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Westbrook, Connecticut

Westbrook is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region. The population was 6,769 at the 2020 census. The town center is classified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place (CDP).

Geography
Westbrook lies in the shoreline area of the state. The town is bordered by the towns of Essex, Clinton, Deep River, and Old Saybrook, where the Connecticut River empties into Long Island Sound. The Salt Meadow Unit of the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge is located in town.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 21.4 sqmi, of which, 15.7 sqmi is land and 5.7 sqmi (26.47%) is water. The Westbrook Center CDP has a total area of 2.2 sqmi of which 22.33% is water.

Westbrook encompasses three islands in Long Island Sound, all of which are uninhabited. Salt Island is the easternmost and smallest, at approximately 0.9 acres. Menunketesuck Island, which is the largest of Westbrook's islands at approximately 4.6 acres, extends into the Sound from the outlet of the Menunketesuck and Patchogue Rivers and is part of the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge. Further west is Duck Island, measuring approximately 3.6 acres.

Private beach Associations in the town are: Chapman Beach, Coral Sands, Grove Beach Point, Grove Beach Terrace, Horse Hill, Island View, Kelsey Point, Little Stannard, Middle Beach, Pilot's Point, Pointina, Quotonset Beach, Sagamore Terrace, Salt Works, Stannard Beach, West Beach.

History
Westbrook was incorporated in 1840. Before being incorporated, Westbrook was known as Pochoug and then West Saybrook and was a district within the Town of Old Saybrook.

Demographics
At the 2000 census there were 6,292 people, 2,605 households, and 1,693 families living in the town. The population density was 400.3 PD/sqmi. There were 3,460 housing units at an average density of 220.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 95.76% White, 0.70% African American, 0.13% Native American, 1.56% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 0.72% from other races, and 1.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.51%.

Of the 2,605 households 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.1% were married couples living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.0% were non-families. 28.0% of households were one person and 12.7% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.93.

The age distribution was 21.8% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.1% 65 or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.7 males.

The median household income was $57,531 and the median family income was $71,344. Males had a median income of $46,889 versus $32,227 for females. The per capita income for the town was $28,680. About 2.7% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.7% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.

CDP
At the 2000 census, there were 2,238 people, 1,052 households, and 551 families living in the Westbrook Center CDP. The population density was 1,336.0 PD/sqmi. There were 1,662 housing units at an average density of 992.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 94.50% White, 1.39% African American, 0.09% Native American, 2.19% Asian, 0.63% from other races, and 1.21% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.19% of the population.

Of the 1,052 households 18.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.9% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.6% were non-families. 37.9% of households were one person and 16.8% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the average family size was 2.71.

The age distribution was 16.1% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 22.4% 65 or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.1 males.

The median household income was $45,385 and the median family income was $59,375. Males had a median income of $40,707 versus $31,250 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $29,866. About 3.7% of families and 6.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.7% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.

Education
The town's public education needs are overseen by its local school district, Westbrook Public Schools. Westbrook's public elementary school, the Daisy Ingraham Elementary School, was the recipient of a Blue Ribbon honor for excellence for 1998–1999. A new middle school, connected to the high school, Westbrook High School, opened in 2005.

Oxford Academy, an all-boys boarding school, has been located in Westbrook since 1973.

Emergency services
The town of Westbrook is the home of Connecticut State Police Troop F, located on Interstate 95 and Spencer Plains Road. Police services in Westbrook are coordinated by a Resident State Trooper and several Police Constables. Constables patrol during the day and evening hours while overnight patrol is provided by the State Police.

Fire protection is provided by the Westbrook Fire Department (a.k.a. Westbrook Chemical Engine Company), located on South Main Street. This all-volunteer department is responsible for response to alarms of fire, rescue emergencies and medical emergencies. Emergency Medical Services are provided by the Westbrook Ambulance Association, a paid-on-call basic life support service. Paramedic services are provided by Middlesex Hospital from their satellite facility in Essex, CT.

Transportation
Westbrook station is a station along the Shore Line East commuter line.

The Estuary Transit District provides public bus transportation throughout Westbrook and the surrounding towns through its 9 Town Transit Service. Services include connections to the Old Saybrook Train Station which is served by Amtrak in addition to the Shore Line East railroad.

Notable people

 * Everett Bacon (1890–1989), athlete and World War I veteran was born in town
 * David Bushnell (1740–1824), American inventor who built the first submarine ever used in combat
 * Art Carney (1918–2003), American actor and comedian
 * George Lessey (1879–1947), silent movie actor lived his later years and died in Westbrook

title: Westbrook, Connecticut


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Beacon Falls, Connecticut

Beacon Falls is a town in western New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Naugatuck Valley Planning Region & is around 6 miles from Waterbury. It lies in the southwestern part of the state, and is bisected by the Naugatuck River. The population was 6,000 at the 2020 census, down from 6,049 at the 2010 census.

Founding
The area that was to become Beacon Falls was first inhabited by tribal communities of Paugusetts and Paugusucks and was originally known as Nyumps. Early history texts indicate that a former Native American slave called Toby bought much of the land that was to become the town on September 7, 1693, for 10 pounds and a barrel of cider.

Settlers from Derby, Connecticut moved to the area in 1678 and the town was incorporated in 1871 on lands carved from the neighboring towns of Bethany, Seymour, Naugatuck and Oxford. The town was named for Beacon Hill, from which a small waterfall descended.

History
The history of Beacon Falls is tied to the series of manufacturing concerns that operated in the town's impressive brick factory buildings on North Main Street, adjacent to the Naugatuck River. The last and most successful of those concerns was the Beacon Falls Rubber Shoe Company. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries rubber manufacturing thrived in the Lower Naugatuck Valley. This followed the invention and 1844 patent, by Connecticut native Charles Goodyear, of a chemical process called Vulcanization to convert natural rubber into a durable, flexible, waterproof material. In the 1850s the American Hard Rubber Company built a brick factory in Beacon Falls, utilizing water power from the Naugatuck River. The company made buttons, whip sockets, and powder flasks. After that company was acquired and moved to Long Island, the empty brick building was bought by the Home Woolen Company, which in the 1860s expanded and manufactured woolen shawls, popular at the time with men, women and Civil War soldiers. The Home Woolen Company operated for 20-plus years until it became insolvent in 1887.

The 1898 inception of the Beacon Falls Rubber Shoe Company lay in the decision of George Lewis, President of the Goodyear Metallic Rubber Shoe Co. of Naugatuck, Connecticut, and his son Tracy S. Lewis, Secretary and Treasurer of that company, to resign and start a new business together. In 1898 the two Lewis men bought the Home Woolen Company facility and started the Beacon Falls Rubber Shoe Company. The new company enjoyed great success for over two decades. From 150 pairs of shoes manufactured in 1899, by 1920 5.5 million pair were shipped; during that same time the town's population doubled. The company specialized in rubber soled boots with leather uppers (like today's "L.L. Bean boots"), and rubber soled athletic shoes with canvas uppers (now called "sneakers"). The footwear was marketed under the brand name, "Top Notch."

The Beacon Falls Rubber Shoe Company was a tremendous physical, economic, and cultural presence in Beacon Falls. It made major civic efforts to enhance the town and the lives of its employees, including building a movie theater, with an assembly room and dance hall for public use, sponsoring a musical band that gave daily performances, and commissioning the influential landscape architectural firm Olmsted Brothers to create an overall design for company lands and buildings. The resulting plan embraced the Tracy S. Lewis House and a neighborhood of workers' homes above the factory.

