Oak Hill and The Martha Berry Museum

07/04/2020

July 4, 2020!

The staff at Oak Hill & The Martha Berry Museum wishes you a Happy Fourth of July!

Collections Highlight: US Navy Flag, c. 1919, Gifted to the Berry Schools by Admiral John Henry Towers

07/01/2020

This Independence Day weekend, Oak Hill & The Martha Berry Museum will be closed from Friday, July 3th, through Sunday, July 5th, reopening at 10a.m. for our usual hours on Monday, July 6th. We look forward to seeing you after the holiday!

#BerryCollege #OakHillMuseum

06/26/2020

We are excited to announce that Oak Hill & The Martha Berry Museum will reopen for tours on Monday, June 29, 2020!

To keep patrons safe, the museum will operate with reservation-only tours. Before coming to the museum, visitors must reserve their spot online at https://berry.ticketspice.com/oak-hill-tours. For questions about making a reservation, call (706) 368-6789.

While on the Oak Hill property, guests should maintain a social distance of six feet with anyone outside of their party, and masks are required inside all buildings. If a guest does not have a mask, the Oak Hill staff will provide one upon entry into the museum.

Tours are offered Monday- Saturday, from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. starting on the hour. Each tour of the Oak Hill home is limited to six guests to allow for social distancing and to help combat the spread of COVID-19. Docents will guide groups through Oak Hill and Aunt Martha’s Cottage, after which, guests will finish their visit with a self-guided tour of the Carriage House and the Oak Hill Gardens.

Need more information about our reopening plan and tour schedule? Check out https://www.berry.edu/oakhill/plan-your-visit/.

05/30/2020

Irises in the Sunken Garden

Did you know that the Sunken Garden used to be Martha Berry's Iris Garden? Before the addition of Kwanzan cherry trees, each tier featured these elegant flowers.

#BerryCollege #OakHillMuseum #MuseumMomentofZen #HistoricGardens

05/28/2020

Looking for a new recipe to try? Aunt Martha's Ginger Cookies were a favorite of Berry's earliest students. She kept this cookie jar filled with this tasty treat for her visitors at Oak Hill.

Want even more Historic Berry bakes? Order a copy of "Dining with the Daughters," The Daughters of Berry, Inc. cookbook, from our online gift shop: http://ow.ly/Pxj650zSLqf

#BerryCollege #OakHillMuseum #CollectionsHighlight

05/23/2020

"The magic of time lends to the rugged portion of our journey the selfsame beauty as to that along which flowers bloomed; each scene of the campus seems to have a new endearment to us; and the cords of friendship that have been woven about our lives here are to us stronger than ever before."

-William Archer Hagins, "Valedictory," May 1910

(Photo by Berry College staff photographer Brant Sanderlin)

To read more of Hagins' speech, visit: https://bit.ly/3ebPOyZ #BerryCollege #SceneatBerry #OakHillMuseum

05/22/2020

Dramatic, cloudy skies overhead usher in the weekend. 🌥️

#BerryCollege #SceneatBerry #OakHillMuseum

05/20/2020

Martha Berry wrote this letter to Alice Logan Wingo 102 years ago to the day! They were able to work out the living arrangements, and Wingo accepted the position as an English teacher for the Berry Schools. She remained a faculty member for the next 27 years, serving as the dean of women for much of that time.

Read more letters to and from Wingo
at http://ow.ly/aDrD50zLPq5

#BerryCollege #HistoryHighlight #OTD

05/17/2020

Kwanzan Cherry Trees in Oak Hill's Sunken Garden

For this #MuseumMomentofZen, take in the delicate beauty of the Kwanzan Cherry Tree blossoms in our Sunken Garden.

#BerryCollege #SceneatBerry #OakHillMuseum

05/15/2020

This Cedar grove sits above the Sunken Garden at Oak Hill, and it is one of our favorite hidden treasures on the property. What are some spots you are excited to visit when Berry and Oak Hill reopen?

#BerryCollege #OakHillMuseum

05/13/2020

Now, these are the grades you want to see on a report card at the end of the semester! Clayton Henson was Berry's first graduate in 1904, and he certainly set the bar high for what Berry students could achieve.

