Old Lyme, Connecticut
From Free net encyclopedia
Old Lyme is a town located in New London County, Connecticut. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 7,406. It is a popular summer resort and artists' colony. It is the namesake for Lyme disease.
Famous residents have included actress, Elsie Ferguson, artist Willard Metcalf, and naturalist Roger Tory Peterson.
The US headquarters of Sennheiser is located in Old Lyme.
Contents |
History
Originally part of Saybrook, Old Lyme was separated February 13, 1665.
The present-day artists' colony was established in 1899 by Florence Griswold, with an initial group of artists that came to be known as the "Lyme Art Colony". In addition to Metcalf, they included Childe Hassam, Wilson Irvine, and Henry Ward Ranger.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 74.6 km² (28.8 mi²). 59.8 km² (23.1 mi²) of it is land and 14.8 km² (5.7 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 19.85% water.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 7,406 people, 2,958 households, and 2,153 families residing in the town. The population density was 123.8/km² (320.6/mi²). There were 4,570 housing units at an average density of 76.4/km² (197.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.37% White, 0.26% African American, 0.28% Native American, 1.16% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.32% from other races, and 0.59% from two or more races. 0.95% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 2,958 households out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.2% were married couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.2% were non-families. 22.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.0% under the age of 18, 3.6% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 29.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 97.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $68,386, and the median income for a family was $75,779. Males had a median income of $52,110 versus $39,158 for females. The per capita income for the town was $41,386. 3.4% of the population and 2.2% of families were below the poverty line. 4.9% of those under the age of 18 and 1.8% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Schools
1,602 Children from Old Lyme are enrolled in the 5 schools of Regional District 18. The students are enrolled based on age. Both Lyme Consolidated School and Mile Creek School are pre-K to grade 2. Lyme Consolidated School also provides grades 3-5. From grades 3-5, Center School provides 298 old Lyme students with education. In grades 6-8, 382 children enroll in the Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School, followed by subsequent enrollment in Lyme-Old Lyme High School. Old Lyme also has a number of students who travel to private schools such as Xavier High School, St. Bernards High School, and some very wealthy students who go to college prepratory schools for high school. Regional School District 18 has an 11.3:1 faculty to student ratio, and spends around $6,170 per pupil.