{"product_id":"old-lyme-church","title":"Old Lyme Connecticut Holiday Ornament - First Congregational Church","description":"\u003c!-- Old Lyme Connecticut Holiday Ornament - First Congregational Church --\u003e\n\u003c!-- Handle: old-lyme-church --\u003e\n\u003c!-- Version: R4.3SP town ornament | GKP 308 R1+R2 | 2026-10-05_001 --\u003e\n\u003c!-- Keywords: 34 published | article:tag 14 | FAQPage x4 --\u003e\n\u003c!-- Structure: 5 paras + spec line + 2 full-width buttons + hidden meta --\u003e\n\u003c!-- Audits: SEO title 62c \/ meta 133c; URLs verbatim from export and live hubs --\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"mc-ornament-body\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe church on this ornament is a copy. The original burned in 1907 — and the paintings of it are part of how the town got it back.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSamuel Belcher designed Old Lyme's white meetinghouse in 1816 and 1817, after lightning destroyed the congregation's previous one. For ninety years it stood at the head of Lyme Street, and when the Lyme Art Colony gathered at Florence Griswold's boardinghouse — now the Florence Griswold Museum — just up the road, the painters of American Impressionism made it a favorite subject. Childe Hassam painted it several times; his 1905 canvas hangs in the Buffalo AKG Art Museum. On July 3, 1907, a fire of suspicious origin burned the church to the ground.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe congregation asked architect Ernest Greene for a fireproof replica of Belcher's design, using photographs and paintings as guides, and part of the money came from that summer's art exhibition. The new church was finished in 1910. The artists, in a sense, helped rebuild what they had painted.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA three-inch faceted crystal ornament, the art printed on a white backing so the line work stays crisp and the facets catch the light. It comes in a white or gold gift box, ready to give, and is printed to order in the USA. Drawn in line and wash, in winter; the wreath on the door is the only color.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor Old Lyme families, art lovers and painters, and anyone who has stood on Lyme Street. \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/merlinclassics.store\/pages\/landing-page-charity\"\u003eProfits support hunger relief\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"mc-spec\" style=\"font-size: 0.9em; color: #555;\"\u003e3-inch faceted crystal glass · white-backed print · white or gold gift box · printed to order in the USA\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/merlinclassics.store\/collections\/old-lyme-ct-retro-apparel-hats-home-goods\" style=\"display: block; width: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; text-align: center; background: #F0EAD6; color: #1a1a1a; border: 1px solid #D8CFB6; border-radius: 4px; padding: 14px 16px; margin: 28px 0 12px; font-weight: 600; text-decoration: none;\"\u003eMore Old Lyme Items\u003c\/a\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/merlinclassics.store\/collections\/crystal-glass-town-ornaments\" style=\"display: block; width: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; text-align: center; background: #F0EAD6; color: #1a1a1a; border: 1px solid #D8CFB6; border-radius: 4px; padding: 14px 16px; margin: 0 0 8px; font-weight: 600; text-decoration: none;\"\u003eOther Town \u0026amp; Animal Ornaments\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"mc-meta\" style=\"display: none;\"\u003e\n\u003cmeta name=\"keywords\" content=\"childe hassam, american impressionism, florence griswold, florence griswold museum, florence griswold house, florence griswold museum old lyme, griswold museum, gifts for artists, gifts for painters, first congregational church of old lyme, old lyme congregational church, first congregational church old lyme ct, lyme street, gifts for art lovers, childe hassam paintings, childe hassam artwork, american impressionist painters, american impressionism paintings, childe hassam church at old lyme, church at old lyme, old lyme church, lyme art colony, old lyme art colony, samuel belcher, new england meetinghouse, impressionism gifts, winter church scene, snowy church, art museum gifts, christmas church scene, church in winter, childe hassam impressionist, old lyme artists, old lyme historic district\"\u003e \u003cmeta property=\"article:tag\" content=\"childe hassam\"\u003e \u003cmeta property=\"article:tag\" content=\"american impressionism\"\u003e \u003cmeta property=\"article:tag\" content=\"florence griswold museum\"\u003e \u003cmeta property=\"article:tag\" content=\"first congregational church of old lyme\"\u003e \u003cmeta property=\"article:tag\" content=\"old lyme congregational church\"\u003e \u003cmeta property=\"article:tag\" content=\"lyme street\"\u003e \u003cmeta property=\"article:tag\" content=\"lyme art colony\"\u003e \u003cmeta property=\"article:tag\" content=\"church at old lyme\"\u003e \u003cmeta property=\"article:tag\" content=\"samuel belcher\"\u003e \u003cmeta property=\"article:tag\" content=\"new england meetinghouse\"\u003e \u003cmeta property=\"article:tag\" content=\"winter church scene\"\u003e \u003cmeta property=\"article:tag\" content=\"gifts for art lovers\"\u003e \u003cmeta property=\"article:tag\" content=\"gifts for artists\"\u003e \u003cmeta property=\"article:tag\" content=\"childe hassam church at old lyme\"\u003e \u003cscript type=\"application\/ld+json\"\u003e{\"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\", \"@type\": \"FAQPage\", \"mainEntity\": [{\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"What does the Old Lyme church ornament show?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme, Connecticut — the white meetinghouse at the head of Lyme Street — in winter, framed by bare elms, with an evergreen wreath on the door as the only color. The art is drawn in line and wash.\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"Did Childe Hassam paint this church?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Yes. Childe Hassam painted the Old Lyme church several times while working with the Lyme Art Colony at Florence Griswold's boardinghouse, now the Florence Griswold Museum. His 1905 painting Church at Old Lyme, Connecticut is in the collection of the Buffalo AKG Art Museum.\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"Why is the church a replica?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Samuel Belcher's 1817 meetinghouse burned on July 3, 1907. The congregation rebuilt it as a fireproof replica designed by Ernest Greene, using photographs and paintings as guides, and the new church was finished in 1910.\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"Is this ornament affiliated with the church or the Florence Griswold Museum?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"No. It is original art by Merlin Classics, an independent shop, and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme or the Florence Griswold Museum.\"}}]}\u003c\/script\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Merlin Classics","offers":[{"title":"One size \/ Circle + White Gift Packaging","offer_id":50611431637209,"sku":"33960355925532514377","price":24.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"One size \/ Circle + Gold Gift Packaging","offer_id":50611431669977,"sku":"21947289206805984383","price":24.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0768\/9374\/9465\/files\/16276089641482592768_2048.jpg?v=1791225878","url":"https:\/\/merlinclassics.store\/products\/old-lyme-church","provider":"Merlin Classics","version":"1.0","type":"link"}