Old Lyme, Connecticut
Encyclopedia
New England town
The New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. Without a direct counterpart in most other U.S. states, New England towns are conceptually similar to civil townships in other states, but are incorporated, possessing powers like cities in other...
in New London County
New London County, Connecticut
New London County is a county located in the southeastern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. As of 2010 the population was 274,055. The total area of the county is , including inland and coastal waters....
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The Main Street of the town is a historic district. The town has long been a popular summer resort and artists' colony. The town is named after Lyme Regis
Lyme Regis
Lyme Regis is a coastal town in West Dorset, England, situated 25 miles west of Dorchester and east of Exeter. The town lies in Lyme Bay, on the English Channel coast at the Dorset-Devon border...
, England.
The US headquarters of Sennheiser
Sennheiser
Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG is a private German audio company specializing in the design and production of a wide range of both consumer and high fidelity products, including microphones, headphones, telephony accessories, and avionics headsets for consumer, professional, and business...
is located in Old Lyme, as is Callaway Cars, the Florence Griswold Museum (including the Florence Griswold House
Florence Griswold House
The Florence Griswold Museum is an art museum in Old Lyme, Connecticut centered around the home of Florence Griswold. It is noted for its collection of American Impressionist paintings.-Museum:...
), the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts
Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts
The Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts is an art college in Old Lyme, Connecticut-History:The Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts was founded in 1976 by Elisabeth Gordon Chandler as a figurative academy for the teaching of sculpture, figure drawing, Illustration and painting dedicated to the fine arts...
, and the Lyme Art Association. Old Lyme and its neighboring town Lyme
Lyme, Connecticut
Lyme is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 2,016 at the 2000 census. Lyme and its neighboring town Old Lyme are the namesake for Lyme disease.-Geography:...
are the namesake for Lyme disease
Lyme disease
Lyme disease, or Lyme borreliosis, is an emerging infectious disease caused by at least three species of bacteria belonging to the genus Borrelia. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto is the main cause of Lyme disease in the United States, whereas Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii cause most...
.
The town of Old Lyme contains several villages, including Black Hall, Laysville, Lyme, Soundview, and South Lyme. The population was 7,406 at the 2000 census.
Background and history
Old Lyme is a community of about 7,500 permanent residents, in addition to several thousand seasonal vacationers who occupy a seaside community of summer residences. It is located on the east bank of the Connecticut RiverConnecticut River
The Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the...
at its confluence with the Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
, across the river from Old Saybrook
Old Saybrook, Connecticut
Old Saybrook is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 10,367 at the 2000 census. It contains the incorporated borough of Fenwick, as well as the census-designated places of Old Saybrook Center and Saybrook Manor.-History:...
on the west bank. The town is marked by independence, volunteerism, and a long-standing commitment to the arts. Numerous examples of Colonial
Colonial house
American colonial architecture includes several building design styles associated with the colonial period of the United States, including First Period English , French Colonial, Spanish Colonial, Dutch Colonial, German Colonial and Georgian Colonial...
and Federal architecture
Federal architecture
Federal-style architecture is the name for the classicizing architecture built in the United States between c. 1780 and 1830, and particularly from 1785 to 1815. This style shares its name with its era, the Federal Period. The name Federal style is also used in association with furniture design...
can be found throughout the town.
The town of Lyme
Lyme, Connecticut
Lyme is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 2,016 at the 2000 census. Lyme and its neighboring town Old Lyme are the namesake for Lyme disease.-Geography:...
was set off from Saybrook (now known as Deep River
Deep River, Connecticut
Deep River is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 4,629 at the 2010 census. The town center is also designated by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place...
), which is on the west bank of the river
Connecticut River
The Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the...
mouth, on February 13, 1665. Old Lyme was later incorporated from Lyme in 1855, but Old Lyme contains the oldest-settled portion of the Lymes. Old Lyme occupies about 27 square miles (69.9 km²) of shoreline, tidal marsh, inland wetlands and forested hills. Its neighbor to the north is the Town of Lyme
Lyme, Connecticut
Lyme is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 2,016 at the 2000 census. Lyme and its neighboring town Old Lyme are the namesake for Lyme disease.-Geography:...
and to the east, East Lyme
East Lyme, Connecticut
East Lyme is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 18,118 at the 2000 census. The latitude of East Lyme is 41.353N...