#BerryCollege #OakHillMuseum #CollectionsHighlight

05/11/2020

It is another #MarthaBerryMonday, and since yesterday was Mother's Day, this sweet gown and pair of rabbit-skinned shoes seem like the perfect collections pieces to highlight. These garments date to the 1830s, and both Martha and her mother, Frances Rhea, wore them! You can see them in our "Timeline" exhibition at The Martha Berry Museum when we reopen this summer.

#BerryCollege #OakHillMuseum #CollectionsHighlight #MothersDay

05/09/2020

Today we are celebrating and sending off our Senior student worker, Amberlee Williams (20C)!

Amberlee began working at Oak Hill as a docent her freshmen year, and her dedication to providing hospitable and patient service to all guests saw her take on roles with Educational Outreach and eventually leading our student team as the Museum Supervisor. We will miss her encouraging spirit, but we are so proud of all she has accomplished during her time at Berry College!

Join us in congratulating this standout graduate on what would have been her Commencement Day! 👩‍🎓🎉🎉😁

Photograph courtesy of Katelyn Louise Photography (Congrats to another Berry graduate, Katelyn Louise (20C)!)

#CelebrateBerryGrads #BerryCollege #OakHillMuseum

05/05/2020

Dear Vikings,

The semester has been a challenging one. We wish you well as it comes to a close, and hope success attends your work during finals week.

Telegram Courtesy of the Berry College Archives

#BerryCollege #FinalsWeek

05/02/2020

A Moment in the Formal Garden at Oak Hill

Experience another peaceful moment viewing the Oak Hill Gardens. Colorful zinnias fill the beds of the Formal Garden, and we hope they brighten your day!

#BerryCollege #SceneatBerry #OakHillMuseum #MuseumMomentofZen

05/01/2020

Last Friday was National Arbor Day, and at Oak Hill we celebrate our trees year round! Check out these photographs taken by our staff.

Got great Oak Hill tree pictures of your own? We'd love to see them! Post using #OakHillMuseum or tag us 🌲📷🌳

#SceneatBerry #BerryCollege

04/29/2020

This iconic picture shows Henry Ford dancing with Berry student, Irene Seller, c. 1930. This #WorldDanceDay, we are reflecting on the history of dancing at Berry.

Did you know that dancing was controversial at Berry in the early days of the school? Martha Berry grew up accustomed to taking dance lessons and saw it as an appropriate activity for young people. However, after bringing in a dance instructor to teach in 1921, a small number of staff and students left the schools due to personal and religious beliefs opposing the action.

Photograph Courtesy of the Berry College Archives

#BerryCollege #HenryFord

04/25/2020

Sunrise at Oak Hill

What can we say? Sunrise looks good on The Christopher Browning Pavilion and Oak Hill!

04/23/2020

Did you know that First Lady Ellen Axson Wilson was an artist and that she sold some of her paintings to benefit the Berry Schools?

In 2014, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Wilson's untimely passing, Oak Hill and the Rome Area Council for the Arts co-hosted a special exhibition of her American impressionist-style landscapes organized by the President Woodrow Wilson House. Follow this link to enjoy the virtual version of that same exhibition curated by The President Woodrow Wilson House: https://g.co/arts/XzW3hqTFJBCyRBhp7 !

Letter Courtesy of the Berry College Archives

#TBT #BerryCollege #EllenAxsonWilson #OakHillMuseum

04/21/2020

Martha Berry dreamed of beautifying her home with gardens. Now, you can learn how that wish became a reality on our new webpage, The History of the Oak Hill Gardens!

The page features archival images of some of the original plans and blueprints, photographs of the gardens dating between 1930-1950, and links to personal letters exchanged between Berry and landscape architect, Robert B. Cridland. Click this link to dig in: https://www.berry.edu/oakhill/oak-hill-estate/gardens 😀

Martha Berry in the Sundial Garden at Oak Hill, c. 1935
Photograph Courtesy of the Berry College Archives

04/17/2020

A Moment in Oak Hill's Goldfish Garden

Before heading into the weekend, we invite you to pause, take a deep breath, and enjoy this moment in our Goldfish Garden.

