Murfreesboro Female Academy

Murfreesboro, Rutherford Co.

Ann West’s sampler is her only legacy, as her name cannot be found in any public records. She was the only daughter of George West and Elizabeth (Betsy) Lytle. Her mother was the daughter of Capt. William Lytle, the founder of Murfreesboro, Rutherford County. The Lytle family valued eduction. Elizabeth Lytle and her sisters were educated in Nashville. William F. Lytle, Ann West’s uncle, donated land for the academy in 1830.

Ann's sampler is quite early for Middle Tennessee samplers. It may have been cut through the middle to fit into the frame, which is old, but not original to the sampler. Ann's cousin, Jane Eleanor Foster, worked a sampler in 1831.