About Us
 

Our Mission

The mission of the Old Lyme Historical Society, Incorporated is to collect, preserve, and interpret the rich history of Lyme, Connecticut, and its environs, for the benefit of its residents and visitors. Cultural, economic, social, and architectural aspects of life in Old Lyme and its environs, from the earliest settlements to the present, will be shared with the public through the Internet, exhibits, walking tours, and original publications.

The Big Picture

Initially, Lyme was a component of the Saybrook ("Saye-Brooke") settlement centered on the west bank of the mouth of the Connecticut River. It was established by the Earl of Warwick in 1631, occupied in 1635, and settled and named in 1636. The lands on the east bank of the river, named after Lyme Regis in England, were formally set off from the parent Saybrook colony on February 13, 1665 in a document called "The Loving Parting", The Connecticut General Court named the new plantation "Lyme" on May 9, 1667. Lyme set off the Town of East Lyme in 1839 and, in 1854-1855, further created the two towns of Old Lyme (initially called "South" Lyme), on the shoreline at the mouth of the river, and Lyme, inland on the river opposite Essex and Deep River. Beginning in the late 1800's, the town became famous for its flourishing artists' community, centered on the emerging "American Impressionism" movement. The present Old Lyme has 27 square miles. The year-round population is approximately 7,500, with a summertime increase in six historic "beach colonies" to about 12,000.

The History Of Old Lyme For The People Of Old Lyme

The Society is dedicated to preserving and analyzing the social, civic, economic, and political past of the Town of Old Lyme over its 330-plus years. Originally, like many New England communities, the town was centered on farming, fishing, and shipping. But it was also a crossroads of commerce on the east bank of the Connecticut River, so it soon assumed a role beyond the size of its population or economic strength. The relative stability of the town has endowed it with an accessible history, one that has been carefully preserved not only in attics and basements, but in the living rooms and photo albums of many residents. In particular, local information that covers the past hundred years or so is not only available, but deserves to be learned by any student of American life.

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