The Lexington Lyceum
at the Ellen Stone Building
We are working to revitalize Lexington’s historic Ellen Stone Building as a Lyceum
to create stronger civic and social connections in our community.
Lexington Lyceum Advocates (LLA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
Why Save the Ellen Stone Building?
The Ellen Stone Building is a unique part of our nation’s history. The debates that took place within its walls helped shape American democracy in the 19th century.
Built in 1833, the Ellen Stone Building is one of the few remaining intact Lyceums. It was part of a national movement to educate new voters. Here, everyday Americans sought to improve themselves and their fledgling democracy. They grappled with issues such as who gets to vote, and what it means to be free.
Speakers at the Stone building included abolitionists, transcendentalists, and suffragists. They transformed our idea of what America means. Ralph Waldo Emerson and Lucy Stone are just two of the luminaries who visited.
The Ellen Stone Building inspires us to consider our past, and to reimagine our democracy now. We want to share that same experience with Lexington and the world.
The Lexington Lyceum’s Three Pillars
In 2022, the Stone Building Feasibility & Reuse Committee recommended returning the building to use as a “Modern Day Lyceum.” They recommended the lyceum focus on current social issues and incorporating historic and intercultural elements.
Lyceum Events
- Community Conversations
- Cultural performances
- Film screenings
Inclusive Community Building
- Intercultural exchange
- Social gatherings
- Civic engagement
Historical Interpretation & Education
- Guided tours of the Stone Building and East Lexington
- Programs on the Lyceum Movement
- Partnerships with Lexington public schools
Past Programs
Supporting the Lyceum’s Three Pillars
lyceum noun
lī-ˈsē-əm
1: a hall for public lectures or discussions
2: an association providing public lectures, concerts, and entertainments
Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous address “The Perpetuation of our Political Institutions” as a lyceum lecture in Springfield, IL in 1838.