Tracy Lewis died prematurely in 1921 at age 47, marking the demise of the Beacon Falls Rubber Shoe Company, followed by the gradual end of manufacturing at the Beacon Falls facility. After Lewis's death, the company was acquired by the United States Rubber Company in Naugatuck (formerly Goodyear Metallic Rubber Shoe Co., renamed Uniroyal, Inc. in 1961), and the Beacon Falls athletic shoe was renamed "Keds." Production in the elegant brick factory buildings ended during the Great Depression in 1930, after which the buildings were used only for storage. Several buildings associated with the company, including the movie theater, were destroyed when the State of Connecticut widened the road in front of the factory in 1949, and when the Flood of 1955 (Connecticut) flooded the Naugatuck River, causing extensive damage through the valley. In 1984 the brick factory buildings were placed on the National Register of Historical Places as the "Home Woolen Company" (#84000410—"also known as Beacon Falls Rubber Shoe Factory"). In the late 1980s the buildings were converted to a 188-unit, full-amenity apartment complex called Beacon Mill Village. The "Depot Street Bridge," spanning the Naugatuck River across from the old brick factory, is also on the National Register of Historical Places (#07000108). Built in 1935 of riveted steel, it was designed by engineers from the Public Works Administration and the Connecticut Highway Department. The bridge joins the two parts of Beacon Falls bisected by the river.

A second major historical Beacon Falls business, where many town residents worked over the years, was the Homer D. Bronson Company. In 1884 the company moved to Beacon Falls from Waterbury, Connecticut (known as "the brass capital of the world"). The Homer D. Bronson Company manufactured a multitude of brass items, specializing in hinges used in industry and homes; automobile hood hinges were a major product. The company survived both the Great Depression and the Flood of 1955. Now named HDB Inc., its present-day website states that it has been "a leader in the engineered hinge and metal stamping markets since 1839." In 1986 the company moved to Winsted, Connecticut.

Significant people and events
Beacon Falls is home to the nationally known Meteorologist Jim Cantore and U.S. Congressman Ronald A. Sarasin.

On May 15, 2018, one of the four EF1 tornadoes that struck CT had a 9.1 mile path that started in Beacon Falls and caused serious damage to homes and infrastructure.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 9.9 sqmi, of which, 9.8 sqmi of it is land and 0.1 sqmi of it (1.01%) is water.

The village of Pine Bridge, once known as Pines Bridge, is located within the town, south of the town center. Beacon Falls has been known as Beacon Falls Station, Beacon Falls Village, and the Beacon Falls Postal District within Bethany.

The Beacon Falls (Metro-North station) is on the Waterbury branch of the New Haven line.

On the National Register of Historic Places

 * Depot Street Bridge: added March 9, 2007 (on the National Bridge registry). This bridge replaced the original wooden bridge that crossed the Naugatuck River and was dedicated in 1935.
 * Home Woolen Company: added November 29, 1984

On the State Register of Historic Places

 * Tracy S. Lewis House: Home of the Beacon Falls Rubber Shoe Company President. Originally built c. 1855 by the American Hard Rubber Company, 35–37 Wolfe Avenue
 * Rimmon Schoolhouse: a one room school house located on Pinesbridge Road (State Route 42). Dated 1789, it may have been renovated in 1830 (District School #6 of Oxford) when the area was part of the town of Oxford, CT.
 * Riggs House: Located on Old Pinesbridge Road, is identified as the oldest home in Beacon Falls.

Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 6,049 people, divided into 2,509 total households, with 2,360 occupied households in the town. The racial makeup (population) of the town was 91.2% White, 1.4% African American, 1.2% Asian, and 0.8% from two or more races, while 5.0% identified as either Hispanic or Latino.

As of the census of 2000, there were 5,246 people, 2,032 households, and 1,450 families residing in the town. The population density was 536.6 PD/sqmi. There were 2,104 housing units at an average density of 215.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 96.97% White, 0.72% African American, 0.08% Native American, 1.03% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.40% from other races, and 0.76% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.13% of the population.

There were 2,032 households, out of which 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.2% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.6% were non-families; 23.0% were made up of individuals, and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.2% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 35.1% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 9.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $56,592, and the median income for a family was $62,461. Males had a median income of $41,696 versus $34,844 for females. The per capita income for the town was $25,285. About 4.2% of families and 5.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.8% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over.

Beacon Falls is home to Woodland Regional High School, which opened in 2001. Woodland is part of Regional School District #16 (Beacon Falls and Prospect), which also consists of Long River Middle School (P), Laurel Ledge Elementary School (BF), and Prospect Elementary School (P).

Transportation
The Beacon Falls train station provides commuter rail service to Bridgeport, Stamford, and Grand Central Terminal in New York City via the Waterbury Branch on the Metro-North Railroad's New Haven Line. Beacon Falls lies along Connecticut Route 8. Connecticut Transit Waterbury Division provides bus service to Beacon Falls on its 479X route.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Beacon Falls, Connecticut


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Bethany, Connecticut

Bethany is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the South Central Connecticut Planning Region. The population was 5,297 at the 2020 census.

History
Bethany was first settled in 1717, but it was not until May 1832 that Bethany separated from Woodbridge to become incorporated as a town. This slightly remote, sparsely populated, residential town retains its rural character. There is some dairying and agriculture. The town is dotted with reservoirs serving Naugatuck and, principally, New Haven.

There have been inhabitants in Bethany since before 1638, predominantly Naugatucks of the Paugusset tribe and Mattabessitts of the Wanguck tribe. The first European settlers arrived in the area around April 1638, creating the towns of Milford and New Haven, with their boundary split down the middle of what is now Bethany. The area of the boundary was settled in 1678, twelve years after New Haven County was organized. In 1717, the Amity Parish was accepted by the General Assembly of the Connecticut Colony and in 1832, Bethany was incorporated as a town. The town is named after the biblical place.

In the mid-to-late 19th century, the population of the town and the land decreased as parts were annexed by the neighboring town of Woodbridge and the new town of Beacon Falls was incorporated into the general geography of Connecticut. The population would continue to decrease until about the 1940s, when the population would spike.

In 1923, the Bethany Airport opened up, one of the first in New England. Soon after, Troop I of the Boy Scouts of America (now known as Troop 931) was chartered in Bethany, and an organized police staff and volunteer fire fighter organization were founded. In 1954, a senior high school was built in Woodbridge to serve Woodbridge, Bethany, and Orange. Earlier Bethany students had been sent to public high schools in neighboring towns as tuition students for grades nine through twelve. In 1963, Amity Junior High School was created in Bethany.

In 1970, Bethany Community School was finished, replacing most of the single roomed schools. The layout composes of a main campus, and two four roomed schools, built in 1934. After the 1975 Ontario School shooting, they discontinued the four roomed schools for educational and safety reasons.

In 2007, Bethany was named Connecticut's #1 Small Town by Connecticut Magazine.

Town seal
Bethany's town seal is a circle within which appears a circle of rope. In the upper aspects of the seal appear the words TOWN OF BETHANY CONNECTICUT in two curved lines of print bordering the inner aspect of the rope circle. On the bottom of the seal also bordering the inner aspect of the rope circle appear the words INCORPORATED 1832. These words form the top and bottom edges of a third circle, the sides of which are made of a string of inverted oak leaves on each side. A roadway bisecting the seal and extending from bottom to center is pictured within the innermost circle. Surrounded by trees are Christ Episcopal Church pictured on the right, and First Church of Christ Congregational with carriage shed on the left. The Town Seal was created by local artist and Bethany resident, Betsy Seaton, as part of Bethany's 150th anniversary celebration in 1982.

Police
Currently, Bethany has a single police officer who is hired by the town. This along with the State Police Troop I station serve to protect the town and local area. The barracks located next to the Station remains abandoned and in a state of disrepair.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 21.4 sqmi, of which 21.0 sqmi is land and 0.4 sqmi, or 1.83%, is water.