. Other placenames from the same root are Hadlyme, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
(north of Lyme) and South Lyme (a beach resort area of Old Lyme). The placename Lyme derives from Lyme Regis
Lyme Regis
Lyme Regis is a coastal town in West Dorset, England, situated 25 miles west of Dorchester and east of Exeter. The town lies in Lyme Bay, on the English Channel coast at the Dorset-Devon border...
, a small port on the coast of
Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
from which it is believed the early settlers migrated in the 17th Century. The picturesque Old Lyme Cemetery contains the graves of the original settlers.
The Florence Griswold House
Florence Griswold
Florence Ann Griswold was a resident of Old Lyme, Connecticut, USA who became the nucleus of the "Lyme Art Colony" in the early 20th century. Her home has since been made into the Florence Griswold Museum....
in Old Lyme housed an art colony
Art colony
right|300px|thumb|Artist houses in [[Montsalvat]] near [[Melbourne, Australia]].An art colony or artists' colony is a place where creative practitioners live and interact with one another. Artists are often invited or selected through a formal process, for a residency from a few weeks to over a year...
for many years in the early 20th century to many prominent American Impressionist painters
American Impressionism
Impressionism, a style of painting characterized by loose brushwork and vivid colors, was practiced widely among American artists in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.-An emerging artistic style from Paris:...
. The Lyme Art Colony included Childe Hassam
Childe Hassam
Frederick Childe Hassam was a prolific American Impressionist painter, noted for his urban and coastal scenes. Along with Mary Cassatt and John Henry Twachtman, Hassam was instrumental in promulgating Impressionism to American collectors, dealers, and museums...
, Edward Charles Volkert
Edward Charles Volkert
Edward Charles Volkert , was an American Impressionist artist best known for his colorful and richly painted impressionist landscapes. His trademark subject was that of cattle and plowmen. He has been referred to as America's cattle painter extraordinaire".The son of a hat merchant from Alsace,...
, Willard Metcalf
Willard Metcalf
Willard Leroy Metcalf was an American artist born in Lowell, Massachusetts. He studied at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and later attended Académie Julian, Paris. After early figure-painting and illustration, he became prominent as a landscape painter...
, Wilson Irvine
Wilson Irvine
Wilson Henry Irvine was a master American Impressionist landscape painter.Although most closely associated with the Old Lyme, Connecticut art colony headed by Florence Griswold, Irvine spent his early career near Chicago, a product of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago...
, and Henry Ward Ranger
Henry Ward Ranger
Henry Ward Ranger , American artist, was born in western New York State. He became a prominent landscape and marine painter, much of his work being done in the Netherlands, and showing the influence of the modern Dutch school. He became a National Academician , and a member of the American Water...
, among many others. These artists made Old Lyme a thriving art community, which still continues today. The Griswold House was transformed into an art museum, the Florence Griswold Museum, or affectionately called "Flo Gris", by residents of Old Lyme. Many American Impressionist paintings of the era are of subjects in and around the Griswold House
Florence Griswold
Florence Ann Griswold was a resident of Old Lyme, Connecticut, USA who became the nucleus of the "Lyme Art Colony" in the early 20th century. Her home has since been made into the Florence Griswold Museum....
and are featured in the museum, along with many other works and personal possessions of the artists who frequented there. The building of the Old Lyme Congregational Church
Old Lyme Congregational Church
The Old Lyme Congregational Church is located in Old Lyme, Connecticut. The church is noted as a favorite subject of Lyme Art Colony painters. It is affiliated with the United Church of Christ.-History:...
is known for the many paintings that have been made of it, most notably by Childe Hassam.
The Lyme in Lyme disease
Lyme disease
Lyme disease, or Lyme borreliosis, is an emerging infectious disease caused by at least three species of bacteria belonging to the genus Borrelia. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto is the main cause of Lyme disease in the United States, whereas Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii cause most...
was named after the town. It was discovered in 1975 after a mysterious outbreak of what appeared to be juvenile rheumatoid arthritis in children who lived in Lyme and Old Lyme, Connecticut.
