Lyme is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an o ...

New London County New London County is in the southeastern corner of Connecticut and comprises the Norwich-New London, Connecticut Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Hartford-East Hartford, Connecticut Combined Statistical Area. There ...

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 (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

, situated on the eastern side of the

Connecticut River The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges at Long Islan ...

. The population was 2,352 at the 2020 census. Lyme is the

eponym An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Usage of the word The term ''epon ...

Lyme disease Lyme disease, also known as Lyme borreliosis, is a vector-borne disease caused by the '' Borrelia'' bacterium, which is spread by ticks in the genus '' Ixodes''. The most common sign of infection is an expanding red rash, known as erythema ...

History

In February 1665, the portion of the territory of the

Saybrook Colony The Saybrook Colony was an English colony established in late 1635 at the mouth of the Connecticut River in present-day Old Saybrook, Connecticut by John Winthrop, the Younger, son of John Winthrop, the Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. ...

east of the

was set off as the plantation of East Saybrook, which included present-day Lyme, Old Lyme, and the western part of

East Lyme East Lyme is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 18,693 at the 2020 census. The villages of Niantic and Flanders are located in the town. Geography East Lyme is located in southern New London County, w ...

. In 1667, the Connecticut General Court formally recognized the East Saybrook plantation as the town of Lyme, named after

Lyme Regis Lyme Regis is a town in west Dorset, England, west of Dorchester and east of Exeter. Sometimes dubbed the "Pearl of Dorset", it lies by the English Channel at the Dorset– Devon border. It has noted fossils in cliffs and beaches on the He ...

, a coastal town in the south of

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

. The eastern portion of Lyme (bordering the town of

Waterford "Waterford remains the untaken city" , mapsize = 220px , pushpin_map = Ireland#Europe , pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe , pushpin_relief = 1 , coordinates ...

) separated from Lyme in 1823 and became part of East Lyme. The southern portion of Lyme (along

Long Island Sound Long Island Sound is a marine sound and tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies predominantly between the U.S. state of Connecticut to the north and Long Island in New York to the south. From west to east, the sound stretches from the Eas ...

) separated in 1855 as South Lyme (renamed Old Lyme in 1857). Both changes were consistent with the then-existing laws of the state of Connecticut.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the town has a total area of , of which are land and , or 7.63%, are water.

Principal communities

* Hadlyme * Hamburg (town center) * North Lyme Other minor communities and geographic areas are Becket Hill, Bill Hill, Brockway's Ferry (also known as Brockway Landing), Brush Hill, Elys Ferry, Grassy Hill, Gungy, Joshuatown, Lord Hill, Mt. Archer, Pleasant Valley, Rogers Lake West Shore, and Sterling City.

Principal bodies of water

Coves along the Connecticut River

* Hamburg Cove. * Lord Cove (a brackish tidal marsh, fed in part by Lord, Deep, and Mack creeks). * Selden Cove. * Whalebone Cove (aka Hadlyme Cove or North Cove).

Lakes and ponds

* Cedar Lake ( formed by the damming of Cedar Pond Brook). * Joshua Pond – a.k.a. Lower Pond (east of Brockways Ferry Rd; formed by the damming of Joshua Creek). * Moulsons Pond (formed by the damming of Eightmile River). * Norwich Pond (formed by the damming of Falls Brook). * Rogers Lake (partly in Lyme; formed by the damming of Mill Brook). * Uncas Pond (formed by the damming of Falls Brook). * Upper Pond (along Tantumorantum Rd; formed by the damming of Joshua Creek).

Rivers, creeks , and brooks

* Eightmile River; a federally designated "Wild and Scenic River." * Beaver Brook (a tributary of Eightmile River). * Broad Swamp Brook (a tributary of Grassy Hill Brook). * Cedar Pond Brook (a tributary of Beaver Brook). * Cranberry Meadow Brook (a tributary of Eightmile River). * Deep Creek (a tributary of the Connecticut River). * East Branch Eightmile River (a tributary of Eightmile River). * Falls Brook (a tributary of Eightmile River and Hamburg Cove). * Grassy Hill Brook (mostly in Lyme, but crosses into Old Lyme before feeding into Rogers Lake). * Hemlock Valley Brook (a tributary of Whalebone Creek). * Hungerford Brook (a tributary of Whalebone Creek). * Joshua Creek – a.k.a. Rams Horn Creek (a tributary of the Connecticut River). * Lord Creek (a tributary of the Connecticut River). * Mack Creek (a tributary of the Connecticut River). * Mill Brook (enters Rogers Lake in Lyme and exits the lake in Old Lyme; a tributary of the Lieutenant River). * Roaring Brook (a tributary of Whalebone Creek). * Selden Creek (a tributary of the Connecticut River). * Whalebone Creek (mouth is located at the head of Whalebone Cove).

