Lyme is a town along the Connecticut River in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,745 as of the 2020 census. The town encompasses land that, prior to the Lyme's founding, was called Tinkham town. In the late 1770s, Lyme petitioned (ultimately unsuccessfully) to join Vermont.

The scenic town common is surrounded with houses and public buildings dating from the late 1700s to the early 1900s. Stagecoaches traveling the old "Boston Turnpike" from Montreal in the 1830s passed through Lyme, stopping at the Lyme Inn, built in 1809 and recently renovated. Originally each shed had the name of the owner on a sign above the door. The signs are still there, though not necessarily over the original shed.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which are land and are water, comprising 2.19% of the town. is visible from miles away atop Smarts Mountain and sets it apart from other local mountains. The Appalachian Trail crosses the summits of Holts Ledge and Smarts Mountain.

Demographics

thumb|left|Lyme Town Common

As of the census of 2010, there were 1,716 people, 705 households, and 503 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 810 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 96.9% White, 0.3% African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 0.3% some other race, and 1.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.4% of the population.

thumb|right|Street scene, .<br />Photo: Lyme Historians

Of the 705 households, 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.3% were headed by married couples living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.7% were non-families. 23.5% of all households were made up of householders living alone, and 9.0% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42, and the average family size was 2.86.

For the period 2010 through 2014, the estimated median annual income for a household in the town was $110,781, and the median income for a family was $130,795. Males working full-time, year-round had a median income of $101,875 versus $58,125 for females. The per capita income for the town was $68,381. About 0.6% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.2% of those age 65 or over. the public K–8 school. As of 2018 the Lyme School has full day kindergarten. The school typically ranks in the top 5–10% of New Hampshire schools. Once a pupil reaches ninth grade, students from Lyme attend one of several high schools: Thetford Academy in Thetford, Vermont (across the Connecticut River), Hanover High School in Hanover, New Hampshire (about 10 miles south of Lyme), Hartford High School in Hartford, Vermont, Lebanon High School in Lebanon, New Hampshire, or St. Johnsbury Academy in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. Attendance is typically split between St. Johnsbury Academy, Thetford Academy and Hanover High, with the few remaining students going elsewhere.

Crossroads Academy, founded in 1991 as a K–8 school in Hanover, is now located on a wooded campus at 95 Dartmouth College Highway in Lyme. It serves more than 140 students from a 50-mile radius in grades K–8 and employs 39 faculty and staff.

Government

In the Congress, Lyme is part of the New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district, represented by Democrat Maggie Goodlander. In the State Senate, Lyme is part of the New Hampshire's 5th State Senate district, represented by Democrat Suzanne Prentiss. In the State House, it's part of the Grafton County's 12th District, represented by four Democrats, Mary Hakken-Phillips, Russell Muirhead, Ellen Rockmore and Terry Spahr.

Lyme is one of New Hampshire's most Democratic towns (excepting unincorporated locations, grants and townships), having backed the Democratic candidate with more than 50 points since at least 2008, equivalent to the college towns of Hanover and Durham. In 2012 and 2024, it was New Hampshire's most Democratic town.

{| class="wikitable"

|+

Lyme town presidential vote

!Year

!Democratic

!Republican

!Third parties

|-

| align="center" |2024

| align="center" |84.47% 1,050

| align="center" |13.92% 173

| align="center" |1.61% 20

|-

| align="center" |2020

| align="center" |82.3% 1,074

| align="center" |16.7% 218

| align="center" |1% 13

|-

| align="center" |2016

| align="center" |74.92% 890

| align="center" |19.53% 232

| align="center" |5.56% 66

|-

| align="center" |2012

| align="center" |77.44% 930

| align="center" |22.56% 271

|-

| align="center" |2008

| align="center" |76.46% 893

| align="center" |22.86% 267

| align="center" |0.68% 8

|}

Sites of interest

  • Lyme Historians Museum
  • Appalachian Trail
  • Dartmouth Skiway

Notable people

  • Fred Hovey Allen (1845–1926), pioneer in American art reproduction
  • Jonathan Child (1785–1860), first mayor of Rochester, New York
  • David Marston Clough (1846–1924), 13th governor of Minnesota
  • Amos P. Cutting (1839–1896), architect
  • Trina Schart Hyman (1939–2004), illustrator of children's books
  • Arthur Latham Perry (1830–1905), American economist and advocate of free trade
  • Baxter E. Perry (1826–1906), second mayor of Medford, Massachusetts
  • Albert Cushing Read (1887–1967), commanded first trans-Atlantic seaplane flight (1919)
  • Mikaela Shiffrin (born 1995), alpine ski racer, US Olympic gold medalist

References

  • New Hampshire Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau Profile
  • Converse Free Library
  • Lyme Historians