Rogers Lake
Rogers Lake is located in the towns of Old Lyme and Lyme and is formed by a dam along Town Woods Road in Old Lyme. The lake's surface area is 265 acres (1.1 km²). Grassy Hill Brook and Broad Swamp Brook feed into the lake. The lake’s watershed is 4833 acres (19.6 km²) of woodland. The outlet below the dam is Mill Brook, which is a tributary of the Lieutenant RiverLieutenant River
The Lieutenant River is a tidal river located in Old Lyme, Connecticut. It joins the Connecticut River in the estuary, just above the point where that river flows into Long Island Sound....
, a tributary of the Connecticut River.
Rogers Lake is stocked every year with brook
Brook trout
The brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, is a species of fish in the salmon family of order Salmoniformes. In many parts of its range, it is known as the speckled trout or squaretail. A potamodromous population in Lake Superior are known as coaster trout or, simply, as coasters...
and rainbow trout
Rainbow trout
The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
.
A street that runs along the north of Rogers Lake is called Blood Street; it has lent its name to the town's rowing team, the Blood Street Sculls.[3]
On the National Register of Historic Places
- Bennett Rockshelter (added August 31, 1987)
- Florence Griswold House and Museum — 96 Lyme St. (added May 19, 1993)
- Lieutenant River III Site (added August 31, 1987)
- Lieutenant River IV Site (added August 31, 1987)
- Lieutenant River No. 2 (added August 31, 1987)
- Natcon Site (added August 31, 1987)
- Old Lyme Historic District — Lyme Street from Shore Road to Sill Lane, Old Boston Post RoadBoston Post RoadThe Boston Post Road was a system of mail-delivery routes between New York City and Boston, Massachusetts that evolved into the first major highways in the United States.The three major alignments were the Lower Post Road The Boston Post Road was a system of mail-delivery routes between New York...
from Sill Lane to Rose Lane (added November 14, 1971) - Peck TavernPeck TavernThe Peck Tavern is located in Old Lyme, Connecticut. The tavern was built in 1769 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 12, 1982....
— 1 Sill Lane (added May 12, 1982) - SpringbankSpringbank (Old Lyme, Connecticut)The Springbank is located in Old Lyme, Connecticut. The house was built in 1936 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 17, 2001....
— 69 Neck Road (added September 17, 2001)
Notable people, past and present
- Jim CalhounJim CalhounJames A. Calhoun is the head coach of the University of Connecticut's men's basketball team. His teams have won three national championships , played in four Final Fours , won the 1988 NIT championship, and have won seven Big East tournament championships...
(1942- ), head coach of the University of ConnecticutUniversity of ConnecticutThe admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
's men's basketball team, which won two national championships, and who was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005; began his career as a coach in town at Lyme-Old Lyme High SchoolLyme-Old Lyme High SchoolLyme-Old Lyme High School is a coeducational public school located at 69 Lyme Street in Old Lyme, Connecticut. -Sports:... - Herb ChambersHerb ChambersHerb Chambers is owner and CEO of Herb Chambers Companies, a group of 46 car dealerships in the greater Boston MA area. A directory of Herb Chambers Car Dealerships lists their OEM brand portfolio in Massachusetts and New England....
(1941- ), owner and CEO of Herb Chambers Companies auto dealerships - Elisabeth Gordon ChandlerElisabeth Gordon ChandlerElisabeth Gordon Chandler was an American sculptor and educator, and the founder of the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts.-Life and work:...
(1913–2006), sculptor, resident, and founder of the Lyme Academy College of Fine ArtsLyme Academy College of Fine ArtsThe Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts is an art college in Old Lyme, Connecticut-History:The Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts was founded in 1976 by Elisabeth Gordon Chandler as a figurative academy for the teaching of sculpture, figure drawing, Illustration and painting dedicated to the fine arts... - Lois DarlingLois DarlingLois MacIntyre Darling was an author, illustrator and researcher. She was an accomplished yachtswoman.-Biography:Lois MacIntyre was born in 15 August 1917 in New York and grew up around Riverside, Connecticut. MacIntyre's father, Malcolm, was a mechanical engineer whilst her mother Grace was a...
(1917–1989), artist and illustrator - Albert EinsteinAlbert EinsteinAlbert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
, who had a summer home on the Old Lyme shore - Chris Elliot, actor and screenwriter, known best for his supporting role in the 1998 comedy There's Something About MaryThere's Something About MaryThere's Something About Mary is a 1998 American comedy film, directed by the Farrelly brothers, Bobby and Peter. It stars Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon and Ben Stiller, and it is a combination of romantic comedy and gross-out film....
