Late 19th century photograph of the Wanton-Lyman-Hazard House by Newport photographer Clarence Stanhope, from the NHS collections.
December 4th marks the 190th anniversary of the death of Mary (Polly) Wanton Lyman at North Providence in 1822 at the age of 60. Polly was born in Newport in 1763. She lived at 17 Broadway, now the Wanton-Lyman-Hazard house, for much of her life. It was there where she met her husband, Major Daniel Lyman, in 1780 during the American Revolution. In 1807 the Lymans moved to North Providence to escape Newport’s lagging economy and take advantage of new business opportunities around the Blackstone River. They sold their Broadway home, to their daughter Harriet Hazard, the second oldest of their thirteen children. The remains of the Lyman family were removed from North Providence to Swan Point Cemetery after it was established on Blackstone Boulevard in Providence in 1845.
You can learn more about Polly Wanton Lyman during our Winter at the Wanton-Lyman-Hazard House: 1795 program on December 1 and 8, 2012 at 11am. Call 401-841-8770 for information.