Thomas Lee House & Little Boston School
Several weeks ago, I took a three-day trip to the Mystic / Lyme area of Connecticut and visited many historical sites. The most remarkable hidden gem I found during this trip was Thomas Lee House & Little Boston School, properties in Niantic, CT belonging to East Lyme Historical Society. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1970, Lee House was among the best examples of post-medieval houses in New England that I have visited.
In the late 1660s, the original portion of the house was built for Ensign Thomas Lee III who used the lower chamber as a Judgement Hall for holding court cases. Additions in 1709 and 1765 brought the house to its current size. The Lee family lived in the house until some point in the 19th century, when a neighbor bought the property and turned it into a barn. Today, the lower chamber on the left is a 17th century design, while the lower chamber on the left is an 18th century or Georgian style design, allowing visitors to compare tastes between the two periods.
When the building was rediscovered by preservationists in 1914, its restoration required a joint effort by East Lyme Historical Society, Society of Colonial Wars in Connecticut, the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in Connecticut, and The Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities, the former name of Historic New England. Leading the charge was architectural historian Norman Morrison Isham, who had been instrumental in saving other historic houses, including Eleazer Arnold House and Clemence-Irons House in Rhode Island, and Browne House in Massachusetts.
Thomas Lee House has all the Post-Medieval architectural details that obsessive old house visitors like to see. The chamfered summer beam in the Judgement Hall has a clean lambs tongue and pip design on either end. Exposed gunstock corner posts show the timber framing holding up the structure for near 400 years. Wooden elbow braces from a ship were recycled to hold up parts of the kitchen ceiling. The former exterior of the house became the interior of the attic, but the window hole was never removed, allowing visitors to peer from the attic into the bedroom. The stone chimney stack is in good condition.
Besides its significance in colonial history, contribution historic restoration, and unique architectural structure, the house also holds unique artifacts. A locked box now held in the Georgian style chamber was intended to keep thieves away from valuable spaces. Painted nearby on the wall were words supposedly given by John Lee as a dying charge to his children in 1715. A display on the upper floor showed how colonial Americans could dye brightly colored clothing using natural ingredients like cochineal or crushed little insects, and plants such as indigo, turmeric, madder, henna, and brazilwood.
It this was not enough, the property contains a bonus building: Little Boston School. While not much different than other one-room schoolhouses I have visited over the years (I just created a new Schoolhouse tag on the blog), the restored building with vintage desks and a wood stove was a nice end to the tour. This was also the perfect way to get elementary school students involved with local history.
In 2024, Thomas Lee House is open July through early October, Wednesday through Sunday, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Tours are free for all. Like most historic houses, the buildings are not accessible by wheelchair and may be difficult to navigate for people with limited mobility. Parts of the house are dimly lit. Additionally, the website is difficult to navigate despite having a current design. Even with these limitations, if you are an old house enthusiast or love New England history, this property is a must-see.
Abby Epplett’s Rating System
Experience: 9/10
Accessibility: 6/10
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