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Artist Thomas W. Nason’s home on Joshuatown Road in Lyme

April 6, 2024

One of the advantages of living in a former artists’ colony is that these creatives have left their stamp on a number of local houses. One is the famous wood engraver and printer Thomas W. Nason’s custom built home at 282 Joshuatown Road. We know a lot about this house, designed by accomplished local architect Alberta Pfeiffer in 1938, because former owner Charles L. Hatton recently donated original correspondence, photographs, and other materials to our

Wishing you had saved that old Lyme-Old Lyme High School Yearbook? We can help.

January 23, 2024

The Lyme Local History Archive now has Lyme-Old Lyme High School yearbooks from 1958 through 1998! Gloria M. Maddocks, the Principal’s secretary for 42 years, originally collected these yearbooks, which were generously donated by her nephew, Peter Evankow. Gloria clearly had a close connection with the students, writing each graduating class a congratulatory letter (some of which were found tucked into their respective yearbooks). Thanks to Gloria and Peter, anyone who wants to look up

Tiffany Farm photo features Leon Tiffany using latest technology

December 29, 2023

Archives don’t just store physical documents; they also take responsibility for digital items like this fabulous scan given by the Tiffany family. In this striking image Leon H. Tiffany, Sr. (1903-1982) surveys the iconic outline of Tiffany Farms from his tractor, while holding the microphone of a Vocaline JRC 400 radio transceiver also known as an AM radio telephone or, in modern parlance, a CB radio. That radio came out in 1956, helping to date

Gravestone Images Unique to Lyme

November 20, 2023

The grave of Captain Samuel Selden (who died in 1745 at age 50) is in Marvin Cemetery on Hamburg Road, a little south of Mt. Archer Road. Lyme’s 18th century headstones are unusual: not a single one features a winged death’s head, usually depicted across New England as a skull sporting a prominent set of grimacing (occasionally grinning) teeth, as depicted in this local news article. Instead of these stark reminders of the terrifying potential

Thank you for a successful 2023 George House Tag Sale!

September 18, 2023

The 2023 George House Tag Sale was held at the Public Hall on Saturday, September 16 from 9 am to 1 pm. Thanks to the generous support of our community with donations of wonderful items, our hardworking volunteers who helped to stage and price the donated items, and a great turnout of shoppers on sale day despite the blustery remnants of Hurricane Lee, we had a very successful sale. We raised over $4000 which will

2023 News from the Bacdayan Local History Archives

July 5, 2023

Archivist Julie Hughes has been busy as always in the Archives Room at the Lyme Public Library. She is in residence on Thursdays from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. Here are some of the recent projects that she and community volunteer Ann Brubaker have been working on: All DVDs with moving image content in the collection have been digitized Fifteen additional Polly Murray audio cassettes have been digitized, bringing the total up to 102 Work

Thank you for Voting LPHLHA, Essex Savings Bank Members!

July 5, 2023

Every year, Essex Savings Bank gives thousands of dollars to help aid the efforts of local non-profit organizations. This year, the bank collected member votes in February for a long list of local community organizations – and we were one of them! We recently received a donation check in the amount of $619 from Essex Savings Bank, representing the share of votes received for the Lyme Public Hall & Local History Archives. A big thank

4th Quarter 2022 Update from the Archives

December 28, 2022

Our volunteer archivist Julie Hughes and expert community volunteer Ann Brubaker have been busy accessioning and reconciling items in our collection at the Bacdayan Local History Archives in the Lyme Public Library. Among their accomplishments this quarter: Twenty-five Polly Murray audio cassettes have been digitized, bringing the total up to sixty-seven. Work on two large boxes of documents and ledgers from papers of the fraternal order the Knights of Pythias, ca. 1920-1940, has been completed.

LPHLHA receives CT Humanities Grant award

December 28, 2022

We are so pleased to announce that the Lyme Public Hall & Local History Archives has been awarded a $5600 CT Cultural Fund Operating Support Grant from CT Humanities. This grant will enable us to continue providing many events free to the public, and to assist with maintaining the Public Hall and Archives. The LPHLHA was one of 725 organizations in Connecticut receiving a CT Cultural Fund Operating Support Grant. Totaling more than $8.5M, these

Thank you for a Chowder Dinner Success!

November 28, 2022

Big thanks to everyone who came out for the 2022 Chowder Dinner, and to our wonderful volunteers whose helping hands and enthusiasm contributed in large part to a wonderful evening. It was a joy to see so many friends and neighbors gathering at the Hall; we are so appreciative and couldn’t have done this event without your support. Thanks also to Long Table Farm and the Connecticut Shellfish Company for supplying fresh local ingredients to

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