The Lyme History Museum, operated by the Lyme Historians, Inc. is located in the Churchill-Melvin House at 15 Main Street across from the Lyme Common and between the Lyme Country Store and the cemetery. See map below
Entrance Location:
East side of the Churchill-Melvin House
Hours: Wednesdays 10 am to 1 pm and Saturdays 10 am to 1pm, or by appointment. We are closed January and February. If you have a question or need information please email or call us.
Email: lymehistorians@gmail.com Phone: 603-795-2508
The Itinerant Museum – A Short History of Our Museum
All ready to exhibit and nowhere to go. For years, the Historians have curated a remarkable (and still expanding) “movable feast” of Lyme-abilia. Before they secured a home on the first floor of the Lyme Center Academy building in 2002, the collection shuffled all over town. Now we have our own building in the Churchill-Melvin House on Main Street across from the Lyme Common with five exhibit rooms including our lovely new entrance. The Historians have worked hard to create a beautiful museum space that allows us to stage themed exhibits, often including objects lent by our members to augment the Historians’ own remarkable collection. Every year our collection has grown so that we are grateful to have additional space to hold it all in our new home! How wonderful to have such generous friends who want to share their Lyme artifacts with all us.
Spotlight on the Collection
Churchill-Melvin Parlor
Our new home is named for two early families of the house, Judge David Churchill and George Melvin. Both men owned the Lyme Country Store at different times, making their home very convenient to their business. The newly refurbished parlor
now displays examples of period furniture along with a few of the 1850 technologies.
Found in the parlor is the Estey Organ which was played in the Lyme home of Clyde Grant and has recently been beautifully restored!
Lyme and World War I
Artifacts from the war and photos of Lyme residents in recognition of the 100th anniversary of the end of this conflict. Called at the time “the war to end all wars,” the 
peace treaty was recognized by some at the time as “the peace to end all peace”–and so it was.
Maple Sugaring
Vintage tools and equipment in honor of the sugaring season–a long-time activity in Lyme still enjoyed by many.
Mayo Collection
– excerpted from issues o
f The Lyme Historian, Adair Mulligan, editor
We are now displaying an extensive collection of native American artifacts that originated in Lyme. Bartlett Mayo, who owned land near Post Pond and the gathering place known as Ordanakis, discovered points, pestles, scrapers, and other tools while working his land.
Mayo left his fascinating collection of 139 artifacts to Dartmouth College, which conveyed them to the Montshire Museum of Science. The Montshire has generously agreed to convey them permanently to the Lyme Historians for display and curation.
