The Mary Lyon Buildings

The Mary Lyon School

The photos on this page were compiled during December 2000 in order to show the past and present of the Mary Lyon buildings. Some of the scanned images link to larger versions of the pictures, and there are also additional photos of the school available from an offical Mary Lyon School viewbook from the mid-1920's.

Photo courtesy Terraserver.

A 1995 aerial photo of what remains of the Mary Lyon School. ML 1, 4, and 5 still stand (though ML 5 is difficult to make out in this photo), and the locations of where ML 2 and ML 3 once stood are indicated. Click on the image for a larger and unlabeled photo (60 K). Photo courtesy of the Friends Historical Library.

A map of the Mary Lyon School made prior to its closing in 1943. Here all five buildings and the Strath Haven Inn can be seen. Click on the image for a larger version (206 K).

Photo courtesy of The Mary Lyon School.

Mary Lyon 1, Wildcliff, was originally a dorm that also had classrooms in it.

It is now used by Swarthmore College for faculty housing.

Photo courtesy of The Mary Lyon School.

Mary Lyon 2, the Miller Crist, was the primary administrative building on the campus and had the school's library, gymnasium, pool, and auditorium.

Some of the ruins of ML 2, which burned down in 1982.

Photo courtesy of The Mary Lyon School.

Mary Lyon 3, Seven Gables.

The ruins of ML 3, the Seven Gables, which was torn down after the destruction of ML 2.

Photo courtesy of The Mary Lyon School.

Mary Lyon 5, Hillcrest, had class and seminar rooms when it was used by the Mary Lyon School.

It is now presumably owned by the College, although its current use is unknown.

Seen from ML 4, this road once ran parallel to Harvard Ave. in front of ML 1, 2, 3, and 4. Most of it has become overgrown since it fell out of use in the 1980's. ML 1 can be seen in the far background.
The ruins of a garage and maids' quarters that once stood behind ML 4. It is unknown when the building was destroyed.

Photo courtesy of the Swarthmore Public Library.

An aerial photo of Swarthmore College, the Ville, the Prep School, and ML 4 taken between 1929 and 1935 (as indicated by the presence of Clothier Tower but lack of Lamb-Miller Fieldhouse). ML can been seen in the lower left corner, with Strath Haven Inn directly above it. Wharton, Sproul, Clothier, Magill Walk, Carnegie Library, and Worth are visible at the top of the photo (197 K). Photo courtesy of eBay.

An undated photo of Strath Haven Inn with Mary Lyon 4 visible at the the bottom. The two squares in the bottom right are tennis courts - one is where the ML parking lot now stands, and the other is across the street where there is now a community garden.

Photo courtesy of eBay.

The Strath Haven Inn and Crum Creek waterfall in 1905. Photo courtesy of eBay.

The Strath Haven Inn in 1950, shortly before its destruction sometime in that decade.

The pillar for ML 3, the Seven Gables.
The pillar for ML 4, the Mary Leavitt, that sits next to the front driveway of the building.

Photo courtesy of Mount Holyoke College Archives.

Caroline Frances Leavitt, one of the founders of the Mary Lyon School. Photo courtesy of Mount Holyoke College Archives.

Mary Leavitt, sister of Caroline Frances Leavitt and aunt to her daughter, also named Mary, for whom ML 4 - the Mary Leavitt - was named.

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Photo courtesy Terraserver. A 1995 aerial photo of what remains of the Mary Lyon School. ML 1, 4, and 5 still stand (though ML 5 is difficult to make out in this photo), and the locations of where ML 2 and ML 3 once stood are indicated. Click on the image for a larger and unlabeled photo (60 K).	Photo courtesy of the Friends Historical Library. A map of the Mary Lyon School made prior to its closing in 1943. Here all five buildings and the Strath Haven Inn can be seen. Click on the image for a larger version (206 K).
Photo courtesy of The Mary Lyon School. Mary Lyon 1, Wildcliff, was originally a dorm that also had classrooms in it.	It is now used by Swarthmore College for faculty housing.
Photo courtesy of The Mary Lyon School. Mary Lyon 2, the Miller Crist, was the primary administrative building on the campus and had the school's library, gymnasium, pool, and auditorium.	Some of the ruins of ML 2, which burned down in 1982.
Photo courtesy of The Mary Lyon School. Mary Lyon 3, Seven Gables.	The ruins of ML 3, the Seven Gables, which was torn down after the destruction of ML 2.
Photo courtesy of The Mary Lyon School. Mary Lyon 5, Hillcrest, had class and seminar rooms when it was used by the Mary Lyon School.	It is now presumably owned by the College, although its current use is unknown.
Seen from ML 4, this road once ran parallel to Harvard Ave. in front of ML 1, 2, 3, and 4. Most of it has become overgrown since it fell out of use in the 1980's. ML 1 can be seen in the far background.	The ruins of a garage and maids' quarters that once stood behind ML 4. It is unknown when the building was destroyed.
Photo courtesy of the Swarthmore Public Library. An aerial photo of Swarthmore College, the Ville, the Prep School, and ML 4 taken between 1929 and 1935 (as indicated by the presence of Clothier Tower but lack of Lamb-Miller Fieldhouse). ML can been seen in the lower left corner, with Strath Haven Inn directly above it. Wharton, Sproul, Clothier, Magill Walk, Carnegie Library, and Worth are visible at the top of the photo (197 K).	Photo courtesy of eBay. An undated photo of Strath Haven Inn with Mary Lyon 4 visible at the the bottom. The two squares in the bottom right are tennis courts - one is where the ML parking lot now stands, and the other is across the street where there is now a community garden.
Photo courtesy of eBay. The Strath Haven Inn and Crum Creek waterfall in 1905.	Photo courtesy of eBay. The Strath Haven Inn in 1950, shortly before its destruction sometime in that decade.
The pillar for ML 3, the Seven Gables.	The pillar for ML 4, the Mary Leavitt, that sits next to the front driveway of the building.
Photo courtesy of Mount Holyoke College Archives. Caroline Frances Leavitt, one of the founders of the Mary Lyon School.	Photo courtesy of Mount Holyoke College Archives. Mary Leavitt, sister of Caroline Frances Leavitt and aunt to her daughter, also named Mary, for whom ML 4 - the Mary Leavitt - was named.