#MuseumMomentofZen #BerryCollege #SceneatBerry #OakHillMuseum

04/16/2020

This #TBT, we are celebrating the birthday of artist, Élisabeth Louise Vigée-LeBrun, born on this day in 1755.

You may be wondering what the portrait painter for the infamous Marie Antoinette has to do with Berry's history, and these archival photographs reveal the connection!

Pictured is the living room of the Mothers' Memorial Building, which would become Evans Hall on Berry's Campus. In the corner of the room is a remarkable pastel portrait of the Duchesse de Talleyrand-Perigord attributed to Vigée-LeBrun! This painting was gifted to the Berry Schools by Martha Berry's older sister, Princess Eugenia Ruspoli, in the late 1930s.

P.S. You will be able to visit this painting at The Martha Berry Museum as part of our "Gift of Art" exhibition when we reopen!

Photographs Courtesy of Berry College Archives

#SceneatBerry #BerryCollege #OakHillMuseum

04/12/2020

🐰 The staff at Oak Hill & The Martha Berry Museum wishes you a Happy Easter!🌷

#Easter #BerryCollege #SceneatBerry #OakHillMuseum

04/06/2020

Sometimes Martha Berry worked from home, too.

Pictured is Berry's writing desk located in her sleeping porch at Oak Hill. The desk gives us a glimpse of what made for the ideal home office in the 1930s with items such as a letter opener, a magnifying glass, and a bottle of Parker Quink fountain pen ink.

The stack of notes includes a price list from The Pinequat Shop in Fairhope, Alabama, which was known for its handwoven pine straw baskets and candied kumquats. The store's pamphlet features Martha Berry's signature note-to-self, "KEEP." She inscribed this word on countless items of interest to her and the development of the Berry Schools.

#MarthaBerryMonday #workfromhome #MuseumFromHome #BerryCollege #OakHillMuseum

04/02/2020

Martha Berry would want you to stay healthy and wash your hands…💧🤲💧

This excerpt comes from the biography of Martha Berry, "Martha Berry’s Living Glory," authored by Tracy Byers in 1967.

#WWMBD? #SafeHands #BerryCollege #MarthaBerry

03/30/2020

"I don't know how many of you were up this morning early enough to see the beautiful sunrise, but it was a glorious sunrise, and to me it was a symbol of a glorious day of beginning for Berry College."
- Dr. Samuel H. Cook

Vikings, despite these difficult times, we hope you have a glorious beginning to your week! 🌞

Dr. Samuel H. Cook, dean emeritus of Berry College, shared these words in 1957 as part of a speech celebrating the school’s then recent accreditation. To read more of his address, check out this link to the 1958 "Southern Highlander" article: https://bit.ly/2wRbKzp

#sunrise #sceneatberry #BerryCollege #oakhillmuseum

03/29/2020

This #WomensHistoryMonth, we want to honor the woman behind the construction of The Martha Berry Museum. Mary Reynolds Morton was a strong supporter of the Berry Schools from 1912-1977. Among her many gifts to the schools, she funded the building of Morton dormitory and The Martha Berry Museum. Morton's generosity included sharing her passion for art by gifting personal creations and paintings from her private collection to enrich the education of Berry students.

Our special exhibition, "The Gift of Art: Selections from Notable Berry Donors," which is on display through September 1, 2020, features significant works from the Morton collection. We can't wait to open our galleries up once again so you can encounter this art in person!

#Womenshistory #BerryCollege #SceneatBerry #OakHillMuseum

03/22/2020

Oak Hill's gates may be closed, but you can still take a "tour" from the comfort of your home! Check out our virtual tour, featured on our homepage, https://www.berry.edu/oakhill/ .

#museumfromhome #BerryCollege #OakHillMuseum #SceneatBerry

03/19/2020

🌺Happy first day of spring!🌼Oak Hill's Bridal Walk is full of fresh blooms, and since we are closed, we just had to share some of our favorites 😍 Shout out to our fantastic grounds staff for keeping our gardens full of beauty!