- Walker EvansWalker EvansWalker Evans was an American photographer best known for his work for the Farm Security Administration documenting the effects of the Great Depression. Much of Evans's work from the FSA period uses the large-format, 8x10-inch camera...
, photographer; lived in Old Lyme until his death in 1975 - Elsie FergusonElsie FergusonElsie Louise Ferguson was an American stage and film actress.-Early life:Born in New York City, Elsie Ferguson was the only child of Mr. and Mrs. Hiram Benson Ferguson, a successful attorney...
(1883–1961), actress - Ella T. GrassoElla T. GrassoElla Grasso , born Ella Giovanna Oliva Tambussi, was an American politician, and first woman elected governor of Connecticut.-Biography:...
(1919–1981), first female governor of Connecticut, first woman to be elected governor in the United States who was not the wife or widow of a governor, awarded the Presidential Medal of FreedomPresidential Medal of FreedomThe Presidential Medal of Freedom is an award bestowed by the President of the United States and is—along with thecomparable Congressional Gold Medal bestowed by an act of U.S. Congress—the highest civilian award in the United States...
by President Ronald ReaganRonald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
in 1981, inducted into the National Women's Hall of FameNational Women's Hall of FameThe National Women's Hall of Fame is an American institution. It was created in 1969 by a group of people in Seneca Falls, New York, the location of the 1848 Women's Rights Convention...
in 1993 - Childe HassamChilde HassamFrederick Childe Hassam was a prolific American Impressionist painter, noted for his urban and coastal scenes. Along with Mary Cassatt and John Henry Twachtman, Hassam was instrumental in promulgating Impressionism to American collectors, dealers, and museums...
(1859–1935), American Impressionist, stayed in the Florence Griswold HouseFlorence Griswold HouseThe Florence Griswold Museum is an art museum in Old Lyme, Connecticut centered around the home of Florence Griswold. It is noted for its collection of American Impressionist paintings.-Museum:...
as part of the Old Lyme Art Colony - Wilson IrvineWilson IrvineWilson Henry Irvine was a master American Impressionist landscape painter.Although most closely associated with the Old Lyme, Connecticut art colony headed by Florence Griswold, Irvine spent his early career near Chicago, a product of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago...
(1869–1936), American Impressionist, stayed in the Florence Griswold HouseFlorence Griswold HouseThe Florence Griswold Museum is an art museum in Old Lyme, Connecticut centered around the home of Florence Griswold. It is noted for its collection of American Impressionist paintings.-Museum:...
as part of the Old Lyme Art Colony - Peter KarterPeter KarterPeter Karter was an American nuclear engineer and one of the pioneers of the modern recycling industry. He lived in Old Lyme, Connecticut....
, founder of early recycling company - John McCurdy (b.1724), whose home was the resting place for George WashingtonGeorge WashingtonGeorge Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
on April 10, 1776 while traveling to New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to take on the British ArmyBritish ArmyThe British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
and NavyRoyal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
(source: Papers of George Washington, Connecticut State Library); grandfather of Connecticut Supreme Court judge Charles McCurdy - Willard MetcalfWillard MetcalfWillard Leroy Metcalf was an American artist born in Lowell, Massachusetts. He studied at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and later attended Académie Julian, Paris. After early figure-painting and illustration, he became prominent as a landscape painter...
(1858–1925), American Impressionist, stayed in the Florence Griswold HouseFlorence Griswold HouseThe Florence Griswold Museum is an art museum in Old Lyme, Connecticut centered around the home of Florence Griswold. It is noted for its collection of American Impressionist paintings.-Museum:...
as part of the Old Lyme Art Colony - Diana MuirDiana MuirDiana Muir, also known as Diana Muir Appelbaum, is a Newton, Massachusetts writer and historian. Muir is best known for her 2000 book, Reflections in Bullough's Pond, a history of the impact of human activity on the New England ecosystem....
, writer and historian - Roger Tory PetersonRoger Tory PetersonRoger Tory Peterson , was an American naturalist, ornithologist, artist, and educator, and held to be one of the founding inspirations for the 20th century environmental movement.-Background:...