Demographics
As of the 2010 Census Bethany had a population of 5,563. The racial composition of the population was 91.6% white, 1.9% black or African American, 4.8% Asian, 0.6% other races and 1.1% from two or more races. 2.5% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race. As of the census of 2000, there were 5,040 people, 1,755 households, and 1,449 families residing in the town. The population density was 240.4 PD/sqmi. There were 1,792 housing units at an average density of 85.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 95.04% White, 1.83% African American, 0.30% Native American, 1.53% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.48% from other races, and 0.73% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.02% of the population.

There were 1,755 households, out of which 40.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.8% were married couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.4% were non-families. 13.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.18.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.3% under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 28.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $74,898, and the median income for a family was $79,493. Males had a median income of $52,037 versus $44,427 for females. The per capita income for the town was $31,403. About 1.5% of families and 2.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.1% of those under age 18 and 0.6% of those age 65 or over.

Parks and recreation
In a span of two years (1997–1999), the town purchased 165 acre of land for the new Veterans Memorial Park. In 1999, the man-made Hockanum Lake at Veterans Memorial Park was opened for swimming. In 2000, the first Summer Sparkler was held there.

Notable people

 * Amy Arnsten, neuroscientist
 * Robert Crabtree, chemist
 * David Hoadley (1774–1839), architect who worked in New Haven and Middlesex counties in Connecticut; designed Darius Beecher House in Bethany
 * Silas Hoadley (1786–1870), clockmaker; born in Bethany
 * R. W. B. Lewis (1917–2002), biographer and Yale professor
 * Quincy Porter (1897–1966), Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer
 * Katharine Weber, novelist

title: Bethany, Connecticut


text:
Branford, Connecticut

Branford is a shoreline town located on Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, about 6 mi east of downtown New Haven. The town is part of the South Central Connecticut Planning Region. Branford borders East Haven to the west, Guilford to the east, and North Branford to the north. The population was 28,273 in the 2020 census.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 28.0 sqmi; 22.0 sqmi are land and 6.0 sqmi (21.5%) are water, including the Branford River, Queach Brook and the Branford Supply Ponds. There are two harbors, the more central Branford Harbor and Stony Creek Harbor on the east end, and one town beach at Branford Point. Much of the town's border with East Haven to the west is dominated by Lake Saltonstall, a reservoir owned by the South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority, and Saltonstall Mountain, part of the Metacomet Ridge, a mountainous trap rock ridgeline that stretches from Long Island Sound to nearly the Vermont border. The southern terminus of the Metacomet Ridge, Beacon Hill, is located in Branford.

The town of Branford includes the Thimble Islands. Neighboring towns are North Branford to the north, Guilford to the east, and East Haven to the west.

History
An area called Totoket, which became Branford, was part of the land bought from the Mattabesech Indians in 1638 by the first English settlers of New Haven. Previously, the Dutch in the New Netherland settlements set up a trading post at the mouth of the Branford River in the 17th century, the source of the name "Dutch Wharf", also known as "Dutch House Wharf" and the Dutch House Quarter. The area was also described by Ezra Stiles as containing a "Dutch Fort", as hinted at by archaeological excavations completed in the 1990s.

The town's name is said to be derived from the town of Brentford, England. The town in early maps was called Brentford before being shortened to Branford. Established in 1644, Branford grew during the 18th and 19th centuries. In the late 18th century, the first shoreline community, Stony Creek, was settled. Indian Neck and Pine Orchard were also settled, but neither of those settlements was permanent until the mid-19th century.

In 1852, the railroad helped bring new business, including Branford Lockworks, Malleable Iron Fittings Company, and the Atlantic Wire Company. The Stony Creek granite quarries also rose to prominence as a direct consequence of railroad construction.

During the mid-19th century, Branford became a popular resort area. Approximately twenty hotels opened, including Indian Point House in Stony Creek, Montowese House in Indian Neck, and Sheldon House in Pine Orchard. During the mid-20th century, Branford shed its resort image. It developed with many characteristics typically associated with northeastern suburbs.

Landmarks and attractions

Branford has six historic districts that are listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). These include buildings in Federal, Arts and Crafts, and Queen Anne styles of architecture. Five NRHP-listed districts are Branford Center Historic District, Branford Point Historic District, Canoe Brook Historic District, Route 146 Historic District, and Stony Creek-Thimble Islands Historic District.

More than 20 historic homes and other properties are separately listed on the National Register. In total, 30 properties or districts in Branford appear in New Haven County's NRHP listings. One example is Harrison House and Museum, a 1724 structure, which has period furnishings, local historical items, archives, a barn and an herb garden.

Cruises of the Thimble Islands depart from the Stony Creek dock, and seal-watch cruises take place in March.

Branford's recreational facilities include several town-maintained parks and beaches owned by private foundations, hiking trails along Lake Saltonstall and a stretch of the Shoreline Greenway Trail, and 20 mi of coastline with more than 12 marinas.

Branford is home to two breweries named after local landmarks, Thimble Island Brewing Company and Stony Creek Brewery.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 28,683 people, 12,543 households, and 7,663 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,305.2 PD/sqmi. There were 13,342 housing units at an average density of 607.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 94.05% white, 1.35% African American, 0.10% Native American, 2.72% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.53% from other races, and 1.20% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.57% of the population.

There were 12,543 households, out of which 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.9% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.9% were non-families. 32.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 20.7% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $58,009, and the median income for a family was $69,510. Males had a median income of $46,927 versus $35,947 for females. The per capita income for the town was $32,301. About 3.3% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.9% of those under the age of 18 and 4.0% of those 65 and older.

Branford Center
Branford Center is home to many small stores, restaurants, and coffee houses, which line Main Street, with the Green at the center. The Branford Green has churches as well as the town hall and other government facilities and hosts concerts and other events, such as the annual Branford Festival. Traditionally, the graduating class from Branford High School graduates in front of the Town Hall, weather permitting.

Branford Hill
Branford Hill sits on the western end of town and centers on the heavily commercialized strip of U.S. Route 1. Fast-food and sit-down restaurants, auto dealers, grocery stores, and several strip malls are located there. The more southern section features less dense areas with woodlands and farm featuring trails that the Branford Land Trust preserves that connect the Shoreline Greenway trail from New Haven to Madison. The northern section also features a less dense area with woodlands that surround Lake Saltonstall which also feature trail systems maintained by the Regional Water Authority, as the Lake is a reservoir for Branford.

Branford Hill features many condominium and apartment complexes. The original site of Connecticut Hospice (now the Monastery of the Glorious Cross—a semi-cloistered community of Benedictine nuns) is located in this area, on Burban Drive. Also on Burban Drive is St. Elizabeth of Hungary Roman Catholic Church, which was originally located in Short Beach.

Indian Neck
Indian Neck is in the south-central section of Branford, dominated by a peninsula bordering Branford Harbor. Both Foote Park and John B. Sliney Memorial Park are located within Indian Neck.

Back in the early to mid 20th century Indian Neck was a tourist destination. Trolley service came down to Sybil and Limewood avenues, which had its own commercial area. These included Harry's General Store, Bud's Bait Box, and on Limewood Ave the Waverly Inn, Madelyn's Restaurant, Surfside Restaurant, a news, comics, candy, variety store named Lounsberry's, and Dairy Joy Ice Cream. Much of the area contained second homes, so the beach was an active place. As the area became more year-round the commercial business slowly shut down. The Montasco Inn, owned/operated for many years by the Poirot's was torn down in the 1960's. The landmark Waverly Inn burned to the ground in the early 1970s truly marking the end of an era.

Indian Neck – Pine Orchard Volunteer Fire Company 9 is located here.

In February 2015, Stony Creek Brewery, named after the Stony Creek area of Branford, opened its doors here.

