Lyme, Connecticut facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids

Lyme

Town

Town of Lyme

First Congregational Church

Seal

New London County and Connecticut

Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region and Connecticut

Country

Region

Lower CT River Valley

Settled

1645

Incorporated

February 13, 1667

Government

• Type

Selectman-town meeting

Area

• Total

34.5 sq mi (89.4 km²)

• Land

31.9 sq mi (82.5 km²)

• Water

2.6 sq mi (6.8 km²)

Elevation

26 ft (8 m)

Population

(2020)

• Total

2,352

• Density

68.17/sq mi (26.309/km²)

Time zone

UTC-5 (Eastern)

• Summer (DST)

UTC-4 (Eastern)

ZIP code

06371 (Old Lyme PO) and 06439 (Hadlyme PO)

Area code(s)

860/959

FIPS code

09-44210

GNIS feature ID

0213453

Lyme is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. It is located on the eastern side of the Connecticut River. The town is part of the Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region. In 2020, about 2,352 people lived there. Lyme is famous because Lyme disease is named after it.

History of Lyme

Marinas at Hamburg Cove in Lyme.

Lyme has a long history! In 1665, the area east of the Connecticut River, which was part of the Saybrook Colony, was named East Saybrook. This area included what we now know as Lyme, Old Lyme, and parts of East Lyme.

Just two years later, in 1667, the Connecticut General Court officially recognized East Saybrook as the town of Lyme. It was named after a coastal town in England called Lyme Regis.

Over time, parts of Lyme became separate towns. In 1823, the eastern part of Lyme became part of East Lyme. Later, in 1855, the southern part of Lyme, which is along Long Island Sound, became its own town called South Lyme. This town was renamed Old Lyme in 1857.

Geography of Lyme

Moulson Pond on the Eightmile River.

Lyme covers an area of about 34.5 square miles (89.4 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 31.9 square miles (82.5 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 2.6 square miles (6.8 square kilometers), is water.

Main Communities in Lyme

Lyme has a few main communities:

Hadlyme
Hamburg (this is the town center)
North Lyme

There are also many smaller areas and neighborhoods, like Becket Hill, Bill Hill, and Joshuatown.

Waterways in Lyme

Lyme is home to many beautiful bodies of water.

Coves along the Connecticut River

Hamburg Cove
Lord Cove (a marshy area fed by several creeks)
Selden Cove
Whalebone Cove (also known as Hadlyme Cove or North Cove)

Lakes and Ponds

Cedar Lake
Joshua Pond
Moulsons Pond
Norwich Pond
Rogers Lake (partly in Lyme)
Uncas Pond
Upper Pond

Rivers and Creeks

Eightmile River: This river is special because it's a federally recognized "Wild and Scenic River."
Beaver Brook
Deep Creek
Falls Brook
Grassy Hill Brook
Lord Creek
Mill Brook
Selden Creek
Whalebone Creek

Population and Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1820	4,069	—
1850	2,668	—
1860	1,246	−53.3%
1870	1,181	−5.2%
1880	1,025	−13.2%
1890	977	−4.7%
1900	750	−23.2%
1910	746	−0.5%
1920	674	−9.7%
1930	546	−19.0%
1940	717	31.3%
1950	857	19.5%
1960	1,183	38.0%
1970	1,484	25.4%
1980	1,822	22.8%
1990	1,949	7.0%
2000	2,016	3.4%
2010	2,406	19.3%
2020	2,352	−2.2%
U.S. Decennial Census

In 2010, Lyme had a population of 2,406 people. Most residents were non-Hispanic white (96.5%). Other groups included Asian (1.0%) and Hispanic or Latino (1.7%).

Voter Registration in Lyme

People in Lyme can register to vote for different political parties. As of November 1, 2022, here's how voters were registered:

Voter registration and party enrollment as of November 1, 2022.
Party		Active voters	Inactive voters	Total voters	Percentage
	Republican	464	6	470	23.81%
	Democratic	742	15	757	38.35%
	Unaffiliated	699	20	719	36.42%
	Minor Parties	28	0	28	1.42%
Total		1,933	41	1974	100%

The number of people registered with the Democratic party in Lyme has increased from 541 in 2015 to 757 in 2022.