(1908–1996) American naturalist, ornithologist, artist, and educator - Henry Ward RangerHenry Ward RangerHenry Ward Ranger , American artist, was born in western New York State. He became a prominent landscape and marine painter, much of his work being done in the Netherlands, and showing the influence of the modern Dutch school. He became a National Academician , and a member of the American Water...
(1858–1916), American Impressionist, stayed in the Florence Griswold HouseFlorence Griswold HouseThe Florence Griswold Museum is an art museum in Old Lyme, Connecticut centered around the home of Florence Griswold. It is noted for its collection of American Impressionist paintings.-Museum:...
as part of the Old Lyme Art Colony - Sally Jessy RaphaelSally Jessy RaphaëlSally Lowenthal , better known as Sally Jessy Raphael, is an American talk show host, known for the eponymous Sally talk show she hosted for two decades.-Early years:...
(1935- ), talk show host - Luanne RiceLuanne RiceLuanne Rice is the bestselling American author of twenty-five novels. She often writes about nature and the sea, and many of her novels deal with love and family....
(1955- ), novelist - Edward Charles VolkertEdward Charles VolkertEdward Charles Volkert , was an American Impressionist artist best known for his colorful and richly painted impressionist landscapes. His trademark subject was that of cattle and plowmen. He has been referred to as America's cattle painter extraordinaire".The son of a hat merchant from Alsace,...
(1871–1935), American Impressionist, stayed in the Florence Griswold HouseFlorence Griswold HouseThe Florence Griswold Museum is an art museum in Old Lyme, Connecticut centered around the home of Florence Griswold. It is noted for its collection of American Impressionist paintings.-Museum:...
as part of the Old Lyme Art Colony - Clark VoorheesClark VoorheesClark Greenwood Voorhees was an American Impressionist and Tonalist landscape painter and one of the founders of the Old Lyme Art Colony....
(1871–1933), American Impressionist, stayed in the Florence Griswold HouseFlorence Griswold HouseThe Florence Griswold Museum is an art museum in Old Lyme, Connecticut centered around the home of Florence Griswold. It is noted for its collection of American Impressionist paintings.-Museum:...
as part of the Old Lyme Art Colony - Ellen Axson Wilson (1860–1914), first wife of president Woodrow WilsonWoodrow WilsonThomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
, came as an art student to the Florence Griswold HouseFlorence Griswold HouseThe Florence Griswold Museum is an art museum in Old Lyme, Connecticut centered around the home of Florence Griswold. It is noted for its collection of American Impressionist paintings.-Museum:...
Geography
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 28.8 square miles (74.6 km²), of which, 23.1 square miles (59.8 km²) of it is land and 5.7 square miles (14.8 km²) of it (19.85%) is water. Old Lyme, along with neighboring Old Saybrook, enjoys a relatively mild humid subtropical climate.
Principal communities
- Black Hall
- Laysville
- Lyme Station
- Old Lyme center
- Sound View
- South Lyme (06376)
- Edge Lea, Hatchetts Point, Point O'Woods
Other minor communities and geographic features in the town are: Between the Rivers, Black Hall Pond, Brighton Beach, Ferry Road, Flat Rock Hill, Four Mile River, Griswold Point, Hall's Corners, Hawk's Nest Beach, Homestead Circle, Johnnycake Hill, Miami Beach, Mile Creek, Neck Road, Old Colony Beach, Old Lyme Estates, Old Lyme Shores, Rogers Lake, Sill Lane, Smith's Neck, Tantummaheag, Tuttles Sandy Beach, Whippoorwill, White Sand Beach.
Demographics
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 7,406 people, 2,958 households, and 2,153 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 320.6 people per square mile (123.8/km²). There were 4,570 housing units at an average density of 197.8 per square mile (76.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.37% White, 0.26% African American, 0.28% Native American, 1.16% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.32% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.95% of the population.
There were 2,958 households out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.2% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.2% were non-families. 22.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.93.
The median income for a household in the town was $68,386, and the median income for a family was $75,779. Males had a median income of $52,110 versus $39,158 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $41,386. About 2.2% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.9% of those under age 18 and 1.8% of those age 65 or over.
