Call to Artists — Amalthea and Central College. Second of Twelve Murals Planned For Semi-Quincentennial.
Editor’s Note: This is the second of a series of articles about America 250 murals planned for Westerville’s semi-quincentennial celebration. Future articles will detail the other murals. The first mural is Westerville Farming and Manufacturing.
Call to Artists — Amalthea and Central College
The City of Westerville is inviting artists to submit proposals for a mural honoring the early settlement of Amalthea, later known as Central College, as part of the America 250 Westerville History Mural Project celebrating the nation’s 250th birthday in 2026.
This mural will be one of nine pieces chosen from artist proposals that together depict Westerville’s evolution through important periods of its history.
The Amalthea and Central College mural will portray the founding vision of Timothy Lee, an early settler who, along with Gideon Hart, built mills, a distillery, and a woolen factory along Big Walnut Creek in the early 1800s. In 1816, they laid out the village of Amalthea—a community built on industry, education, and faith.
By 1842, Rev. Theron H. Lee’s plan for a Presbyterian school materialized with the establishment of Central College, organized under the Marion Presbytery. The college and the nearby Central College Presbyterian Church became the focal point of the small village that developed at that crossroads. Decades later, one of the college buildings was transformed into the Ohio Home for the Aged and Infirm Deaf, founded in 1896 as a largely self-sustaining community for elderly and disabled Deaf and Deaf-Blind residents from across Ohio.
Artists are encouraged to reflect on the area’s intertwined themes of education, compassion, and perseverance, drawing inspiration from the photos below.
Main Hall at Central College (built 1857; razed 1967)
Fairchild Hall (built 1875; later used by the Ohio Home for the Aged and Infirm Deaf)
Timothy Lee Home (ca. 1830s, Greek Revival style)
Gideon Hart House (1820; oldest surviving home in the Westerville area)
Lillian Gossett, a local historian and educator who helped preserve Central College’s story
The mural will honor the lasting impact of a village once named after love and loss—Amalthea, believed to commemorate Timothy Lee’s late fiancée, Amalthea Hart—and the educational spirit that continues to influence Westerville today.
Artists can access all information, including reference materials, photos, and submission guidelines, through the RFP at https://www.visitwesterville.org/250-2/.
Artist submissions are open through December 1, 2025. Each selected artist will receive a $1,000 commission to bring one of the nine murals to life for installation in 2026.
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