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Labor Day Weekend Flea Market August 30th and 31st
Our LABOR DAY FLEA MARKET will be held on Saturday and Sunday, August 30th and 31st, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The Thomas Lee House and Little Boston School House will also be open for tours. As always, there is no admission charge. Vendor spaces are going fast! If you would like to take part, or need more information, let us know at: |
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Thomas Lee House c. 1660 |
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East Lyme Historical Society |
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Founded 1897 |
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Created by Barbara Jo McGrath, 2007-8 All Rights Reserved |
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Our Mission The purposes and objectives of the Society shall be: 1. To engage in educational, archival, research and exploration activities and to support such activities that will increase knowledge of and engender appreciation of the history of the Town of East Lyme and its heritage. 2. To encourage the preservation and restoration of the town’s historical assets, such as houses, structures, burying grounds, early artifacts and other things associated with the town’s origin and history. 3. To determine and develop year round historical programs and implementation of same. These programs and activities shall include the period of colonial history and may include all periods of American history and other history. 4. To cooperate and participate with other organizations for similar purposes and objectives, both within and without the town. 5. To establish the Thomas Lee House Preservation Committee to ensure the protection and preservation of the Thomas Lee House as an American heritage, wherein books, documents, pictures, furniture, tools, implements, artifacts and other articles associated with the history of the Thomas Lee House and the family are housed. |
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Thomas Lee House
The Thomas Lee House (c. 1660) is one of the oldest wood frame houses in Connecticut still in its primitive state. The Lee House is listed on the National Register of Historic Houses, and is open for tours during the summer months.
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Little Boston School House |
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Little Boston School House
The Little Boston School was founded in 1734. The present building was built c. 1805 on land deeded by Elisha Lee. It was moved to its present site on the Lee House grounds in 1931.
Anthropology students from East Lyme and Ledyard High Schools, under the direction of James Littlefield and Dr. John Pfeiffer, conducted an archaeological study of the site of the original Little Boston School House. Their results can be found at :
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To Contact Us:
The Thomas Lee House and Little Boston Schoolhouse are located at 228 West Main Street in Niantic, CT, .25 miles from Exit 72 (Rocky Neck Connector) off I-95. Telephone: (860) 739-6070 |
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Membership
Your membership helps to support the Society’s programs, publications and events, as well as the preservation of its properties. Please consider joining today. |
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Local History
The Town of East Lyme, originally part of the settlements of Lyme and New London, was set off and incorporated in 1839. With forests and rolling hills in the north, and embracing Niantic Bay to the south, the town has long been home to a diverse population. |
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The East Lyme Historical Society is a member of the Five Rivers Consortium, which provides an online directory of historical, cultural and educational places and events.
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East Lyme is also home to the Smith-Harris House, a c. 1845 farmhouse and museum. For more information, visit:
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New Publications
The East Lyme Historical Society is pleased to announce the publication of two booklets concerning the Thomas Lee House The Thomas Lee House, East Lyme, Connecticut: A History and Description, by Celeste E. Bush and Norman Morrison Isham. The original article by Bush, “The Old Lee House”, was first published by the Society in 1917. A revised edition was printed in 1935, together with a description of the house by Isham, Architect and Fellow A.I.A., written in 1914. These articles were reprinted by the Society in 1963, with an Introduction and Postscript by William F. Saars, and have again been printed in 2008. The Thomas Lee House, East Lyme, Connecticut: An Architectural Report, by Cary Carson, with an Introduction by Norman B. Peck, Jr. This pamphlet is a result of research done by Carson, of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, along with researchers from Yale University. It provides very interesting insights into the history of this largely unimproved colonial-era building. Each book is available for purchase at the Thomas Lee House for $5.00, with proceeds directly benefitting the mission of the East Lyme Historical Society. You may also contact us for ordering information at: info@eastlymehistoricalsociety.org. Our thanks to Brodeur Ink of Niantic (739-6358) for their assistance in making these publications possible. |