/Wylie House Museum

19th Century Attic Room Imagined

By Michelle Crowe

August 3rd, 2022

Wylie House Museum uses new accessibility technology to launch Elizabeth Breckenridge Exhibit

This text prepared by Candy Stripe Consulting, a student agency at the IU Kelley School of Business and part of the American Marketing Association (AMA) at Indiana University.

The Wylie House was built in 1835 by Andrew Wylie, the first president of Indiana University, and is now a historic house museum open to the public. It is located just off campus, near the original campus location.

A new feature to the Wylie House Museum as of summer 2022 is the Elizabeth Breckenridge Bedroom Exhibit. Elizabeth (Lizzie) lived and worked in the home as a domestic servant for more than 50 years. Lizzie was among the few Black residents of early Bloomington, and she was the daughter of Hannah McCaw—who is believed to have led efforts in the local Underground Railroad. Up until recently, the attic room believed to be Lizzie’s was inaccessible to guests for safety reasons. Now, Lizzie’s room can be experienced by accessing a remote virtual tour.

Wylie House’s extended virtual tour provides accessibility to those who are unable to physically visit the two-story home as well as individuals who benefit from audio guidance, keyboard navigation, or simpler visual displays. The museum is a test site for a new application created by Ava Technologies that provides enhanced interactive capability and screen-reading.

A sun-filled room features antique furniture and decor against white walls and wooden floors

Using objects to tell stories

What was life like for Elizabeth “Lizzie” Breckenridge (1843-1910), an African-American woman who spent most of her life living with and working as a domestic servant for the Theophilus Wylie family? Primary source materials held at the Wylie House Museum were used to select objects for the room that bring her experience to life.

Learn more about quilts at Wylie House
A person stands in front of an antique twin bed covered with a colorful quilt

Engaged student learning

Jazma Sutton (pictured above) graduated in 2022 with a doctorate in History at IU. She helped research relevant details related to Lizzie's life that informed interpretive decisions regarding the attic bedroom. Her dissertation was on Black females living in Midwest free Black communities prior to emancipation.  

Learn more about Lizzie
An antique trunk is pictured from above. The initials E.B. are set into the top with metal rivets

Did this trunk belong to Lizzie?

A small pine trunk is placed at the foot of the bed. It is covered with deer hide and the initials "E.B" have been riveted into the lid.

While there is no evidence in the Wylie collections that the trunk belonged to Elizabeth Breckenridge, it is a perfect fit.

View a newspaper article about Lizzie

“Visitors to Wylie House are immersed in 19th century domestic history. The house has been beautifully restored and furnished with family artifacts and period decor,” said Carey Champion, director of Wylie House Museum. “Wylie House tells the stories of its original residents as well as the history of Bloomington, Indiana University, and mid-19th century United States.”

The Wylie House Museum is open to the public for free, walk-in tours Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Large group tours and IU class visits can be arranged outside of normal hours.

For more information on the Wylie House, visit libraries.indiana.edu/wylie-house-museum or call 812-855-6224 or email libwylie@indiana.edu.

An antique table and chairs

A room based on research

Items on the antique desk, such as a telescope, represent areas of interest to Lizzie. Many students assisted in research and room transformation including:

Chloe McCormick graduated in May with her Masters in Folklore and worked at Wylie House and the attic project on and off for several years.  Mary McSparran, MLS 2021 graduate, assisted with attic room preparation and cleaning.  Gabby Templeton Krieble helped with décor and furniture arrangement in Lizzie’s room, and graduated in 2022 with her MLS. She is now working at the Monroe County History Center.

A bedside table holds a teacup, antique photo and stack of books

Framing family history

The photo at Lizzie's bedside depicts a woman named Ruvina "Viny" Williams. Lizzie referred to Viny, who lived much of her life in Bedford, Indiana, as her grandmother.

Very little is known about Lizzie Breckenridge's childhood. She first appears in the 1850 Federal Census as "Elizabeth Brackenridge," the eight-year-old daughter of Hannah Breckenridge.

Her birth date is recorded as July 5, 1843 in Bedford, Indiana, a town approximately 30 miles south of Bloomington. 

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