The Loving Parting. Old Lyme began as the east bank of Saybrook Colony, founded in 1636 at the mouth of the Connecticut River. In 1665 the settlers on the two banks divided the colony in what the records call the "Loving Parting" — one of the gentlest town separations in colonial America — and the east side became Lyme. For the next two centuries the village at the river's mouth lived on farming, fishing, shipbuilding, and trade with the West Indies; the Federal-style mansions of Lyme Street, many built for sea captains, date from that maritime prosperity, and the Lyme Street district — 109 acres of it — was listed on the National Register in 1971. The shoreline village incorporated as its own town, South Lyme, in 1855, and took the name Old Lyme in 1857. In 1975, Yale researchers investigating a cluster of illness in the Lyme towns identified the disease that now carries the name.
Childe Hassam arrived in 1903 and shifted the colony from misty Tonalism to vivid Impressionist light — earning Old Lyme the nickname "the American Giverny."
Why People Visit Old Lyme Connecticut
Old Lyme balances arts heritage with beaches and greens. Visitors find quiet museums, sculpture paths, and easy seaside stops. It is graceful, creative, and restful. Travelers find year round appeal in parks, paths, and public spaces. The setting combines natural beauty with accessible neighborhoods and landmarks. History and everyday culture sit side by side in a welcoming way.