Pine Orchard
Pine Orchard is situated between Indian Neck and Stony Creek. The Pine Orchard Yacht and Country Club (P.O.Y.C.C.), the Pine Brook School (formerly Wightwood School), a private institution, and Francis Walsh Intermediate School are found here. Notable residents include Dr. Nicholas Perricone and Edward M. Kennedy Jr.

Stony Creek

Stony Creek is a shore front neighborhood in the southeastern section of Branford, centered on a harbor on Long Island Sound. An eclectic community, Stony Creek has the ambiance of a small seaside village with a blend of various architectural style buildings and a few small retail establishments, sandwich shops, galleries, and an antique shop.

Just offshore from Stony Creek is an intriguing archipelago of islands known as the Thimble Islands. The Thimbles are a jumble of glacial rocks, ranging from 17 acre down to stepping-stone size, at the mouth of the harbor. Despite their small size, they possess a wealth of history and local lore, as well as providing pleasant scenery for a summer cruise.

Stony Creek is home to the all-male Stony Creek Fife & Drum Corps, and the only all-female fife and drum corps, Totoket Ancient Fife & Drum Corps. A large quarry is still working and supplied the distinctive pink/orange Stony Creek granite for the Brooklyn Bridge (Although this contradicts linked page "The granite blocks were quarried and shaped on Vinalhaven Island, Maine, under a contract with the Bodwell Granite Company, and delivered from Maine to New York by schooner. ), the base of the Statue of Liberty, and the newest House Office Building in Washington, D.C. Granite from Stony Creek was chosen to be used in New York City's Statue of Liberty museum, which opened in May 2019.

Stony Creek Fire and Rescue Company 5 is located here.

Short Beach
Short Beach is a beach neighborhood in the western end of town, south of Branford Hills. It is home to many small private islands, the largest being Kelsey Island, which has a handful of small cabins used as summer homes. There is no public access (except for public tidal zones) to Kelsey Island and trespassing is not allowed. Short Beach is home to half of the famous Shore Line Trolley Museum, which is also in neighboring East Haven. Also in Short Beach are the Yale Corinthian Yacht Club (YCYC), Short Beach Union Church and three parks, the largest being Pardee Park. Short Beach's population is about 1,500 and features a three-day festival at the end of summer called Short Beach Days. Short Beach is known for the population of monk parakeets that live there (referred to as the "Short Beach Parrots"), a non-native bird.

Short Beach Hose, Hook and Ladder Company 4, founded in 1911, is located here.

Hotchkiss Grove
Hotchkiss Grove of Branford is located between Indian Neck and Pine Orchard and consists of First through Ninth avenues, as well as parts of Hotchkiss Grove Road, Seaview Avenue, and Dudley Avenue. It has a small beach used for swimming and mooring boats and features a raft to swim out to. Bay Point Park (The Point) is a grassy peninsula going out into the water where there used to be a small pier. Occasionally residents of Hotchkiss Grove can rent the Point to host parties. Every first Saturday of August, Hotchkiss Grove Day is held, with the day starting with a costume parade, games, and prizes. In the afternoon there are beach games in which kids compete with one another on the beach, a clam bar, and live music. Dinner, a raffle, auction, and dancing close out the evening. Historically Hotchkiss Grove was a summer community with beach cottages and dirt roads; over the past two decades most of the cottages have been converted into permanent, year round residences.

Other communities
Other minor communities and geographic features in the town are Branford Point, Brocketts Point, Brushy Plain, Cherry Hill, Clam Island, Double Beach, Goodsell Point, Granite Bay, Haycock Point, High Island, Jepson Island, Johnson's Point, Kidd's Island, Killam's Point, Lanphier Cove, Little Pumpkin, Money Island, Pawson Park, Potato Island, Rockland Park, Sagamore Cove, Scotch Cap, Sumac Island, Summer Island, Sunset Beach, Thimble Islands, Todd's Hill, Vedder's Point, and Wheeler Island.

Industry
Now that Malleable Iron Fittings has been largely demolished and the site turned into housing, Branford is known for high-technology and pharmaceutical companies such as 454 Life Sciences and Durata Therapeutics, a pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of differentiated therapeutic solutions for physicians and providers to advance patient care in infectious disease and acute illnesses. Also with offices and manufacturing space in Branford is American Polyfilm, Inc., which specializes in the manufacture of polyurethane film for a number of industries including industrial and high performance fabrics and medical products to name a few. Wilson Arms is in Branford, a company that produces small-caliber rifles and parts. Branford is currently home to three privately owned beer breweries: Stony Creek Brewery, Thimble Island Brewing Co, and Duvig Brewing Company. Within the town are also two large glazing and window construction companies, Massey's Plate Glass & Aluminum and Cherry Hill Glass. Branford is also home to Autac, Inc. which has been manufacturing high quality coiled cords since 1947.

Education
Schools in Branford:
 * Branford High School
 * Francis Walsh Intermediate School
 * John B. Sliney School
 * Linda Chipkin School
 * Mary R. Tisko School
 * Mary T. Murphy School
 * East Shoreline Catholic Academy

Transportation
The main artery through the town is Interstate 95, running along the eastern coast of the United States. The town has a station on the Shore Line East commuter rail line from New London to New Haven.

The Branford Steam Railroad carries quarried trap rock from North Branford to barges at Juniper Point near Stony Creek. Tweed New Haven Regional Airport is located 3 mi west of Branford.

Major roads

 * West Main Street/North Main Street/East Main Street (U.S. Route 1) – parallels I-95. Main Street passes through the town center.
 * Connecticut Route 142 (Short Beach Road/Shore Drive) serves the community of Short Beach in the southwestern part of the town.
 * Connecticut Route 146 is a scenic route that passes through various coastal communities in the southeastern part of the town and into Guilford. The route runs closely parallel to the Amtrak/Shore Line East railroad tracks.
 * Cedar Street/Brushy Plain Road runs from Main Street into North Branford. The section north of Route 1 is an unsigned state road (SR 740). A large number of condominium complexes are located on SR 740 or one of its side roads. Mary T. Murphy Elementary School, Veterans Memorial Park and Lidyhites Pond are also located on the section known as Brushy Plain Road. The road takes a winding route over a hill popularly known as "Snake Hill", site of numerous traffic accidents, as it heads north into North Branford.

Culture
One of the largest events in Branford every year is the Branford Festival on Father's Day weekend, which features food, crafts, children's rides, music and a 5 mi road race.

A book sale is held annually each autumn on the Branford Green to raise money for the town library.

Notable people

 * Jacob M. Appel, novelist and bioethicist
 * Bob Barthelson, major league baseball player
 * King Donovan (1918–1987), actor
 * Skylar Dunn, American actress
 * Bob DuPuy, president and chief operating officer of Major League Baseball (MLB)
 * Selma Engel-Wijnberg (1922–2018), Holocaust survivor
 * Todd English, celebrity chef
 * Ron Glick, soccer player
 * Levi Jackson, first African American captain of an Ivy League Football team during time at Yale
 * Edward Kennedy Jr. (Ted), State Senator, son of United States Senator Ted Kennedy
 * Henry Lee, forensic scientist
 * Herman Lubinsky, owner of Savoy Records
 * Henry Ludington, father of American Revolutionary War figure Sybil Ludington
 * Beauty McGowan, MLB baseball player
 * Norodom Yuvaneath, first born son of Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia
 * Mike Olt, MLB baseball player
 * Henry Bradley Plant, railroad magnate
 * Ollie Sax, MLB baseball player
 * Joseph Stamler (1911–1988), New Jersey Superior Court judge and professor at Rutgers University
 * Thomas Steitz, 2009 Nobel laureate in chemistry
 * Beverly Willis (1928–2023), pioneering American architect and designer of the San Francisco Ballet Building

Sister City

 * Brentford, England

Government

 * Town of Branford official web site
 * Town of Branford Police Department
 * Town of Branford Fire Department

Other

 * Branford Chamber of Commerce
 * Branford Historical Society
 * Connecticut Hospice, first hospice in the United States
 * Branford Festival
 * James Blackstone Memorial Library
 * Stony Creek Museum

title: Branford, Connecticut


text:
Cheshire, Connecticut

Cheshire, formerly known as New Cheshire Parish, is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. At the time of the 2020 census, the population of Cheshire was 28,733. The town is part of the Naugatuck Valley Planning Region. The center of population of Connecticut is located in Cheshire.

