This Weekend in Lyme and Old Lyme, June 6-7

OLD LYME, CT – In keeping with the 250th anniversary theme, events this weekend in Lyme and Old Lyme promise an immersion in area history.

On Saturday, June 6, at 7 p.m., author and historian Eric D. Lehman will present a talk on his book, Homegrown Terror: Benedict Arnold & the Burning of New London, at the Old Lyme Historical Society, 55 Lyme St.

The presentation will examine the Sept. 6, 1781, attack in which Connecticut native Benedict Arnold led approximately 1,700 British soldiers and loyalists in an assault on Fort Griswold and the burning of New London.

According to event organizers, the attack’s brutality helped galvanize support for the Revolutionary cause as “Remember New London!” became a rallying cry among troops serving under the Marquis de Lafayette.

Lehman will explore the events leading up to the invasion and what he describes as a pivotal transformation in Arnold’s life, from betraying his fellow revolutionaries to attacking his former neighbors and destroying their homes.

Admission is free for members of the Old Lyme Historical Society. A suggested donation of $10 is requested from nonmembers, though attendees may contribute any amount.

On Sunday, June 7, local historian and storyteller Jim Leatherbee will lead a guided tour of Hadlyme Cove Cemetery in his talk, If These Stones Could Speak.

The tour is presented by Hadlyme Public Hall, which bills the event as a chance to unearth the “many hidden secrets” of the historic burial ground.

According to public hall member Gregory Miller, Leatherbee has “a raconteur’s ability to hold a crowd’s attention,” and a deep knowledge of the importance of burial grounds to Lyme’s history.

A rain date is scheduled for June 21.

Participants should meet at Hadlyme Cove Cemetery. The site is located on Ferry Road, just over a mile west of Route 82. Additional parking will be available at the Chester-Hadlyme Ferry parking lot.

Visit LymeLine’s Events section for more area happenings.