Honoring the Lives of Enslaved Persons

Between 1670 and 1826 at least 300 enslaved and indentured African Americans and Native Americans labored in the historic town of Lyme.

Today, Witness Stones honor the humanity and the contributions of vital members of our community. The bronze plaques that mark sites of enslavement on Lyme Street restore forgotten history and serve as memorials to those once held here in bondage.

Juneteenth Celebration Brings Jazz, Poetry, and Reflection to Old Lyme

The north lawn of the Florence Griswold Museum was filled with music & poetry, as the community gathered for a moving Juneteenth celebration honoring those who once lived enslaved in the historic town of Lyme.

Kate Rushin leads the community in reciting the names of the formerly enslaved honored in 2025.

Witness Stones Ceremony Marks Final Installation in Old Lyme

On Friday, May 30, the community gathered on the lawn of the Old Lyme Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library to mark the culmination of the Witness Stones Old Lyme project, now in its fifth and final year. Twelve new bronze plaques were installed at the Sill Lane Green and the Florence Griswold Museum, bringing the total to 60.

Lyme Old Lyme Middle School Chorus performs at the Witness Stones Old Lyme Installation Ceremony in 2024

Commemorating the Lives of the Enslaved: Witness Stones Old Lyme to Install 12 New Plaques in 2025

Witness Stones to be installed in Old Lyme in late May As it enters the final year of a five-year project, Witness Stones Old Lyme will...

Witness Stones Old Lyme Installation Ceremony 2025

Friday, May 30, 2025 10:00 - 11:00 AM Old Lyme Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library, 2 Library Lane, Old Lyme, CT Join the community on the...

Re-examining Old Lyme's Abolitionist Past

A recent CT Insider article highlights how archival research at the Florence Griswold Museum revealed information that challenged...

Juneteenth Celebration of Jazz & Poetry at the FloGris Museum

FEATURING THE NAT REEVES QUARTET & POETS MARILYN NELSON, KATE RUSHIN, RHONDA WARD, ANTOINETTE BRIM-BELL On Saturday, June 22, Witness...

Plaques at Lyme Public Library Expand Old Lyme Witness Stones Project

Community Gathers for Commemorative Event On Friday, May 31, the community gathered at the Old Lyme Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library for a...

Community Invited to the 2024 Witness Stones Installation Ceremony

All are welcome to attend the 2024 Witness Stones installation ceremony on the lawn of the Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library, 2 Library Lane,...

Prince Griswold Crosley Honored by the Sons of the American Revolution

May 2, 2024 - Old Lyme, CT The Connecticut Society of the Sons of the American Revolution held a color guard ceremony at Duck River...

Jazz & Poetry Featured on Juneteenth

with Jesse Hameen II Jazz Quartet & poets Marilyn Nelston, Kate Rushin, Rhonda Ward & Antoinette Brim-Bell

Witness Stones Old Lyme Celebrates Third Installation in Black Hall

On June 2, the community gathered on the lawn of the Old Lyme Library to celebrate the third installation of Witness Stones —historical...

Tracing Lyme's Runaway Slaves

In a History Blog article posted on the Florence Griswold Museum's website, Old Lyme Witness Stones chair Carolyn Wakeman reveals new...

Kyera Singleton speaks at Florence Griswold Museum's 2022 Samuel Thorne Memorial Lecture

Kyera Singleton, the Executive Director of the Royall House and Slave Quarters in Medford, Massachusetts, examined how and why former...

Marilyn Nelson Receives Wallace Stevens Award from the Academy of American Poets

Marilyn Nelson has received the Wallace Stevens Award, a lifetime achievement honor given annually by the Academy of American Poets to...

Witness Stones Old Lyme Celebrates Second Installation

On Friday, June 4, 2022, the community gathered on the lawn of the Old Lyme Library to celebrate the second installation of Witness...

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Know Their Names

Learn more about the individuals commemorated with
Old Lyme Witness Stones.

Witness Stones Locations

Learn about each location, including addresses and
parking restrictions for the Black Hall location.

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