History
Cheshire, Connecticut was first settled in 1694 as part of Wallingford, Connecticut. It was then known as New Cheshire Parish. After many attempts in securing their independence from Wallingford, New Cheshire Parish was granted secession and was later incorporated as a town in May 1780 as Cheshire. The name is a transfer from Cheshire, in England.

Prospect, Connecticut, was formerly part of Cheshire before 1829, and was then known as Columbia Parish.

Preparedness shelter
Cheshire has a Cold War-era fallout shelter constructed in 1966, located underneath the local AT&T tower.

Cheshire home invasion and trial
During a July 23, 2007 home invasion in Cheshire (see Cheshire, Connecticut, home invasion murders), a mother and her two daughters were murdered, leaving the father of the family as the sole survivor. The incident and subsequent trial were covered extensively within local and state media and became culturally significant in Connecticut, having "upended notions of suburban security, delayed the abolition of Connecticut’s death penalty, and became the subject of TV shows, documentaries and books."

Demographics
As of the census of 2020, there were 28,733 people, 10,169 households, and 7,562 families residing in the town. The population density was 860 PD/sqmi. There were 10,401 housing units at an average density of 291.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 81.07% White, 4.40% African American, 0.07% Native American, 6.24% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 2.70% from other races, and 5.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.33% of the population. The largest ethnic groups in the town are Italian Americans and Irish Americans.

There were 10,169 households, out of which 23.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.8% were married couples living together, 19.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.64% were non-families. 21.39% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 19.4% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 20 to 24, 20.1% from 25 to 44, 33.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 113.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.3 males.

In 2019, the median household income was $120,546 and the per capita income was $52,013. About 1.6% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.1% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.

The central area of the town is a census-designated place identified as Cheshire Village. As of the 2020 census, Cheshire Village had a population of 6,499.

Environment
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 86.4 km2, of which 85.6 km2 is land and 0.8 km2, or 0.89%, is water.

Cheshire is situated in the midst of several major cities of Connecticut. It lies 14 mi north of New Haven, 25 mi south of the capital Hartford, 30 mi northeast of Bridgeport, and Waterbury is adjacent to Cheshire. Cheshire shares borders with Southington on the north and northeast, Meriden on the northeast, Wallingford on the east, Hamden on the south, Bethany for a short distance on the southwest, Prospect on the west, Waterbury on the northwest, and Wolcott on the northwest

Politics
Cheshire's voters have split tickets frequently in recent statewide elections. In 2004, President Bush won a narrow plurality over John Kerry. Bush had lost the town in his 2000 bid. In 2006 Cheshire voters gave strong support to Republican Governor M. Jodi Rell, independent U.S. Senate candidate Joe Lieberman and local Democratic House candidate Chris Murphy, who defeated incumbent Nancy Johnson. In the 2008 presidential election, the town's voters supported Democrat Barack Obama with 8,177 votes over Republican John McCain with 6,839 votes. Voting tallies for the 2016 presidential election are as follows: Hillary Clinton (D) 7,572, Donald Trump (R) 7,105, Gary Johnson (L) 538, and Jill Stein (G) 189.

Cheshire voted for Republican majorities to its Board of Selectmen every election from 1915 to 1971, and then to its Town Council every year from 1973 to 2001, when voters elected a Democratic majority (6–3) for the first time. In 2003, a Republican majority (5–4) was elected. A Democratic majority (5–4) was elected in 2005, then reelected (5–4) in 2007. In the 2009 local elections, Cheshire voters ousted the Democratic majority on the Town Council and elected 8 Republicans and 1 Democrat, though due to local minority representation rules, only 7 Republicans were seated.

Museums and other points of interest
The Barker Character, Comic and Cartoon Museum, located in the northern section of Cheshire, holds a large collection of memorabilia, novelties and ephemera such as lunch boxes and Pez dispensers bearing the likenesses of characters from television, cartoons and comics.

National Register of Historic Places

 * Cheshire Historic District — Roughly bounded by Main Street, Highland Avenue, Wallingford Road, South Main, Cornwall, and Spring streets (added September 29, 1986)
 * Farmington Canal Lock (Lock 12) — 487 N. Brooksvale Road (added March 16, 1973)
 * First Congregational Church of Cheshire — 111 Church Drive (added March 16, 1973)
 * Marion Historic District (added December 21, 1988)

Parks and recreation
The Farmington Canal Heritage Trail, a popular non-motorized recreational trail, runs through Cheshire along its route between Suffield, Connecticut, to the north and New Haven, Connecticut, to the south.

The Hitchcock-Phillips House, a historic home, is located in town.

Roaring Brook Falls along the Quinnipiac Trail in the southwest corner of town is Connecticut's tallest single drop waterfall, and is owned by the Cheshire Land Trust.

Community parks and recreational facilities in town include:

 * Cheshire Park, a 75-acre park geared towards active recreation
 * Bartlem Recreational Area, a park with a playscape, skate park and picnic area.
 * Mixville Recreation Area, offering winter sledding, swimming, and fishing at Mixville Pond
 * Cheshire Community Pool, a swimming facility which was renovated in 2016 to offer a year-round, indoor pool.

Education
Cheshire, a part of Cheshire Public Schools, is home to one public high school, Cheshire High School, and one public middle school, Dodd Middle School. There are four public elementary schools: Chapman, Doolittle, Highland, and Norton Elementary.

There are also several private and alternative schools in the town, including Cheshire Academy (originally the Episcopal Academy of Connecticut), which was founded in Cheshire in 1794 and currently educates students in the Upper School (grades 9–12/Post-Graduate Year). St. Bridgets is a Catholic school in Cheshire for grades preschool to 8th grade. Humiston is an alternative high school in Cheshire.

The Legion of Christ, a Roman Catholic congregation, runs their novitiate and college of humanities on a 200 acre complex on Oak Avenue. About 100 seminarians undergo two to four years of training for the priesthood there, including religious formation and classical humanities.

Transportation
Transportation within Cheshire is largely by car. Interstate 691 skirts the northern edge of the town. Interstate 84 passes through the northwest part of the town. The main north–south artery is Connecticut Route 10, a difficult passage that is busy, sometimes congested, and includes many stoplights. There are two east–west routes: Route 42 and Route 68/Route 70. Route 10 is by far the busiest road in Cheshire, with the worst Route 10 traffic occurring between Routes 68/70 and Route 42 every weekday during the morning commute, evening commute, and after the high school gets out at 2 pm. West Main Street and Main Street, Route 68/70 between Route 10 and Waterbury Road, is the next busiest road in town. The intersection of Route 10 and Route 68/70 is the busiest intersection in town. The second busiest intersection is the Cheshire High School and Route 10 intersection right before school starts and right after school ends.

The 229 line of Connecticut Transit New Haven which runs from Waterbury to New Haven travels through Cheshire on Routes 70 and 10. A commuter express bus also runs from the commuter lot near Interstate 84 to Hartford.

Prison system
Cheshire is home to two large state prison facilities located in the northern section of town. The larger of these facilities is the Cheshire Correctional Institution, which opened in 1913. In 1982, the Manson Youth Institution opened adjacent to the CCI. These prisons explain the city's skewed male/female ratios. The larger of these prisons is located across the street from Chapman Elementary School, separated by Route 10.

