Mary Lyon Hall

Mary Lyon Hall is one of the most significant architectures at Wheaton College. Built in 1849 and originally named the New Seminary Hall, this building contains several neo-classical style rooms and the upper landing where artworks are on display. In 1910 this building was renamed Mary Lyon and in 1983 it was renovated. According to the original information sheet, the damask was donated by the Austin family in memory of Sue McCulloch Austin, mother of Holcombe Austin, who passed away in 1987. The embroidery was then hanging on the upper landing of Mary Lyon for 26 years until Leah Niederstadt, Assistant Professor of Art History and Curator of the Permanent Collection, noticed it in 2013 and sent it to assessment and conservation. 

Text Sources:

Japanese Textile Information Sheet, in Ethelind Austin Former Faculty File, RG.005.900, Marion B. Gebbie Archives, Wheaton College, Norton, MA, U.S.A. 

"New Seminary Hall / Mary Lyon Hall," Wheaton College History, accessed March 22, 2014. http://wheatoncollege.edu/college-history/1840s/mary-lyon-hall/

Yitong Cai, face-to-face conversation with Leah Niederstadt, April 16, 2014.

Image Source:

Mary Lyon Hall [1987] Image, in the Mary Lyon Hall Color Photograph Collection, RG.023, Marion B. Gebbie Archives and Special Collections, Wallace Library, Wheaton College, Norton MA, U.S.A.