Browse the Old Lyme Congregational Church records in Old Lyme, Connecticut

The Old Lyme Congregational Church in Old Lyme, Connecticut was organized in 1693. The church, however, had already constructed their first meetinghouse in 1665 and hired their first minister, Rev. Moses Noyes, in 1666. Noyes continued as the minister until his death in 1729. In 1730, Rev. Jonathan Parsons was ordained at Old Lyme, but asked to be dismissed in 1745 to become the minister in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Parsons was followed in the pulpit by Rev. Stephen Johnson in 1746, who served as minister until his death in 1786. Later ministers at Old Lyme included Edward Porter, Lathrop Rockwell, Chester Colton, David Brainerd, and William Cary. Old Lyme was originally a part of Lyme, later known as South Lyme, and in 1857 the name changed to Old Lyme.

The original 1665 meetinghouse was replaced by a second in 1689 and a third in 1738. The third meetinghouse was destroyed by lightning in 1815 and a new building, designed by architect Samuel Belcher, was built the following year. The fourth meetinghouse was destroyed by fire in 1907 and a replica was constructed in 1910. The church was painted and sketched several times by American Impressionist artist Childe Hassam. The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme is active today and is a member of the United Church of Christ (UCC).

This collection contains four volumes of church records, which include admissions, dismissions, baptisms, marriages, deaths, disciplinary records, and meeting notes, and one volume of ecclesiastical society records. 

Materials in this collection have been digitized in partnership with the Connecticut State Library and have been made available through our New England's Hidden Histories project.