Notable people

 * Amos Bronson Alcott (1799–1888), schoolmaster
 * Brad Ausmus, professional baseball player and MLB manager
 * Harvey C. Barnum, Jr., Medal of Honor recipient
 * Henry Washington Benham (1813–1884), Union army general
 * Chris Berman, ESPN sportscaster
 * Jay Bontatibus, actor
 * Albert E. Burke (1919–1999), professor and pioneer of educational television
 * Sabrina Cass, Olympic skier
 * John Chamberlain (1903–1995), journalist
 * Michael Chasen, co-founder and CEO of ClassEDU and co-founder of Blackboard Inc.
 * Sean Clements, podcaster, producer. Famous for "Santaman" character
 * Martha Coolidge, film director
 * Amos Doolittle (1754–1832), engraver of Battle of Concord scenes
 * Eliakim Doolittle (1772–1850), composer
 * George Henry Durrie, painter
 * Elizabeth Esty, U.S. Congresswoman
 * Samuel A. Foot (1780–1846), 28th Governor of Connecticut, United States Representative and United States Senator
 * Seabury Ford (1801–1855), 20th Governor of Ohio
 * Matt Generous, ice hockey defenseman
 * James J. Greco, businessman, lived in town from 1992 to 2011
 * Sunil Gulati, President of the United States Soccer Federation
 * Peter Hitchcock (1781–1854), judge
 * John Holmstrom, cartoonist, writer
 * Alan Hoskins, CEO of Energizer
 * Adam Kaloustian, television producer
 * John Frederick Kensett (1816–1872), painter
 * Brian Leetch, ice hockey defenseman and Hockey Hall of Fame inductee
 * Rollin Carolas Mallary, U.S. Representative from Vermont
 * Legs McNeil, journalist, rock music historian
 * J. P. Morgan, businessman
 * Chris Murphy, U.S. Senator
 * Anjul Nigam, actor
 * Marc Tyler Nobleman, author
 * Ron Palillo, actor
 * Paul Pasqualoni, athletic coach
 * Molly Qerim, television show host
 * Lonnie Quinn, meteorologist
 * Ramamurti Shankar physicist
 * Edward Tufte, professor
 * Justin Tussing, novelist
 * Vijay Vaitheeswaran, journalist
 * James Van Der Beek, actor

title: Cheshire, Connecticut


text:
Guilford, Connecticut

Guilford is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, that borders Madison, Branford, North Branford and Durham, and is situated on I-95 and the Connecticut coast. The town is part of the South Central Connecticut Planning Region. The population was 22,073 at the 2020 census.

History

Guilford was named after the town of Guildford, in England, the native home of a share of its first settlers. In early maps of the Connecticut Colony, the town is seen on several maps as Gilford.

First settled by Europeans in 1639 after a treaty with the “Sachem Squaw” Shaumpishuh. Guilford is considered by some to have the third largest collection of historic homes in New England, with important buildings from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. There are five historic house museums, including Dudley Farm and the Henry Whitfield House (1639), the oldest dwelling house in Connecticut and the oldest stone house built by English settlers in North America. The Comfort Starr House (1695) is one of the oldest wooden framed private dwellings in Connecticut, and one of the few houses remaining of the original signers who settled Guilford.

In June 1781, during the American Revolution, a skirmish was fought on Leete's Island between the Associated Loyalists and local militia under Captain Peter Vail.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 49.7 sqmi, of which 47.0 sqmi is land and 2.7 square miles (6.9 km2 or 5.39%) is water.

The primary settlement in Guilford, known as Guilford Center, is located in the southern part of town around the intersection of U.S. Route 1 and Connecticut Route 77. It is served by three exits of Interstate 95, which passes just north of the town center. The Guilford Center census-designated place had a population of 2,597 at the 2010 census.

The northwest side of Guilford is flanked by the Metacomet Ridge, a mountainous trap rock ridgeline that stretches from Long Island Sound to nearly the Vermont border. Important features of the Metacomet ridge in Guilford include Totoket Mountain; its most notable peak, Bluff Head; and two eastern high points on the Totoket Mountain ridge named East Sugarloaf and West Sugarloaf. The 50 mi Mattabesett Trail traverses Bluff Head; a shorter network of trails criss-cross the Sugarloaves. Guilford also contains the Westwoods Trail System which covers 39 mi of trails on 1200 acre of land.

Transportation
The Shore Line East train stops at Guilford station with service to Branford, East Haven, New Haven and New London, and the Connecticut Transit S bus travels between Guilford and New Haven several times each day.

Principal communities

 * Guilford Center (Guilford's Green)
 * Leetes Island
 * North Guilford
 * Nut Plains
 * Shell beach
 * Sachems Head (named after a Pequot chief who was killed there and his severed head placed in the crotch of a tree on the knoll. )

Other minor communities and geographic features in Guilford are Guilford Lakes, Indian Cove, and Old Quarry.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 21,398 people, 8,151 households, and 6,039 families residing in the town. The population density was 454.8 PD/sqmi. There were 8,724 housing units at an average density of 185.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 96.04% White, 0.93% African American, 0.05% Native American, 1.65% Asian, 0.41% from other races, and 0.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.13% of the population.

There were 8,151 households, out of which 35.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.4% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.9% were non-families. Of all households 21.6% were made up of individuals, and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.4% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 31.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $76,843, and the median income for a family was $87,045 (these figures had risen to $90,026 and $104,852 respectively as of a 2007 estimate ). Males had a median income of $60,623 versus $40,307 for females. The per capita income for the town was $37,161. About 2.3% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.

In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 61.02% of the town vote, against 38.06% for Republican John McCain. In 2016, Democrat Hillary Clinton carried the town with 59.2% over Republican Donald Trump with 37.1%.

Economy
American Cruise Lines has its headquarters in Guilford. There are many small businesses throughout the town, including the shops on the Guilford Green.

List of town parks
The town government operates these parks:

 * Bittner Park: 123 acre of woodlands and 15 acre of playground, a lighted softball field (Cash Mitchell Field), baseball and soccer fields, jogging/walking path; trout trail; roller sports complex with a skate park, roller hockey and roller blading. Ice skating available in winter.
 * Chaffinch Island: Picnic areas, short walking trails, salt marsh.
 * Chittenden Park: Softball and soccer fields, bocce courts, picnicking, unsupervised beach area
 * Jacobs Beach: Public swimming (salt water), playground, volleyball courts, picnicking; nonresidents may use the beach, but are charged a daily fee at the gate.
 * Lake Quonnipaug: Public swimming, picnic area, small craft launch.
 * Long Hill: 8 acre park with playing fields for baseball, football, soccer/lacrosse and field hockey
 * Mill Pond: Lighted, supervised ice skating in winter; fishing
 * Nut Plains: Lacrosse/soccer field
 * Town Green: available for special events

Notable locations
Guilford, Connecticut is noted for its rolling farmland, its avoidance of the density and sprawl that has occurred from land use regulations of its neighboring communities, and its numerous historic homes and sites.
 * Bishop's Orchards
 * Guilford Green
 * Rothberg Institute For Childhood Diseases
 * Westwoods Trails: conservation area managed by the Guilford Land Conservation Trust

National Historic Places and other historic sites
Historic sites in or near Guilford, which may be listed on the National Register of Historic Places, include:

 * Acadian House
 * Thomas Burgis II House
 * Benton-Beecher House, a.k.a. Beecher Stowe House, visited by Harriet Beecher Stowe as a child
 * Comfort Starr House
 * Dudleytown Historic District
 * Jared Eliot House
 * Falkner Island Lighthouse
 * Thomas Griswold House
 * Guilford Historic Town Center
 * Hyland-Wildman House
 * Medad Stone Tavern
 * Pelatiah Leete House
 * Meeting House Hill Historic District
 * Elisha Pitkin House
 * Route 146 Historic District
 * Sabbathday House
 * Henry Whitfield House

