Wylie House Museum - Bloomington MLK Commission
|
ABOUT THE WYLIE HOUSE MUSEUM
www.indiana.edu/~libwylie
Wylie House is one of the few remaining pre-1840s structures in Monroe County; it is on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1835, it was home to Dr. Andrew Wylie, the first President of I.U., and his family. The house was sold to Andrew’s half-cousin, Prof. Theophilus A. Wylie, in 1859. That family resided in the house until 1913 for a consecutive Wylie occupancy of nearly 80 years.
The mission of Wylie House museum is to preserve, collect and study the house, its artifacts, documents, and landscape, and through them to interpret with the public the early history and culture of Indiana University and the town of Bloomington. We seek to engage the visitor in an experience of history which is stimulating, thoughtful, and enjoyable; which is factually accurate and respectful of the period and people we interpret; and which excites an interest in and appreciation of domestic history, the heritage of Indiana University and Bloomington, and the visitor's own personal history. It is also our mission to actively support the teaching and research goals of the University and surrounding pre-college educational institutions by working with teachers and students to integrate the museum and its resources into relevant curriculum, and by recruiting and supervising student interns.
Wylie House was purchased by Indiana University from its only non-Wylie owner in 1947. The house and grounds underwent an extensive four year restoration that was completed in 1965. It has been open as a museum since then and now operates under the auspices of the IUB Libraries.
OUR PROJECT
Wylie House Museum staff and volunteers will build on previous work to document the history of education in Monroe County. In 2007, Curator of Education Bridget Edwards successfully collaborated with students from Bloomington High School South on two projects focused on education in Monroe County. The first involved documented experiences of community members who attended Bloomington High School, and the second involved researching the history of the Monroe County Female Seminary. The teachers involved in these projects appreciated the opportunity their students had to work with skilled researchers and ethnographers and learn about how to use primary sources for research.
In a continuation of these efforts, Wylie House Museum volunteers will be conducting interviews of additional Bloomington High School alumnus during 2008 in an effort to record personal narratives about the high school experience and life in Bloomington. To facilitate this, Bridget Edwards will be conducting an interview training session in January 2008. Volunteers interested in learning interview techniques and equipment operation will attend a free two-hour workshop on January 16 from 3-5 p.m. Volunteers and staff trained in interviewing techniques will then be at the Wylie House Museum and Annex on January 21 to conduct interviews. Walk-in appointments will be available at Wylie House from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on January 21 for people interested in sharing their stories. Interested parties who cannot come for an interview on January 21 may contact Wylie House to set up an appointment.
|
Bloomington
IN
47401
bledward@indiana.edu |