Thomas Watson Ball first came to Old Lyme in 1913 and relocated permanently with his family in about 1921. Although he created decorative paintings of landscapes and dramatic marine scenes, he is best known for his ceiling decorations in New York City churches and the book covers he designed for a number of major publishing houses such as Dodd Mead. Ball studied with James Carroll Beckwith (1852 - 1917), Henry Siddons Mowbray (1858 – 1928), and Frank Vincent DuMond (1865 - 1951) at the Art Students League and also worked as the art editor for Harper’s Magazine before the turn of the century. He was a member of the National Arts Club and the Salmagundi Club, and associated with the Lyme Art Association.