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The Peck Tavern is a historic tavern (now a private residence) at 1 Sill Lane in
Old Lyme Old Lyme is a coastal town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The main street of the town, Lyme Street, is a historic district with several homes once owned by sea captains. Lyme Academy of Fine Arts is located in Old Lyme and ther ...
,
Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
. With a construction history that may date to the 17th century, it is one of the town's oldest buildings, and was an important local meeting place in the 18th century. The building was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
on April 12, 1982.


Description and history

The Peck Tavern is located at the northern end of Old Lyme's historic village center, at center of the triangular junction of Sill Lane and
Boston Post Road The Boston Post Road was a system of mail-delivery routes between New York City and Boston, Massachusetts that evolved into one of the first major highways in the United States. The three major alignments were the Lower Post Road (now U.S. Ro ...
(
United States Route 1 U.S. Route 1 or U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs from Key West, Florida, north to Fort Kent, Maine, at the Canadian border, making i ...
). It is a -story wood-frame structure, with a side-gable roof, wooden clapboard siding, and a large wing extending to the rear. The main (south-facing) facade is five bays wide, with the center bay consisting of a two-story gable-topped projecting section. The main entry is in this section, flanked by fluted pilasters and topped by a transom window. Among the building's unique interior features are a surviving taproom from its use as a tavern, with the original 18th-century sign on display there. The building's construction date is unknown, but is believed to date to the first half of the 18th century, and may incorporate elements of a 17th-century structure which was known to stand hear about 1680. The main block probably achieved its present form about 1769, when the property was purchased by John Peck. John McCurdy one of Lyme's wealthiest citizens ran a shop in the tavern which was also the center of the Son's of Liberty in the years leading up to the American Revolution. George Washington was a visitor here in April 1776 en route to New York from Boston and was seen "dancing the night away" in the 2nd floor ballroom of the Tavern. The property was used as a tavern into the early 19th century, serving as a major stop on the early post road, which was later upgrade to a turnpike and saw a great deal of traffic. The house remained in the Peck family until 1904, and was again owned by a single family until 1978, serving for a time as the headquarters of the Old Lyme Guild, a local craft society.https://florencegriswoldmuseum.org/exhibition-notes-george-washingtons-visit-to-old-lyme/


See also

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National Register of Historic Places listings in New London County, Connecticut __NOTOC__ This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in New London County, Connecticut. This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in New London C ...


References

{{National Register of Historic Places Drinking establishments on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut Commercial buildings completed in 1769 Buildings and structures in New London County, Connecticut Taverns in Connecticut Old Lyme, Connecticut National Register of Historic Places in New London County, Connecticut