Lyme, NH
Lyme is a rural community located in the Upper Valley region of New Hampshire along the Connecticut River. Some think our name came from Lyme, Connecticut and others mention Lyme Regis, England. The spelling on the original 1761 charter of "Lime" has been attributed to an error by Governor Wentworth's secretary. The original settlers were from Palmer, Belchertown and Brookfield in Massachusetts. Lyme is home to the Chaffee Natural Area. The Dartmouth Skiway is in the eastern part of town, near the village of Lyme Center. The Appalachian Trail also crosses the town in the east.
Population (2008): 1,690 |
Total Area: 53.8 square miles |
Past Growth: .07% | Tax Rate: $18.94/$1,000 |
Population Density: 31 people per square mile | |
Median Family Income (2008): $70,631 | Town Clerk: (603) 795-4416 |
Median House Value (2008): $428,208 |
Town Website: www.lymenh.gov |
This was once a home to Abenaki Indians, including a band of Sokokis near Post Pond at a place they called Ordanakis. Later, it would be another of many towns granted by Colonial Governor Benning Wentworth along the Connecticut River in 1761. The town encompasses land that, prior to the Lyme's founding, was called Tinkertown. Lyme takes its name from Old Lyme, Connecticut, which lies at the mouth of the Connecticut River. Most of the grantees were from Palmer and Brimfield in Massachusetts, or from Londonderry. In the late 1770s, the town petitioned (ultimately unsuccessfully) to join Vermont.
Stagecoaches traveling the old "Boston Turnpike" from Montreal in the 1830s passed through Lyme, stopping at the Lyme Inn (now Alden Country Inn), built in 1809. Next door to the inn is the 200 year old Congregational Church, whose steeple bell cast by Paul Revere still chimes on the hour. Behind the church is a row of horse sheds dating from 1810, each with the name of the original owner inscribed above the door. The scenic town common is surrounded by antique architecture.
Information obtained from the town of Lyme website, Wikipedia and City-Data.com