| Lyme, Connecticut | |
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| — Town — | |
  Lyme, Connecticut
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| Coordinates: 41°23′51″N 72°20′48″W / 41.3975°N 72.34667°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Connecticut |
| NECTA | Norwich-New London |
| Region | Connecticut River Estuary |
| Named | 1667 |
| Government | |
| - Type | Selectman-town meeting |
| - First selectman | Ralph Eno |
| 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 (2005)[1] | |
| - Total | 2,099 |
| - Density | 66/sq mi (25/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 06371 (Old Lyme) |
| Area code(s) | 860 |
| FIPS code | 09-44210 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0213453 |
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.
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Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 34.5 square miles (89.3 km²), of which, 31.9 square miles (82.5 km²) of it is land and 2.6 square miles (6.8 km²) of it (7.63%) is water.
Principal communities
- Bill Hill
- Hadlyme
- Hamburg (town center)
- North Lyme
Other minor communities and geographic areas are Becket 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, Sterling City, and Tuttles Sandy Beach.
History
The portion of the territory of the Saybrook Colony east of the Connecticut River was set off as the plantation of East Saybrook in February 1665. This area included present-day Old Lyme, and the western portion of East Lyme. In 1667, the Connecticut General Court formally recognized the East Saybrook plantation as the town of Lyme. The southern portion of Lyme along Long Island Sound separated as the town of Old Lyme in 1855.
Demographics
As of the census[2][page needed] of 2000, there were 2,016 people, 854 households, and 613 families residing in the town. The population density was 63.3 people per square mile (24.4/km²). There were 989 housing units at an average density of 31.0/sq mi (12.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.02% White, 0.05% African American, 0.05% Native American, 1.34% Asian, 0.05% from other races, and 0.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.14% of the population.
There were 854 households out of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.2% were married couples living together, 4.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% were non-families. 23.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.76.
In the town the population was spread out with 20.3% under the age of 18, 3.1% from 18 to 24, 22.0% from 25 to 44, 34.7% from 45 to 64, and 19.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females there were 99.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $73,250, and the median income for a family was $82,853. Males had a median income of $56,188 versus $44,750 for females. The per capita income for the town was $43,347. None of the families and 1.2% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and none of those over 64.
| Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 25, 2005[3] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Active Voters | Inactive Voters | Total Voters | Percentage | |
| Republican | 618 | 0 | 618 | 36.04% | |
| Democratic | 400 | 0 | 400 | 23.32% | |
| Unaffiliated | 694 | 0 | 694 | 40.47% | |
| Minor Parties | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0.17% | |
| Total | 1,715 | 0 | 1,715 | 100% | |
On the National Register of Historic Places
- Cooper Site (added November 15, 1987)
- 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)
Notable people, past and present
It should be noted that some of the earlier notables were residents of the portion of the town that later became Old Lyme.[4]
- Robert Ballard (1942- ), resident, Oceanographer who is famous for finding the wrecks of the RMS Titanic, PT-109, and the battleship Bismarck.
- Joan Bennett (1910-1990), a film and television actress, was buried in Pleasant View Cemetery in town after her death in Scarsdale, New York.
- Zebulon Brockway (1827-1920) a penologist some have called the "Father of prison reform" in the United States, was born in town.
- Matthew Griswold (1714-1799) governor of the state (1784-1786), was born in Lyme.
- Harry Holtzman (1912-1987), an abstract artist who lived in town
- Robert Mulligan (1925 - 2008), film director, most notable work To Kill a Mockingbird.
- Thomas W. Nason (1889-1971), printmaker artist who lived in town
- Jonathan Parsons (1705-1776), prominent "New Light" clergyman who was influenced by Jonathan Edwards when Edwards taught him at Yale. When prominent Evangelical George Whitfield died, it was when visiting Parsons' church in Massachusetts. He married the sister of Matthew Griswold and is the father of Samuel Holden Parsons.
- Samuel Holden Parsons (1737-1789), active Patriot before and during the American Revolution and brigidier general in the Continental Army, was born in town.
- Jedediah Peck (1748–1821), called the "Father of the Common School System" of the State of New York.
- Ansel Sterling (1782 - 1853), a United States Representative from Connecticut.
- Morrison Remick Waite (1816–1888) a chief justice of the United States (1874-1888) was born in town.
- Wequash, Native American leader, buried in Lyme in 1642
References
- ^ U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "Registration and Party Enrollment Statistics as of October 25, 2005" (PDF). Connecticut Secretary of State. http://www.sots.ct.gov/ElectionsServices/lists/2005OctRegEnrollStats.pdf. Retrieved 2006-10-02.
- ^ Burton, K. Old Lyme, Lyme, and Hadlyme. Arcadia Publishing,Charleston, SC, 2003 pp. 7-8..
External links
- Town government Web site
- Lyme-Old Lyme Public Schools Web site (Regional District 18)
- Mystic Country: The Eastern Regional Tourism District
- Eightmile River Study Committee Web site
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