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Lyme had a population of 2,352.

2010 census

As of the 2010

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

, Lyme had a population of 2,406. Its racial and ethnic makeup was 96.5% non-Hispanic white, 0.1% non-Hispanic black, 0.1% non-Hispanic Native American, 1.0% Asian, 0.1% non-Hispanic from some other race, 0.6% from two or more races and 1.7% Hispanic or Latino.2010 census report on Lyme
/ref>

Voter registration

Ancestry/Ethnicity

According to the United States Census Bureau, as of 2017 the largest (those over 1% of the population) self-identified ancestry/ethnic groups in Lyme were:

Public facilities

Civic and fraternal

* Hadlyme Public Hall (63 Ferry Road) * Lyme Consolidated School (478 Hamburg Road) * Lyme Grange Hall (2 Sterling City Road) * Lyme Public Hall Association (249 Hamburg Road) * Lyme Public Library (482 Hamburg Road) * Lyme Volunteer Fire Co. Hadlyme Station (Norwich Salem Road) * Lyme Volunteer Fire Co. Lyme Station (213 Hamburg Road)

Governmental

* Hadlyme Ferry Boat Launch (154 Ferry Road) * Hadlyme Post Office (1 Ferry Road) * Lyme Town Hall (480 Hamburg Road)

Religious

* The First Congregational Church of Lyme (Sterling City Road)

Points of interest

State parks and forests

Selden Neck State Park Selden Neck State Park is a island and public recreation area on the Connecticut River in the town of Lyme, Connecticut. Accessible only by boat, the state park has four areas for primitive, riverside camping. Hiking, fishing, and hunting ...

and

Becket Hill State Park Reserve Becket Hill State Park Reserve is a public recreation area lying adjacent to Nehantic State Forest in the town of Lyme, Connecticut. The state park is as an undeveloped, walk-in park totaling with no officially listed activities. It is man ...

are wholly located in Lyme. Nehantic State Forest and

Gillette Castle State Park Gillette Castle State Park straddles the towns of East Haddam, Connecticut, East Haddam and Lyme, Connecticut in the United States, sitting high above the Connecticut River. The castle was designed and built by William Gillette (1853–1937), an Un ...

are partly located in Lyme.

On the National Register of Historic Places

* Cooper Site, added November 15, 1987. *

Gillette Castle Gillette Castle State Park straddles the towns of East Haddam and Lyme, Connecticut in the United States, sitting high above the Connecticut River. The castle was designed and built by William Gillette (1853–1937), an American actor most famou ...

(partly in Lyme), added July 31, 1986. *

Hadlyme Ferry Historic District The Hadlyme Ferry Historic District encompasses a collection of historic buildings related to the Chester–Hadlyme Ferry in the Hadlyme village of Lyme, Connecticut. It is located at the eastern end of the ferry route across the Connecticut Riv ...

, added December 21, 1994. * Hamburg Bridge Historic District (Joshuatown Road and Old Hamburg Road), added April 10, 1983. * Hamburg Cove Site, added November 15, 1987. * Lord Cove Site, added November 15, 1987. * Selden Island Site, added November 15, 1987.

Public transportation

The

Estuary Transit District Estuary Transit District, doing business as 9 Town Transit, is the public transit provider for the Connecticut River Estuary region. ETD provides public transit bus service through its 9 Town Transit service to the towns of Chester, Clinton, De ...

provides public transportation throughout Lyme and the surrounding towns through its 9 Town Transit Service. Services include connections to Old Saybrook station, served by

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada. ...

and

Shore Line East Shore Line East (SLE) is a commuter rail service which operates along the Northeast Corridor through southern Connecticut, United States. The rail service is a fully owned subsidiary of the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) and i ...

railroads.

Lyme in literature, art, and film

* ''Sleep'', Andy Warhol's 1964 movie, was filmed in Lyme.

Notable people

Robert Ballard Robert Duane Ballard (born June 30, 1942) is an American retired Navy officer and a professor of oceanography at the University of Rhode Island who is most noted for his work in underwater archaeology: maritime archaeology and archaeolo ...

