Florence Griswold House

The Florence Griswold Museum is a unique institution rooted in the context of its site-specific environment. Visitors to FloGris immerse themselves in history by exploring the Griswold Boardinghouse for Artists.

Designed by Samuel Belcher, architect of the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme, and built for William Noyes in 1817, the Late Georgian-style mansion reflects the affluent, formal style of living during Old Lyme’s maritime era.

In 1899, the Late Georgian mansion became a boardinghouse for some of the most noted names in American Impressionism. Over 200 artists such as Childe Hassam, Willard Metcalf, and Matilda Browne found the lush countryside of Connecticut the perfect location for an American art colony.

The Lyme Art Colony artists left their mark not only on canvas but on the very doors and wooden wall panels of Miss Florence’s House. Inspired by art colonies many had visited in Europe, they surrounded themselves with their own work, creating a living gallery. The dining room is a national treasure, unlike any other room in America.

More than a remarkable building, the Florence Griswold House occupies a unique place in the history of American art. It brings alive the work of American Impressionist artists in the place where they lived and painted. Recreated period rooms evoke the spirit of another life and time. Visitors are transported to the early 1900s, experiencing a day in the life of an artist.