Venue & Driving Directions
Directions
FROM I-95 NORTHBOUND
I-95 to exit 70
Right off the exit onto Route 156
Cross small bridge over the Lieutenant River
Left at blinking light onto Ferry Road.
The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme is at the intersection of Ferry Road and Lyme Street in Old Lyme.
We are located 5 minutes off I-95.
FROM I-95 Southbound
Take I-95 to Exit 70 and turn left at the end of the ramp onto Lyme Street. (You will go underneath the I-95 bridge.) Proceed down Lyme Street. The church will be on your right.
The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme is at the intersection of Ferry Road and Lyme Street
We are located 5 minutes off I-95.
Important GPS Driving Instructions
Please be sure to select road listings in OLD LYME (not Lyme) or else you will end up at the wrong location.
The crossroads for the First Congregational Church in Old Lyme are Lyme Street and Ferry Road.
The Fifth Meetinghouse of The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme
The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme has a long tradition of support for the arts. Offering the Meetinghouse as a “home” for Musical Masterworks is in keeping with what the theologian Paul Tillich termed the “Theology of Culture”; believing that God’s revelations and epiphanies come to us not only through scripture, but also from the broad tapestry of all that comes to us through the culture around us: music, theatre, visual arts, and more.
In his famous poem, “Archaic Torso of Apollo,” Rilke concludes with these words, “You must change your life.” So it is with the power of music. It has the ability to transport us to ever higher places, and open the door to epiphanies in our lives.
The Meetinghouse is thought to be one of the finest small halls for chamber music in the state of Connecticut. Part of the reason for this may be that it is the ideal size for chamber music. Another reason may be that the domed ceiling distributes sound evenly throughout the sanctuary. But part of the reason might lie in the unique construction of this particular building.
The fourth Meetinghouse, also located on this site, burned to the ground on July 3, 1907. There were no architectural plans to be found for the destroyed building, so Ernest Greene of New York City relied on the measurement of the old foundation (49’2” x 58’6”) and a number of photographs, as well as paintings by the artists within Old Lyme’s Impressionist tradition. The building committee gave their architect one new specification: the building had to be fireproof.
To fulfill this last request, Greene created an inner core of steel and concrete for the new structure. Thus, like a great piano, the building has a rigid steel frame beneath its beautiful wooden veneer. And therein may lie the reason for its superb sound. The fifth Meetinghouse was dedicated in 1910 by Woodrow Wilson, whose wife was studying at the Old Lyme Art Colony at that time.
The members and friends of The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme are proud to offer Musical Masterworks this home for their performances, and we welcome all who attend.
— The Rev. Carleen R. Gerber, Senior Associate Minister
Contact Information:
Mailing Address:
Musical Masterworks
P.O. Box 684
Old Lyme, CT 06371
Telephone: (860) 434-2252
Email: admin@musicalmasterworks.org
Driving Address:
4 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT 06371