Voter registration
| Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 25, 2005 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Active Voters | Inactive Voters | Total Voters | Percentage |
Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
1,931 | 66 | 1,997 | 32.76% |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
1,384 | 38 | 1,422 | 23.33% |
Unaffiliated | 2,546 | 119 | 2,665 | 43.73% |
Minor Parties | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0.16% | |
| Total | 5,871 | 223 | 6094 | 100% | |||||||||||||||||||||
Schools
1,463 children from the towns of Old Lyme and Lyme were enrolled in the 5 schools of Regional District 18 at the start of the 2008/2009 academic year. The students are enrolled based on age and location. Lyme Consolidated School is for grades pre-k through 5, Mile Creek School is for grades pre-K through 2, Center School is for grades 3 through 5, Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School is for grades 6 through 8, and Lyme-Old Lyme High SchoolLyme-Old Lyme High School
Lyme-Old Lyme High School is a coeducational public school located at 69 Lyme Street in Old Lyme, Connecticut. -Sports:...
is for grades 9 through 12. Old Lyme also has a number of students who travel to private schools, including nearby parochial schools such as Xavier High School
Xavier High School (Middletown, Connecticut)
Xavier High School is an all-boys Catholic high school run by the Xaverian Brothers. It is located in Middletown, Connecticut, United States. Young men from over 65 towns surrounding Middletown attend Xavier. Mercy High School is its sister school....
, Mercy High School
Mercy High School (Middletown, Connecticut)
Mercy High School is a private, Roman Catholic, all-girls high school in Middletown, Connecticut. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Norwich. The first class graduated from Mercy High School in 1966....
, and St. Bernards High School, and some students who go to college preparatory schools for high school, e.g., The Williams School in New London, CT. Regional School District 18 has an 13:1 student to faculty ratio, and spent $17,454 per pupil in the 2007/2008 school year.
Colleges
Figurative art
Figurative art, sometimes written as figurativism, describes artwork—particularly paintings and sculptures—which are clearly derived from real object sources, and are therefore by definition representational.-Definition:...
academy for the teaching of sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
, drawing
Drawing
Drawing is a form of visual art that makes use of any number of drawing instruments to mark a two-dimensional medium. Common instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, inked brushes, wax color pencils, crayons, charcoal, chalk, pastels, markers, styluses, and various metals .An artist who...
, illustration
Illustration
An illustration is a displayed visualization form presented as a drawing, painting, photograph or other work of art that is created to elucidate or dictate sensual information by providing a visual representation graphically.- Early history :The earliest forms of illustration were prehistoric...
and painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts
Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts
The Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts is an art college in Old Lyme, Connecticut-History:The Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts was founded in 1976 by Elisabeth Gordon Chandler as a figurative academy for the teaching of sculpture, figure drawing, Illustration and painting dedicated to the fine arts...
is a unique school dedicated to the fine arts offering a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in the disciplines of painting and sculpture. The college also offers Post Baccalaureate and a 3 year Certificate program. Over the years the College has earned a reputation as a forerunner in contemporary Fine Arts higher education, “…many in the art world believe the (Lyme) Academy has contributed to the renaissance of representational art." New York Times.
The College is the sole fine-arts-only art school accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges
New England Association of Schools and Colleges
The New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. is the U.S. regional accreditation association providing educational accreditation for all levels of education, from pre-kindergarten to the doctoral level, in the six-state New England region. It also provides accreditation for some...
. The Academy is also accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design
National Association of Schools of Art and Design
The National Association of Schools of Art and Design , founded in 1944, is an accrediting organization of colleges, schools and universities in the United States. The organization establishes standards for graduate and undergraduate degrees. Member institutions complete periodic peer review...
, the State of Connecticut, and also is a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design
Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design
The Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design is a non-profit consortium of 41 leading art and design colleges in the United States and Canada. All AICAD member institutions have a curriculum with full liberal arts and sciences requirements complementing studio work, and all are...
and the Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges.
It is known for its focus on teaching techniques and the history and tradition of representational art, centered on the study of nature and the figure. Its small student body offers a uniquely personal education amongst fine art colleges.
Transportation
The Estuary Transit DistrictEstuary Transit District
Estuary Transit District is the public transit provider for Connecticut River Estuary region. ETD provides public transit service through its 9 Town Transit service to the towns of Chester, Clinton, Deep River, Essex, Killingworth, Lyme, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, and Westbrook, Connecticut...
provides public transportation throughout Old Lyme and the surrounding towns through its 9 Town Transit Service. Services include connections to the Old Saybrook Train Station, served by Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
and Shoreline East railroads.