Byfield Female Seminary opened in 1806 in Byfield Massachusetts. The Reverend Joseph Emerson, a Congregational pastor and teacher, was Principal of the Seminary from 1818-1821, when he moved the school to Saugus, Massachusetts. Pupils at Byfield Female Seminary included Mary Lyon, the founder of Mount Holyoke College, and Zilpah P. Grant Banister.

The Byfield Seminary Collection consists of catalogues, historical information and a photograph. The materials briefly document the founding of the institution and its evolution from a seminary into a private residence. They also emphasize the influence of the school's principal, Joseph Emerson, and his educational principles on Mary Lyon, who attended Byfield in 1821. The catalogues dated 1818-1822 and 1821 list the names of students and their residences. Also included in the collection are a newspaper article dated 1966 and a magnet listing the activities celebrating the tercentenary of Byfield Church in 2002. The photograph is a picture of the Byfield Building dated ca. 1900.

Arranged in three series: Series 1. Catalogues. Series 2. Historical information. Series 3. Photograph.

Please use the following format when citing materials from this collection:

Byfield Seminary Collection, Mount Holyoke College, Archives and Special Collections, South Hadley, Massachusetts