Harvard Historical SocietyDiscover Your Town
Eleanor Willard Merrifield
1864 - 1948
Born in Still River in 1864, Eleanor created hand-colored photographs documenting buildings of the Harvard Shaker Village.
Eleanor Abiah Willard was born in Still River in 1864 and spent much of her life in her native town. She graduated from the Bromfield School in the class of 1881. She was a member of the Baptist Church, as were her ancestors. In 1908, she married Charles J. Merrifield.
Gifted as an artist and photographer, Eleanor gave generously of her time and talents to her community. Between 1907 and 1935, she created 26 hand-colored photographs documenting the communities of Harvard Shaker Village. The photographs and her hand-written descriptions are especially important to our understanding of the landmarks that no longer exist.
Among other groups, she was a member of the Harvard Historical Society. She died September 17th, 1948 and is buried in the family lot at the Harvard Center Cemetery.
