Thomas Lyon House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Thomas Lyon House
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 Location in Connecticut
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| Location | W. Putnam Ave. and Byram Rd., Greenwich, Connecticut |
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| Built | 1739 |
| Architectural style | Colonial |
| NRHP reference No. | 77001390 |
| Added to NRHP | August 24, 1977 |
The Thomas Lyon House is a very old home in Greenwich, Connecticut. It was built around 1739. Many people believe it is the oldest house in Greenwich that still looks much like it did when it was first built.
This house is a special type of building called a Colonial saltbox. A group called the Greenwich Preservation Trust is working to restore it. This group started from a committee that wanted to save the Thomas Lyon House. The house has a long history connected to the Lyon family. The first family members to live there were Thomas Lyon (born 1673), his wife Abigail, and their children.
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The First Thomas Lyon (1621–1690)
The first Thomas Lyon was born in England around 1621. He traveled to the Massachusetts Colony first. Later, he moved west to Fairfield County, Connecticut, to find new opportunities.
His first wife was Martha Johanna Winthrop. She was the daughter of Elizabeth Fones Winthrop and Henry Winthrop. Henry was the son of Governor John Winthrop of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Martha was born in England in 1630. She came to the Massachusetts Bay Colony with her mother in 1631.
In the early 1640s, Martha moved with her parents to a new area. This place is now known as Old Greenwich in Fairfield County. Martha married Thomas Lyon around 1647. They had one child, Mary Lyon, who was born in 1649. Martha Lyon was often sick and sadly passed away around 1653.
Thomas Lyon married again in 1654. His second wife was Mary Hoyt. Thomas Lyon died in Greenwich in 1690. He was buried in the old Lyon family cemetery. He owned a lot of land in the area. He left this land to his children, including his son, also named Thomas Lyon.
The Younger Thomas Lyon (1673–1739)
Thomas Lyon was born in 1673. He was the son of the first Thomas Lyon and his second wife, Mary Hoyt. This younger Thomas Lyon married Abigail Ogden. Her parents were Judith (Budd) and John Ogden.
This Thomas Lyon built the house that is still standing today. It was near Byram Bridge. His family members lived in the house for many years after he built it. In 1711, Thomas Lyon served a short time in the military. He was part of a group called Col. Robert Hunter's Company of Fusiliers. They served near the Canada–US border.
Thomas Lyon passed away in April 1739. His wife, Abigail (Ogden) Lyon, lived until 1760. After Thomas died, the house was passed down to the next generation of their family.
Learning About the Lyon Family
We know a lot about the life of the first Thomas Lyon and his family from two main sources. One source is Robert Charles Winthrop. He was a descendant of Governor John Winthrop. In 1891, he published letters written by Thomas Lyon, his wife Martha, and other family members.
The second source is a book called Lyon Memorial, published in 1907. Robert B. Miller edited this book. It shares more information about the first Thomas Lyon. It also gives detailed family tree information about his children. This includes his son, Thomas Lyon, who built the Thomas Lyon House.
Images for kids
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The Thomas Lyon House in Greenwich, Connecticut.