(born 1942), lives in Lyme; oceanographer *

Joan Bennett Joan Geraldine Bennett (February 27, 1910 – December 7, 1990) was an American stage, film, and television actress. She came from a show-business family, one of three acting sisters. Beginning her career on the stage, Bennett appeared in more t ...

(1910–1990), buried in Lyme; film and television actress *

Hiel Brockway Hiel Brockway was a native of Lyme, Connecticut and came to Clarkson, New York shortly after the War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against th ...

(died 1842), born in Lyme; founder of

Brockport, New York Brockport is a village in the Town of Sweden, with two tiny portions in the Town of Clarkson, in Monroe County, New York, United States. The population was 7,104 at the 2020 U.S. Census. The name is derived from Heil Brockway, an early settler ...

Zebulon Brockway Zebulon Reed Brockway (April 28, 1827 – October 21, 1920) was a penologist and is sometimes regarded as the "Father of prison reform" and "Father of American parole" in the United States. Early life Brockway was born in Lyme, Connecticut on A ...

(1827–1920), born in Lyme; penologist; "Father of prison reform" in the United States *

Daniel Chadwick Daniel Chadwick (January 5, 1825 – November 23, 1884) was an American politician. He served in Connecticut's House and Senate. He was also a state attorney in Connecticut. He was a Republican. Chadwick, son of Daniel and Nancy (Waite) Chadwick ...

(1825–1884), born in Lyme; lawyer and politician *

Donald Barr Chidsey Donald Barr Chidsey (May 14, 1902 – March 17, 1981) was an American writer, biographer, historian, novelist and writer of adventure fiction. Biography Donald Barr Chidsey was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, on May 14, 1902. He worked at th ...

(1902–1981), lived in Lyme for many years; novelist and historian * Wequash Cooke (died 1642), buried in Lyme; Native American leader * William Diard (1924–2009), retired to Lyme and died there; operatic tenor *

Dominick Dunne Dominick John Dunne (October 29, 1925 – August 26, 2009) was an American writer, investigative journalist, and producer. He began his career in film and television as a producer of the pioneering gay film '' The Boys in the Band'' (1970) and ...

(1925–2009), owned a house in Lyme (Hadlyme); author, journalist, and film producer * John Ely (1737–1800), born in Lyme; surgeon and colonel in the American Revolution *

Walker Evans Walker Evans (November 3, 1903 – April 10, 1975) was an American photographer and photojournalist best known for his work for the Farm Security Administration (FSA) documenting the effects of the Great Depression. Much of Evans' work from ...

(1903–1975), lived in Lyme 1940s to 1975; photographer * Gladys Kelley Fitch (1896–1971), lived in Lyme; artist; member Old Lyme Art Colony * Matthew Griswold (1714–1799), born in Lyme; governor of Connecticut (1784–1786) * Roger Griswold (1762–1812), born in Lyme; son of Mathew; US congressman (1785–1805), governor of Connecticut (1811–1812) *

Roger Hilsman Roger Hilsman Jr. (November 23, 1919 – February 23, 2014) was an American soldier, government official, political scientist, and author. He saw action in the China-Burma-India Theater of World War II, first with Merrill's Marauders, getting w ...

(1919–2014), lived in Lyme; member Lyme Democratic Committee; World War II hero, diplomat, and author *

Harry Holtzman Harry Holtzman (June 8, 1912 – September 25, 1987) was an American artist and founding member of the American Abstract Artists group. Early life At the age of fourteen, Holtzman visited the ''Société Anonyme’s'' 1926 “International E ...

(1912–1987), lived in Lyme; abstract artist * Stephen Johnson (1724–1786), minister Lyme First Congregational;

pamphleteer Pamphleteer is a historical term for someone who creates or distributes pamphlets, unbound (and therefore inexpensive) booklets intended for wide circulation. Context Pamphlets were used to broadcast the writer's opinions: to articulate a poli ...

* Ezra Lee (1749–1821), born in Lyme; commander of the ''Turtle'' submarine during the Revolutionary War, and world's first submariner *

Beatrice Lillie Beatrice Gladys Lillie, Lady Peel (29 May 1894 – 20 January 1989), known as Bea Lillie, was a Canadian-born British actress, singer and comedic performer. She began to perform as a child with her mother and sister. She made her West End theat ...