Notable people

 * Jeffrey Ambroziak, cartographer, inventor, and attorney
 * Jamie Arentzen (born 1970), American guitarist, musician; member of various rock bands including Sky Heroes, American Hi-Fi, Dream Club
 * Humbert Allen Astredo (1929–2016), American stage, film, and television actor best known for the numerous roles he performed on the daytime Gothic horror soap opera Dark Shadows, most notably that of the warlock Nicholas Blair
 * Abraham Baldwin (1754–1807), minister, patriot, politician, and founding father
 * Thom Brooks, political and legal philosopher
 * Benjamin Chan, American scientist at Yale University
 * Mickey Curry, Drummer for Bryan Adams
 * Robert Elliott De Forest (1845–1924), Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, mayor of Bridgeport, Connecticut, member of the Connecticut Senate and Connecticut House of Representatives, born in Guilford
 * David DeMille, physicist and Professor of Physics at University of Chicago.
 * Ronald Duman (1954–2020), neuroscientist died in Guilford
 * Joe Flood, musician and songwriter
 * Nick Fradiani (born 1985), American Idol season 14 winner, born in Guilford
 * Moses Gunn (1929–1993), American actor, resided in Guilford since the 1970s
 * Fitz-Greene Halleck (1790–1867), American poet and author
 * Samuel Johnson (1696-1772), American colonial intellectual and educator; first president of King's College (now Columbia University)
 * Samuel Johnson Jun'r (1757–1836), schoolmaster and teacher of Fitz-Greene Halleck; as the compiler of A School Dictionary (1798), the first American lexicographer
 * Edward Ruggles Landon, Connecticut politician
 * William Leete (c. 1612–1683), Governor of the Colony of Connecticut, 1676 to 1683
 * Leonard C. Lewin (1916–1999), author of The Report from Iron Mountain
 * Timothy Mellon, heir
 * Frank Modell (1917–2016), cartoonist, died in Guilford
 * Becki Newton, actress in Ugly Betty and How I Met Your Mother, grew up in Guilford and is a Guilford High School Alumna
 * Aldo Parisot (1918–2018), Brazilian-born American cellist and cello teacher
 * David Allen Sibley, ornithologist, author, and illustrator
 * Lavinia Stoddard (1787–1820), poet, school founder
 * Jennifer Westfeldt, actress and screenwriter known for Kissing Jessica Stein, born in Guilford
 * Carl Zimmer, science writer

title: Guilford, Connecticut


text:
Hamden, Connecticut

Hamden is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The town's nickname is "The Land of the Sleeping Giant". The town is part of the South Central Connecticut Planning Region. The population was 61,169 at the 2020 census.

History
The peaceful tribe of Quinnipiacs were the first residents of the land that is now Hamden, they had great regard awe and veneration for the Blue Hills Sleeping Giant Mountain. Hamden was purchased by William Christopher Reilly and the Reverend John Davenport in 1638 from the local Quinnipiac Native American tribe. It was settled by Puritans as part of the town of New Haven. It remained a part of New Haven until 1786 when 1,400 local residents incorporated the area as a separate town, naming it after the English statesman John Hampden.

Largely developed as a nodal collection of village-like settlements (which remain distinct today), including Mount Carmel (home to Quinnipiac University), Whitneyville, Spring Glen, West Woods, and Highwood, Hamden has a long-standing industrial history. In 1798, four years after Eli Whitney began manufacturing the cotton gin in New Haven, he made arms for the U.S. government at a mill site in Hamden, where a waterfall provided a good source of power. At that site, Whitney introduced the modern era of mass production with the concept of interchangeable parts.

The major thoroughfare through Hamden is named Whitney Avenue in honor of Eli Whitney, and it runs past Whitney's old factory, now the Eli Whitney Museum.

Whitney constructed stone houses for his employees in the nearby area, which is still referred to as Whitneyville; this is believed to be the first example of employer-provided homes in U.S. history. In 1806, the dam that Eli Whitney built at the mill site was enlarged to create a reservoir, Lake Whitney. The first truss bridge in the United States was erected nearby over the Mill River in Whitneyville in 1823, but has since been replaced.

The Farmington Canal, which ships traveled from New Haven northward, passed through Hamden between 1825 and 1848 until it was supplanted by railroad travel. The canal right-of-way has become, in recent years, a popular walking and bicycling trail, passing by some of the well-preserved locks of the canal, as well as some of Hamden's oldest sites. Before its use as a walking and bicycling trail, many local residents rode their motocross bikes on the Farmington Canal.

During the 19th and early 20th centuries, Hamden received a steady influx of immigrants, most notably from Italy and Ireland. To this day, a large part of Greater New Haven's Italian-American community resides in Hamden.

During the post-war period, Hamden underwent significant suburban development. Much of the southern section of town is urbanized and is difficult to distinguish from neighboring New Haven. The northern section of town, however, retains a more rural character, and has the distinct neighborhood of Mount Carmel. This area of town is the location of the unique Sleeping Giant hill formation that is the source of the town's nickname.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 33.3 sqmi, of which 32.8 sqmi is land and 0.5 sqmi, or 1.62%, is water. The town features the Mill River, which runs from the northern part of town, is dammed to form Lake Whitney, and flows from there to Long Island Sound. The town also has the Quinnipiac River and Lake Wintergreen, as well as numerous small streams.

Neighborhoods
Source:

 * Augerville
 * Beecher Heights
 * Centerville (Town Center)
 * Dunbar Hill
 * Hamden Plains
 * Highwood
 * Mix District
 * Mount Carmel
 * Pine Rock
 * Spring Glen
 * State Street (East Side)
 * West Woods
 * Whitneyville

Notable areas

The Town Hall at the center of Hamden has a distinctive appearance. The rotunda includes commemorative stained glass windows. Across the street is Freedom Park, which contains a fountain with concrete stepping stones leading to a sign that pleads for peace in several different languages. The Town recently completed new facilities for the police and fire departments in the newly renovated Town Hall.

Hamden was host to the Ghost Parking Lot, a notable roadside public art installation located in front of the Hamden Plaza shopping center in Hamden's commercial district on Dixwell Avenue. Erected in 1978, it consisted of 15 car hulks, specially treated and encased in asphalt. Although featured in over 100 art books, the attraction was torn down in 2003 due to the excessive cost of restoration and repair.

Adjacent municipalities
Hamden is bordered by six other towns:
 * To its north, Cheshire and Wallingford
 * To its east, North Haven
 * To its south, New Haven
 * To its west, Woodbridge and Bethany

Government
Hamden is governed by a mayor-council form of government, with a 15-member legislative council. Six councilors are elected at large while the other nine are elected by district. Town elections are held biennially during odd years in November. Other elected positions in the town government are the Town Clerk and members of the Board of Education. Positions in the various town boards and commissions are generally appointed by the Mayor subject to approval by the Legislative Council.

Lauren Garrett became the town's 14th mayor in November 2021. Past mayors of Hamden are:
 * Curt Balzano Leng, 2015–2021
 * Scott Jackson, 2009–2015
 * Craig Henrici, 2005–2009
 * Carl Amento, 1999–2005
 * Barbara DeNicola, 1997–1999
 * Lillian Clayman, 1991–1997
 * Johnny Carusone, 1987–1991
 * John DeNicola Jr., 1985–1987
 * Peter Villano, 1981–1985
 * Dick Harris, 1979–1981
 * Lucien DiMeo, 1973–1979
 * Bill Adams, 1967–1973
 * John DeNicola Sr., 1965–1967

John DeNicola Sr. was the town's last first selectman before becoming the town’s first mayor, in November 1965.

