Isabella Francis Hopkins, the younger sister of Mary Muhlenberg Emery, was born in New York in 1848 to Richard H. Hopkins and Mary Barr Denny Muhlenberg. She was fourteen when the family moved to Cincinnati, a city that was to be her residence for the remainder of her life. Isabella never married, stayed close to her sister, and lived with Mary at Edgecliffe at least between the years of Thomas Emery’s death in 1906 and her (Isabella’s) own demise in 1935. 
          Little is known of Isabella’s life and interests. She lived in the shadow of her better- known sister and brother-in-law. In Mary’s last years the two sisters spent much time together, especially in Cincinnati. A part of each summer brought Isabella with Mary Emery to “Mariemont”, the Emery estate near Newport, Rhode Island, although it is thought that she did not enjoy its setting as much as Mary did.
           When Mrs. Emery died in 1927, Isabella was the principal beneficiary of her last year will and testament. She retained the right to live in Edgecliffe as long as she wished, and the Newport estate had the same conditions. Recognizing her sister’s loved for Mariemont, Isabella provided the finds in 1930 to erect and equip the Carillon, named in memory of Mary Emery. Isabella Hopkins’ entire estate passed to the Thomas J. Emery memorial after her death, joining the assets established by Mrs. Emery years earlier to benefit charitable causes and the village of Mariemont.   

Mariemont Bell Tower funded by Isabella Hopkins