(1894–1989), lived on Grassy Hill Rd, Lyme in the 1970s; Canadian-born actress * Abijah Perkins Marvin (1813–1889), born in Lyme; minister, writer, and teacher; member of the

Massachusetts Constitutional Convention of 1853 The Massachusetts Constitutional Convention of 1853 met from May 4 to August 2 in order to consider changes to the Massachusetts Constitution. This was the third such convention in Massachusetts history, following the original constitutional conve ...

Dudley Marvin Dudley Marvin (May 9, 1786 – June 25, 1856) was a U.S. Representative from New York. Born in Lyme, Connecticut, Marvin attended Colchester (Connecticut) Academy. He moved to Canandaigua, New York, in 1807 and studied law. He was admitted ...

(1786–1856), born in Lyme; New York

congressman A Member of Congress (MOC) is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The term member of parliament (MP) is an equivalen ...

* Charles J. McCurdy (1797–1891), born and died in Lyme; Lt. Governor of Connecticut * William Brown Meloney (1905–1971) and

Rose Franken Rose Franken (December 28, 1895 – June 22, 1988), was an American writer and playwright best known for her '' Claudia'' stories, plus the books, films, and plays based on them. Early years Born Rose Dorothy Lewin in Gainesville, Texas, Franken ...

(1895–1988), lived in Lyme; husband-wife writing and play production team *

Robert Mulligan Robert Patrick Mulligan (August 23, 1925 – December 20, 2008) was an American director and producer. He is best known for his humanist dramas, including ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' (1962), '' Summer of '42'' (1971), ''The Other'' (1972), '' Same ...

(1925–2008), died at home in Lyme; film director; directed ''

To Kill a Mockingbird ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' is a novel by the American author Harper Lee. It was published in 1960 and was instantly successful. In the United States, it is widely read in high schools and middle schools. ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' has become ...

'' *

Jonathan Parsons Jonathan Parsons (November 30, 1705 – July 19, 1776) was a Christian New England clergyman during the late colonial period and a supporter of the American Revolution. Born in West Springfield, Massachusetts, he was the youngest son of Ebenezer ...

(1705–1776), Lyme clergyman *

Samuel Holden Parsons Samuel Holden Parsons (May 14, 1737 – November 17, 1789) was an American lawyer, jurist, generalHeitman, ''Officers of the Continental Army'', 428. in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, and a pioneer to the Ohio Countr ...

(1737–1789), born in Lyme; brigadier general in the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...

during the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...

Jedediah Peck Jedediah Peck (January 28, 1748 – August 15, 1821) was an American farmer, surveyor, Revolutionary War soldier, and New York State legislator described as a father of the common school system of the State of New York. He was a man of limi ...

(1748–1821), born in Lyme; "Father of the Common School System" in New York state * John Sill Rogers (1796–1860), born in Lyme; physician and politician * Timothy Rogers (1756-1834), born in Lyme; Quaker leader and founder of Newmarket and Pickering,

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

. *

Sewell Sillman Sewell Sillman (1924 – 1992) was an American painter, educator, and print publisher. He co-founded Ives-Sillman, Inc. alongside partner Norman Seaton Ives, which published silkscreen prints and photographs in monographic art portfolios. Biogr ...

(1924–1992), lived in Lyme and died there; painter, educator, and art print publisher *

Ansel Sterling Ansel Sterling (February 3, 1782 – November 6, 1853) was a United States representative from Connecticut. He was the brother of Micah Sterling who was a United States Representative from New York. He was born in Lyme, Connecticut, where he a ...

(1782–1853), born in Lyme;

from Connecticut *

Micah Sterling Micah Sterling (November 5, 1784 Lyme, New London County, Connecticut – April 11, 1844 Watertown, Jefferson County, New York) was an American lawyer and politician from New York. Life Sterling graduated from Yale College in 1804. Then he stud ...

(1784–1844), born in Lyme;

from New York * Allen Tucker (1838–1903), born in Lyme; Medal of Honor recipient in the American Civil War * Henry Matson Waite (1787–1869), born in Lyme; Chief Justice of Connecticut Supreme Court *

Morrison Remick Waite Morrison Remick "Mott" Waite (November 29, 1816 – March 23, 1888) was an American attorney, jurist, and politician from Ohio. He served as the seventh chief justice of the United States from 1874 until his death in 1888. During his tenure ...

(1816–1888), born in Lyme; Chief Justice of the United States

References

External links

Town of Lyme official website

Lyme-Old Lyme Public Schools (Regional District 18)
{{authority control Towns in New London County, Connecticut Connecticut populated places on the Connecticut River Towns in Connecticut 1667 establishments in Connecticut Populated places established in 1645