Last Thursday, paintbrushes symbolically struck the exterior walls of the historic Sill House, located on the grounds of Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts, in the same spirit as a bottle of champagne striking the hull of a ship as it is launched, The momentous brushstrokes by local dignitaries, donors to the project, Benjamin Moore representatives, College Board of Trustees members and College administrators, marked the beginning of a long-awaited renovation of the historic building, which will occur in three phases.
Painting the exterior will kick off the first phase. Benjamin Moore & Co. is generously donating all the paint for the project from their new Williamsburg Collection. Thanks to a public and private partnership between the Department of Economic & Community Development/Historic Restoration Fund and the College, the second phase will be repairing the foundation, base and front steps. The third phase will address the building’s interior.
Speeches at the event included one by College President Dr. Scott Colley, who described the Sill House’s colorful history, College Vice President of Development Fritz Jellinghaus, who mentioned the tremendous support from the community for the project and Chairman of the College Board of Trustees, Diana Atwood Johnson, who spoke of her long association with the College and the importance of the Sill House both to the College and the community.
Jellinghaus noted, “The renovation of the Sill House has received substantial support from generous individuals and from the town. The College is excited along with the community to see how a renovated Sill House will offer both improvements in academic spaces and also as a community venue for public programs.
The Sill House was built in 1817 for John Sill by the architect Samuel Belcher. After the War of 1812, Sill started smuggling fine silks, satins and laces but was arrested in 1817 and imprisoned in New Haven, never to return to Old Lyme. The house was purchased in 1820 by William Noyes, Jr., who sold it two years later to Judge Charles Johnson McCurdy – an extremely successful lawyer. The house subsequently passed through a series of owners until 1983, when the then Lyme Academy of Fine Arts purchased the building. The Academy became a nationally accredited, four-year college in 1996, continuing to offer a program rooted in the traditions of figurative and representational art.
Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts continues the academic tradition of figurative and representational fine art while preparing students for a lifetime of contemporary creative practice. The College offers the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Drawing, Illustration, Painting, and Sculpture (full- and part-time study); Certificates in Painting and Sculpture, a Post-Baccalaureate program; Continuing Education for adults; and a Pre-College Program for students aged 15-18. The College is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, the National Association of the Schools of Art and Design, and the Connecticut Department of Higher Education. The College is located at 84 Lyme Street, Old Lyme CT 06371.
For more information about the College, call 860-434-5232 or visit www.lymeacademy.edu