Wyndham was built as a formal fieldstone farmhouse in 1796 for Patience Morgan, a Quaker widow. The house subsequently served as a residence for the families of Thomas Humphrey and John Kennedy. In 1893 it was acquired by Theodore Ely. Mr. Ely gave the house its name and added a spacious music room, now called the Ely Room, as a gift to his daughter Gertrude.
In the years since Wyndham was purchased by Bryn Mawr in 1926, its functions and appearance have changed in response to the needs of the College. Restoration of the existing building and the addition of a new wing in 1967 were made possible by the generosity of many alumnae. The new wing provided modern dining rooms on the first floor and offices for the Alumnae Association on the second floor.
Wyndham's public rooms are decorated with many of the furnishings collected by M. Carey Thomas for the old Deanery, which was on the site now occupied by Canaday Library. Gifts from alumnae/i, as well as the imaginative blend of period pieces that characterized the Deanery, make the interior of Wyndham a unique and comfortable setting for meetings and social events. |