“Servant of God, well done;
Rest from thy loved employ:
The battle fought, the victory one,
Enter thy Master’s Joy.”
-Epitaph, (9)

Mary Lyon's Grave. Founder and President of Mount Holyoke Female Seminary Mary Lyon died on March 5, 1949, and was laid to rest on the grounds of her beloved institution. A marble monument enclosed by an iron fence mark her grave. In the years following her death, the school expanded, and seemed to grow around her. Her grave is currently in a central location on the Mount Holyoke College campus.Mary Lyon’s grave serves as a marker of memory, and of legacy. In the late 1800s, students would tie hammocks to the trees surrounding her grave in the warmer months. While this was construed as disrespectful by some faculty members, others saw it as an act of paying tribute to Mount Holyoke’s fearless, energetic leader.

The Grove. Her grave is encircled by tall, lush trees in an area that has since been named simply, “The Grove”. In 1907, pathways were marked, leading the way to her grave from all sides of the grove.(10)

IImmortalized through Tradition. In 1891, President Elizabeth Storrs Mead established “Founders Day”, a holiday that commemorates the Founding of the Seminary as well as Mary Lyon, is still celebrated today. The celebration takes place in the Grove, evoking the memory of Lyon herself.

Back Next