The Mary Lyon Buildings

Mary Lyon 4, The Mary Leavitt

The following photos offer comparisons of how ML 4, the building currently used as a student dorm at Swarthmore, has appeared over the years. The scanned images link to larger versions of the pictures, and there are also higher quality scans available from an offical Mary Lyon School viewbook from the mid-1920's.

Photo courtesy of the Swarthmore Alumni Bulletin.

Mary Lyon 4 as it appeared in an undated postcard from the first half of the century.

The front of Mary Lyon 4 as it appears now.

Photo courtesy Hugh Weber.

ML 4 in the winter of 1996.

ML 4 in December 2000.

Photo courtesy of the Friends Historical Library.

ML 4, the Mary Leavitt, as it appeared in a viewbook for the Mary Lyon School. (257 K)

A similar photo, circa Fall 2000.

Photo courtesy of the Friends Historical Library.

The back of ML 4 from the same viewbook. (101 K)

The stairs and the road still exist today, though the little-used stairs are obscured by the bushes.

Photo courtesy of the Friends Historical Library.

Another shot of the back of ML. The stairs and path that led down from the sunporch (now a bike room) are now gone. (91 K)

In addition, a side door to the Breakfast Room and a fire escape from the second and third floors were constructed.

Photo courtesy of the Friends Historical Library.

The Blue Room, a large social room on the first floor that was an extension of the main living room. Today it exists as ML room 4116, a student triple known as the Fishbowl. (274 K)

The fishbowl in the spring of 2001.

Photo courtesy of the Friends Historical Library.

The Living Room of the Mary Leavitt, a large room with a fireplace, tables, chairs, and a piano. In the background an entrance to the Blue Room is visible. (242 K)

The first floor lounge, as it was in the spring of 2001. The expensive furniture is long gone, replaced with standard dorm chairs and tables. The entrance to the Fishbowl has been replaced with a wall, as it is now a private student dorm room.

Photo courtesy of the Friends Historical Library.

"Mother's Room", a guest living quarters for mothers wished to come visit their daughters. The viewbook described it as "perhaps the most sacred spot in the school." (245 K)

It now exists as ML room 4103, a student double, and hardly a sacred spot at all.

Photo courtesy of the Friends Historical Library.

The main dining hall of the Mary Lyon School. (169 K)

It now serves as the ML Breakfast Room, a dining area for ML residents in the mornings and the site of social gatherings and parties.

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Photo courtesy of the Swarthmore Alumni Bulletin. Mary Lyon 4 as it appeared in an undated postcard from the first half of the century.	The front of Mary Lyon 4 as it appears now.
Photo courtesy Hugh Weber. ML 4 in the winter of 1996.	ML 4 in December 2000.
Photo courtesy of the Friends Historical Library. ML 4, the Mary Leavitt, as it appeared in a viewbook for the Mary Lyon School. (257 K)	A similar photo, circa Fall 2000.
Photo courtesy of the Friends Historical Library. The back of ML 4 from the same viewbook. (101 K)	The stairs and the road still exist today, though the little-used stairs are obscured by the bushes.
Photo courtesy of the Friends Historical Library. Another shot of the back of ML. The stairs and path that led down from the sunporch (now a bike room) are now gone. (91 K)	In addition, a side door to the Breakfast Room and a fire escape from the second and third floors were constructed.
Photo courtesy of the Friends Historical Library. The Blue Room, a large social room on the first floor that was an extension of the main living room. Today it exists as ML room 4116, a student triple known as the Fishbowl. (274 K)	The fishbowl in the spring of 2001.
Photo courtesy of the Friends Historical Library. The Living Room of the Mary Leavitt, a large room with a fireplace, tables, chairs, and a piano. In the background an entrance to the Blue Room is visible. (242 K)	The first floor lounge, as it was in the spring of 2001. The expensive furniture is long gone, replaced with standard dorm chairs and tables. The entrance to the Fishbowl has been replaced with a wall, as it is now a private student dorm room.
Photo courtesy of the Friends Historical Library. "Mother's Room", a guest living quarters for mothers wished to come visit their daughters. The viewbook described it as "perhaps the most sacred spot in the school." (245 K)	It now exists as ML room 4103, a student double, and hardly a sacred spot at all.
Photo courtesy of the Friends Historical Library. The main dining hall of the Mary Lyon School. (169 K)	It now serves as the ML Breakfast Room, a dining area for ML residents in the mornings and the site of social gatherings and parties.