#firstdayofspring #BerryCollege #SceneatBerry

03/13/2020

As a part of Berry College, Oak Hill & The Martha Berry Museum will follow the school’s plan to be closed to the public over the next three weeks in response to concerns about COVID-19. Please check out the following link to learn more and stay up-to-date: https://www.berry.edu/student-life/life-on-campus/health-center/updates/march-13-2020

03/11/2020

⁣Did you know a woman funded this historic Berry building??⠀
⠀
Kate Macy Ladd was a philanthropist from New Jersey who lived from 1863-1945 and was heiress to the Standard Oil Company. Ladd donated funds on multiple occasions to the Berry schools, supporting the construction of Lemley Hall, the Road of Remembrance, the Ladd center, and the Memorial Library, pictured here in a bookplate draft from the Berry College Archives. She even introduced Martha Berry to another influential woman from Berry’s history, Emily Vanderbilt Hammond. This #WomensHistoryMonth is the perfect time to remember and celebrate women like Ladd, who were essential to the success of the Berry Schools in the early 20th century.⠀⠀
⠀
#BerryCollege #GeorgiaHistory #MarthaBerry

03/05/2020

Photography is quite the popular hobby for students at Berry, but it seems the best photo location at @BerryCollege is a bit of a well-known secret (psst—it's us) 📷😉 ⁣
⁣
We've got plenty of trails to peruse and explore, gardens that look like they came straight from the Italian countryside, and scenic views that just can’t be beat. And for all you Vikings wondering how much a location like this costs, you’ll be happy to hear that visiting Oak Hill is 100% free for Berry students (that includes access to tours, grounds, and the museum)! Just remember to check in at the museum before you start snapping shots; not a Berry student? Call us at 706-368-6789 to learn more about our photo policy.⁣
⁣
#BerryCollege #SceneatBerry #Photography #RomeGA

03/02/2020

Have you heard of Ida Tarbell? Martha Berry is well known for her connections to historical figures like Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and even Teddy Roosevelt, but March is #WomensHistoryMonth, so we couldn’t pass up the chance to highlight Martha’s correspondence with another influential woman from her time. Martha Berry frequently wrote to journalist Ida Tarbell, who was a key figure in the muckraking movement of the early 20th century and one of the most famous progressive journalists of her time. Martha knew Tarbell years before she met Henry Ford, and even conversed with the writer about publishing pieces on the story of the Berry Schools!

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You can view other letters between Martha Berry and Tarbell through Allegheny College's Ida M. Tarbell Collection: https://dspace.allegheny.edu/discover?scope=%2F&query=%22Martha+Berry%22&submit=

.

To learn more about Tarbell herself, check out this recent article about “The Woman Who Made Modern Journalism” from @TheAtlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/01/review-stephanie-gorton-citizen-reporters/603055/

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#Womenshistory #Journalism #BerryCollege #MarthaBerryMonday #IdaTarbell #Muckrakers

02/26/2020

The weather has been dreary over these past few days, but sometimes the worst weather can make beautiful interiors come to life 🌧️ Check out this cozy spot in the Oak Hill parlor, the social heart of Martha Berry’s home. It was here that Martha and students from the schools used to entertain guests from all over the country with music and lively conversation--but with rain like this, we think we might rather use this space to cozy up with a good book 📚

#Cozy #BerryCollege #RainyDay #OakHillMuseum

02/21/2020

It’s not every day that you get to step back into history 👟 As part of our Campus Tour series, we’re inviting the community to a "Walking Tour of The Martha Berry School for Girls" on Saturday, February 29, starting at 10:30a.m. and ending at noon. Guests will park at Berry College’s Log Cabin Campus and meet at the newly renovated Barnwell Chapel, where a tour guide will lead them on a 1.3-mile walking tour.

Admission is $5 for adults, $2 for non-Berry students, and free for Berry-affiliated guests. Additionally, guests are encouraged to wear comfortable shoes, as there will be some uneven paths to navigate. To register, please call 706-368-6789 or email [email protected].

#BerryCollege #GaHistory #OakHillMuseum