Ancestry and Ethnicity in Lyme

In 2017, the largest ancestry groups in Lyme were:

English ancestry: 30.5%
Irish ancestry: 19.8%
German ancestry: 14.2%
Italian ancestry: 11.7%
American ancestry: 7.3%
Polish ancestry: 6.3%
Scottish ancestry: 4.9%

Public Places in Lyme

Lyme has several important public buildings and services:

Community and Volunteer Groups

Hadlyme Public Hall
Lyme Consolidated School (a local school)
Lyme Grange Hall
Lyme Public Hall Association
Lyme Public Library
Lyme Volunteer Fire Co. Hadlyme Station
Lyme Volunteer Fire Co. Lyme Station

Government Buildings

Hadlyme Ferry Boat Launch
Hadlyme Post Office
Lyme Town Hall

Places of Worship

The First Congregational Church of Lyme

Fun Places to Visit in Lyme

State Parks and Forests

Lyme is home to beautiful natural areas:

Historic Places to Explore

Several places in Lyme are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, meaning they are important historical sites:

Cooper Site
Gillette Castle (partly in Lyme)
Hadlyme Ferry Historic District
Hamburg Bridge Historic District
Hamburg Cove Site
Lord Cove Site
Selden Island Site

Getting Around Lyme

The Estuary Transit District helps people get around Lyme and nearby towns with its 9 Town Transit Service. You can connect to Old Saybrook station, where you can catch Amtrak and Shore Line East trains.

Lyme in Movies

The 1964 movie Sleep by Andy Warhol was filmed in Lyme.

Famous People from Lyme

Robert Ballard (born 1942), an oceanographer who lives in Lyme.
Joan Bennett (1910–1990), a film and television actress buried in Lyme.
Hiel Brockway (died 1842), born in Lyme, who founded Brockport, New York.
Zebulon Brockway (1827–1920), born in Lyme, known as the "Father of prison reform" in the U.S.
Daniel Chadwick (1825–1884), born in Lyme, a lawyer and politician.
Donald Barr Chidsey (1902–1981), a novelist and historian who lived in Lyme.
Wequash Cooke (died 1642), a Native American leader buried in Lyme.
William Diard (1924–2009), an operatic tenor who retired and died in Lyme.
Dominick Dunne (1925–2009), an author, journalist, and film producer who owned a house in Hadlyme.
John Ely (1737–1800), born in Lyme, a surgeon and colonel in the American Revolution.
Walker Evans (1903–1975), a famous photographer who lived in Lyme for many years.
Gladys Kelley Fitch (1896–1971), an artist who lived in Lyme.
Matthew Griswold (1714–1799), born in Lyme, who was a governor of Connecticut.
Roger Griswold (1762–1812), born in Lyme, a U.S. congressman and later governor of Connecticut.
Roger Hilsman (1919–2014), a World War II hero and diplomat who lived in Lyme.
Harry Holtzman (1912–1987), an abstract artist who lived in Lyme.
Stephen Johnson (1724–1786), a minister in Lyme.
Ezra Lee (1749–1821), born in Lyme, who commanded the Turtle submarine during the Revolutionary War.
Beatrice Lillie (1894–1989), a Canadian-born actress who lived in Lyme.
Abijah Perkins Marvin (1813–1889), born in Lyme, a minister and writer.
Dudley Marvin (1786–1856), born in Lyme, a New York congressman.
Charles J. McCurdy (1797–1891), born and died in Lyme, who was a Lt. Governor of Connecticut.
William Brown Meloney (1905–1971) and Rose Franken (1895–1988), a husband-wife writing team who lived in Lyme.
Robert Mulligan (1925–2008), a film director who died in Lyme, known for To Kill a Mockingbird.
Jonathan Parsons (1705–1776), a clergyman from Lyme.
Samuel Holden Parsons (1737–1789), born in Lyme, a general in the Continental Army during the American Revolution.
Jedediah Peck (1748–1821), born in Lyme, known as the "Father of the Common School System" in New York.
John Sill Rogers (1796–1860), born in Lyme, a physician and politician.
Timothy Rogers (1756-1834), born in Lyme, a Quaker leader and founder of towns in Canada.
Sewell Sillman (1924–1992), a painter and educator who lived and died in Lyme.
Ansel Sterling (1782–1853), born in Lyme, a congressman from Connecticut.
Micah Sterling (1784–1844), born in Lyme, a congressman from New York.
Allen Tucker (1838–1903), born in Lyme, a Medal of Honor recipient in the American Civil War.
Henry Matson Waite (1787–1869), born in Lyme, Chief Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court.
Morrison Remick Waite (1816–1888), born in Lyme, who was a Chief Justice of the United States.

Images for kids

The Village of Hamburg in 1868.