Museum News
Queen of the Prairie Roses in Peak Bloom
These beautiful roses can be found on the west wall of the museum. The Queen of the Prairie is an old fashioned rose that Leila McKee grew on the trellis at Peabody Hall, at Western College. McKee presented the rose to two of the founding members of Beta Theta Pi on the fraternity's 50th anniversary (1889). It became part of the official Beta Seal. Funds for the roses, trellis and fertilizer were donated by Drs. Ed and Sue Jones in memory of Sue's mother, Eva Clement.
McGuffey Museum Salutes our Student Aide Graduates
Jessica Weaver
Max Mallott and Kaylie Schunk
Jessica Weaver graduated with a B. A. in Social Studies, and Kaylie Schunk received a graduate degree in American History. Kaylie is shown with fellow graduate (B. A. International Studies), Max Mallott.
McGuffey Docents, Staff & Friends enjoy Annual June Field Trip
This year took us to Glendower (pictured), the Golden Lamb and the Harmon Museum in Lebanon. Please join us next year! More photos and details about the annual field trip »
Make it a Summer to Remember
McGuffey House and Museum is open all summer! We invite you to schedule a group tour or drop by during regular operating hours. Plan your visit now »
Thursday - Saturday
1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
McGuffey Readers at the 2018 Graduate Research Forum
Former McGuffey student intern Kaylie Schunk presented her poster The McGuffey Readers' Afterlives: Designing Exhibition Spaces at the Miami University Graduate Research Forum on November 9. Kaylie is studying for her master's in American History. (Click images for larger versions)
Read Kaylie's recent manuscript: Peter Bruner: Novel in Death, Not in Life
From our collections
Bishop Sideboard
Mahogany, 1790–1815
This sideboard belonged to the first president of Miami University, Robert Hamilton Bishop. Brought to Oxford by the Bishops in 1824, it stood in the entry hall of the Bishop home until the 1930s.
In 1991, Dr. Jonathan S. Bishop donated the sideboard to Miami University and the McGuffey Museum.
Peter Bruner's top hat and hatbox
Overcoming years of slavery, voluntary service in the Union Army, and decades of manual labor, celebrated Oxford citizen Peter Bruner's life is a story worth telling and re-telling. The Museum collection includes his top hat and hat box.
Octagonal table
It is thought that McGuffey wrote the first four books in the series in this house, very possibly on this table.
1840s pie safe
Poplar with pierced tin panels, 1840–1850
Cupboards of this type were used for food storage. The pierced tin panels allowed air circulation without letting rodents and large insects foul the foodstuffs.