Visit Westerville

Amalthea & the Central College

Lillian and Fairchild Hall

By Artist Yao Cheng

Mural Location: Skip Ivery Insurance | 855 S. Sunbury Road
Located on the South-facing wall perpendicular to Sunbury Road

I wanted this mural painting to celebrate the story of Lillian Gossett and her contribution to Fairchild Hall. As I was painting this artwork, I imagined a bountiful bouquet of peonies and roses swirling around her to show her dedication for this building and its community. Vibrant colors are used in this piece to express the warmth and beauty of nature and of this part of Westerville’s history.

Yao Cheng is a Columbus-based artist and illustrator who has been creating art since childhood. A 2009 graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in Textiles, Yao began her career designing for a corporate fashion brand before founding her own creative studio, Yao Cheng Design, in 2012.

She is best known for her joyful watercolor artworks created for products and licensing projects, with designs featured by brands like Samsung The Frame TV (coming soon), Google Photos, Target, Tervis, Chronicle Books, and BlueSky Planners. Passionate about community and collaboration, Yao is also deeply involved in fostering creative connections through leadership and mentorship.

Learn more about Yao at yaochengdesign.com

Schoolteacher Lillian Gossett became a foremost historian on Blendon Township’s local history in the 1950s. She wrote a book on the Central College area, By One Spirit, published for the American Bicentennial (1976).

Gossett’s book describes the community of Amalthea at Sunbury and Central College Road, platted in 1816 by Timothy Lee and Gideon Hart. Central College opened there in 1842 on land originally owned by Lee. When Fairchild Hall was built in 1875, the campus served as a preparatory school. It was named after the college’s only graduate, I. Fairchild.

The Ohio Home for the Aged & Infirm Deaf purchased Fairchild Hall in 1896. A community cornerstone, it attracted Deaf and Deaf-Blind individuals who were drawn by its focus on self-sufficiency. The Home closed due to changes in state funding and regulations. It reopened down the road as Columbus Colony in 1977.

What was Amalthea is now Central College, a part of Westerville.