Lyman House Memorial Museum
for Lyman Mission House, a booklet
about the Lyman House and its preservation
By Popular Demand...
In response to many requests, this page contains the photos and transcript of the 2008 Honor Awards presentation.
2008 Preservation Honor Awards
The Lyman Mission House booklet tells the story of the Lyman Museum’s restoration and interpretation of its 1839 Lyman House.
The Lyman House was built in 1839 and was home to missionaries Sarah and David Lyman. The house was once used to house the collection of the Lyman House Memorial Museum, also known as the Lyman Museum. Today the house is used to interpret Missionary life in Hilo during the 1800s. The house is on the National and State Registers of Historic Places and the museum is one of only two Hawai‘i museums affiliated with the Smithsonian.
The book explains how restoration like this took place. This is a page from the book that shows original samples next to reproduction samples. The booklet includes historic photographs such as this one of the home taken in the 1860s and includes reproductions of the wallpaper found in the house during the 2004 interior restoration.
The house has recently gone through several interior restorations: new wallpaper was reproduced based on historic wallpaper, such as this Gothic Revival wallpaper that was found during the 2004 restoration.
History is told by the building itself, and the book tells the story of the building by including photos and descriptions, such as this photo of the attic, which was added in 1856. The original (1839) `ōhi`a roof beams are evident along with the 1856 Douglas fir beams that changed the pitch of the roofline when the zinc roof replaced the thatching.
History is told by the building itself, and the book tells the story of the building by including photos and descriptions, such as this photo of the attic, which was added in 1856. The original (1839) `ōhi`a roof beams are evident along with the 1856 Douglas fir beams that changed the pitch of the roofline when the zinc roof replaced the thatching.
While nothing can compare to the experience of standing in the parlor of the Lyman Mission House next to Sarah Lyman’s melodeon, this beautiful book helps its readers remember a visit when they did, or visualize the experience when a visit in person is not possible.
In any case, the publication encourages a respect and appreciation for the Lyman Mission House, its history, its structure and its continued preservation.
