneapolis Improvement League, and champion of forest preservation.
The life-sized statue of Maria Sanford, created by Minneapolis sculptor Evelyn Raymond, was unveiled in the rotunda of the Capitol Building, Washington, D.C., on November 12, 1958. Named for the honor by the 1943 Minnesota Legislature, Miss Sanford’s statue was the second of the two statues allowed from each state to be placed in the Capitol Building. Engraved on the bronze table on the base:
“The best known and best loved woman in Minnesota
Maria L. Sanford, Educator, Orator and Civic Leader
December 19, 1836 – April 21, 1920
Statue of Maria Sanford
Sturdy and resilient Puritan, whose perceptive mind and reverence for classic truth and beauty quickened intellectual life within the pioneer state of Minnesota and beyond its frontiers.”
We Promote Historic Preservation, Patriotism, and Education
Our chapter supports national and state historic preservation projects as well as supports our community in the preservation of historical artifacts.
Our chapter supports national and state patriotism projects as well as supports our local veterans and hosts celebratory events such as the Fourth of July and Veterans Day.
Our chapter supports national and state education projects as well as works with our community through our projects to support education via scholarships and educational events.
We Make a Difference in Our Communities
Historic Preservation
In 2021 and 2022, our chapter cleaned 109 Civil War and Spanish-American War Veterans’ headstones at Saint Mary’s Catholic Cemetery in Minneapolis. Each Memorial Day and Veterans Day, we mark each grave with an American flag. We have also researched the veterans, many of which died at the Old Soldier’s Home in Minneapolis, and have identified at least 33 unmarked veterans’ graves whose names and cemetery locations have been uploaded to the Find A Grave website. We also plan to work with the cemetery in the future to obtain headstones for these veterans.
Community Service Loring Park
Every year our chapter participates in the NSDAR National Day of Service. In 2019, we gathered at Loring Park in Minneapolis and planted over 1,000 tulip and daffodil bulbs as part of the Garden Restoration Project.
Junior ROTC
Our chapter has awarded medals to outstanding Reserve Officers Training Corp (ROTC) and Junior ROTC graduates each year. In 2022, we awarded a cadet the DAR Bronze ROTC Medal at the General Colin L. Powell Leadership Academy, Spring Awards Ceremony.
The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution
"We want a society founded on service "
- DAR Founder Eugenia Washington
Are you descended from a Patriot who served in the American Revolutionary War? Founded in 1890 by four forward-thinking patriotic women in Washington, D.C., today’s DAR has welcomed over one million women as members throughout our history. We are a service organization supporting historical, educational, and patriotic initiatives in communities in America and beyond.
Join Us! We welcome all women, age 18 and older, who claim lineal descent from a Patriot of the American Revolutionary War.
Become a member of DAR
Today’s Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is a vibrant service organization for women over the age of 18 who can prove lineal descent from a Patriot of the American Revolutionary War. In October 2019, DAR surpassed one million women who have joined the DAR since its founding in 1890. Learn more about members’ activities, Patriot histories, current topics, and more by subscribing to the DAR Today podcast.
Minnesota Daughters come from all over our great state, and beyond. They are young women who join to honor a family member, older women who enjoy genealogical research in their retirement years, professional women interested in connecting with other women in the community where they live, and others. Whatever your reason for joining, we invite you to connect, encourage you to apply, and welcome you to our community.
Connect with Us
