Wheaton News

The renovation project, funded by donors to the college, will involve comprehensive updates to the 177-year-old building, including repairs to its foundation, repairs to its signature cupola, replacement of all its windows, and restoration of its exterior.

“Mary Lyon Hall stands at the symbolic entrance to Wheaton’s campus and is central to our shared history,” said President Michaele Whelan. “This restoration ensures that we preserve its beauty and purpose for future generations. We are deeply grateful for the philanthropy that makes this work possible and for the care that will be taken to renew this beloved landmark.”

The donors who contributed to the restoration stepped forward as part of All Together Now, a broad-based effort to raise support for the college. The initiative has generated more than $75 million in philanthropic commitments over the past four years, including gifts to establish the Life and Career Design Institute, accelerate the growth of the nursing program, support student scholarship and establish new endowments for faculty.

“We are profoundly grateful for the generosity of Wheaton’s donors,” said Merritt Crowley, vice president for College Advancement. “Their support reflects the deep and enduring connection our alumni and friends feel to Wheaton. Their support will have a transformative impact across the college—strengthening our campus, expanding opportunities for students and ensuring that Wheaton continues to thrive.”

The project is slated to begin with the installation of fencing and scaffolding on April 20. Other preparatory steps being taken include pruning and fertilizing to care for trees around the perimeter of the building and installation of protective boxing for sculptures that will remain inside Mary Lyon Hall during the restoration effort. The project is expected to be completed during the fall semester.

With its yellow-and-white paint and domed cupola, Mary Lyon Hall is possibly the most well-known building on campus. Built in 1849 as New Seminary Hall, the building was named in 1910 for Mary Lyon, who established the college’s curriculum and acted as consultant to the Wheaton family when the institution was founded. The last major renovation of the building took place in 1983.

Despite its age, Mary Lyon Hall remains a vital campus center. It hosts classes every day of the week, as well as trustee and faculty meetings and special events throughout the year. Offices of the college’s Alumni Relations Department also are housed there.

The college hired Wessling Architects of Braintree to design and oversee the restoration effort. The firm has extensive experience in renovating historic structures, including the Providence Performing Arts Center, the Twelfth Baptist Church in Boston, Simon’s Mall at MIT in Cambridge, and the Hood Milk Bottle at the Children’s Museum in Boston. Boston-based J.L. Dunn, a firm with significant experience in historic preservation projects, will perform the renovation work.

The Mary Lyon Hall restoration will not be the only renovation and renewal project taking place on the Wheaton campus during the summer. The college also plans to continue its focus on upgrading student residence halls, which has resulted in major improvements—improving common areas and updating rooms in some buildings—to the lower campus residence halls and most theme houses as well as Beard, Chapin, Everett and Stanton halls on upper campus. This year, Metcalf Hall and The Sem, also a student residence, will be updated.