Top employers
Top employers in Hamden according to the town's 2022 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report

The main industries in the town are retail trade, computer products, manufacture of wire and cable, concrete, pump mixer products, fabricated metals, construction and business services. Business services account for 49.4% of employment in the town, with retail trade accounting for 22.8%, and manufacturing accounting for 9.6%. The top four major employers are the Town government and school district, Quinnipiac University, Harborside Health Care, and Area Cooperative Education Services (ACES).

Shaw's Supermarket was one of the top five major employers, but the Hamden Shaw's was sold to ShopRite in a sale of Shaw's Connecticut stores announced on February 13, 2010. The Shaw's supermarket has been shut down and the new ShopRite store has opened.

Hamden is a residential suburb for New Haven, with more residents commuting to work in New Haven than residents working in Hamden.

Transportation
The Wilbur Cross Parkway runs through the center of the town serving as a connection to Hartford to the north and the New York metropolitan area to the south. The town is connected to Interstate 91 via Connecticut Route 40, a spur expressway to the Mount Carmel section of town. The main route from the town center to New Haven passing through the commercial areas of Hamden is Dixwell Avenue (Route 10). Another route to New Haven via the Spring Glen and Whitneyville residential neighborhoods is Whitney Avenue.

Public transportation is provided by Connecticut Transit New Haven. The main bus routes in the town are the Dixwell Avenue (238, formerly D) and the Whitney Avenue (228/229, formerly J) routes. Other secondary routes serving the town are the State Street (224, formerly M), Winchester Avenue (234, formerly O), and Shelton Avenue (237, formerly G) bus routes.

North Haven Station, a station on the Hartford Line commuter railroad, is planned be built next to the Hamden–North Haven border near the Route 40 Connector, serving both towns.

Tweed New Haven Airport (HVN) in East Haven and Bradley International Airport (BDL) in Windsor Locks are the closest commercial airports to Hamden.

Public
The public school district for the town, Hamden Public Schools, operates eight elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school, enrolling a total of about 5,398 students.

Elementary schools

 * Alice Peck Early Learning Center (Pre-K, with an enrollment of about 153 students), located on Hillfield Road
 * Bear Path Elementary School (K–6, with an enrollment of about 446 students), located on Kirk Road
 * Church Street Elementary School (K–6, with an enrollment of about 320 students), located on Church Street
 * Dunbar Hill Elementary School (K–6, with an enrollment of about 279 students), located on Lane Street
 * Helen Street Elementary School (K–6, with an enrollment of about 334 students), located on Helen Street
 * Ridge Hill Elementary School (K–6, with an enrollment of about 343 students), located on Carew Road
 * Shepherd Glen Elementary School (K–6, with an enrollment of about 308 students), located on Skiff Street Extension, established in 1972
 * Spring Glen Elementary School (K–6, with an enrollment of about 440 students), located on Whitney Avenue
 * West Woods Elementary School (K–6, with an enrollment of about 350 students), located on West Todd Street

Middle school

 * Hamden Middle School (grades 7 and 8, with an enrollment of about 890 students)

High school

 * Hamden High School (grades 9–12, with an enrollment of about 1,700 students)

Magnet schools
In addition to the town's public schools, Hamden is the site of two magnet schools, Wintergreen Magnet School (Kindergarten through grade 8) and Highville Mustard Seed Charter School (high school).

Technical high school
Eli Whitney Technical High School is located in Hamden.

Private
Hamden is home to several private and religious schools, including:
 * Hamden Hall Country Day School (grades Pre-K to 12th)
 * Laurel Oaks Adventist School (grades Pre-K to 8th)
 * Lorraine D. Foster Day School
 * Sacred Heart Academy (grades 9–12)
 * SKF Academy
 * St. Rita School (Roman Catholic, grades Pre-K to 8)
 * St. Stephen School (Roman Catholic, grades Pre-K to 8, closed in 2017)
 * West Woods Christian Academy (evangelical Christian, grades K–12)

Colleges and universities
Small portions of the campuses of Southern Connecticut State University and Albertus Magnus College in New Haven extend just over the city line into southernmost Hamden, as do a few outlying buildings of Yale University.
 * Quinnipiac University, which has an enrollment of about 9,000 students, has its Mount Carmel and York Hill campuses in Hamden, with a third campus in North Haven.
 * Mount Sacred Heart College, a Catholic women's college associated with Sacred Heart Academy, closed in 1997.
 * Paier College of Art, formerly in Hamden, moved to Bridgeport and changed its name to Paier College in 2021.

19th-century schools

 * The Rectory school, a boys boarding school, was established in 1843 by Reverend Charles W. Everest, the rector of the Grace Church. It was located in Centerville and at its height had 65 students. It closed in 1895.

Quality of life
Within the town limits, there are 16 banks, six lodging facilities, and 29 day care facilities. There are no hospitals in the town, although it is close to the major hospitals in New Haven. In 2004, the crime rate was 2,084 per 100,000 residents, lower than the statewide average of 2,981 per 100,000 residents. The town library has 166,358 volumes (as of 2001).

Electricity in the town is provided by the United Illuminating company; natural gas is provided by the Southern Connecticut Gas company; the water provider is the South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority; Cable TV is provided by Comcast of New Haven.

There are several parks and museums located in Hamden. Hamden Town Center Park hosts fireworks, free concerts, outdoor movies, and other seasonal festivals. Other parks include the Eli Whitney Museum in Whitneyville, Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum, parts of West Rock Ridge State Park (including Lake Wintergreen) and East Rock Park (including the Pardee Rose Garden), Brooksvale Park and the adjoining Mount Sanford block of Naugatuck State Forest, and the Sleeping Giant State Park. The Farmington Canal Trail runs through the town. Two blue-blazed hiking trails, the Quinnipiac Trail and the Regicides Trail, also run through the town.

The Jonathan Dickerman House, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is located in Mount Carmel. Hamden also has an all-volunteer orchestra, the Hamden Symphony Orchestra, providing concerts throughout the year.

Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 60,690 people, 23,727 households, and 14,300 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,867.3 PD/sqmi. There were 25,114 housing units at an average density of 769.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 68.45% White, 20.19% African American, 0.15% Native American, 5.47% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 3.00% from other races, and 2.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.74% of the population.

There were 23,727 households, out of which 25.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.4% were married couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.4% under the age of 20, 10.6% from 20 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $66,695, and the median income for a family was $88,613. The per capita income for the town was $34,596. About 3.8% of families and 6.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

 * Sidney Altman (1939-2022), Nobel Laureate
 * Afa Anoa'i Jr., former WWE professional wrestler known as Manu
 * Jennifer Barnhart, puppeteer, born and grew up in town
 * Glenn Beck, conservative television personality, lived in Hamden from 1992 to 2000 where he co-hosted The Glenn and Pat Show, a morning radio program on KC101
 * Ernest Borgnine (1917–2012), actor, was born in town in 1917
 * Scott Burrell, two-sport athlete and longtime professional basketball player, grew up in town
 * Bruce Campbell, former NFL tackle, born in town
 * John Carpenter, the first winner of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
 * Joe Castiglione, former TV play-by-play man for the Cleveland Indians, now for the Boston Red Sox
 * Willis H. Downs, Medal of Honor recipient
 * Paul Fusco, the voice, creator, and puppeteer of ALF, grew up in town
 * James J. Greco, former CEO and President of Sbarro, grew up in town
 * Linda Greenhouse (born 1947), Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, grew up in town
 * Henry Gruber (1863–1932), baseball player, holds record for most walks allowed in a game at 16
 * Donald Hall, poet, named poet laureate of the United States in 2006, grew up in town
 * Jean Harris, killer and ex-lover of Dr. Herman Tarnower, the co-author of The Complete Scarsdale Medical Diet
 * Anttaj Hawthorne, former Oakland Raiders defensive tackle, grew up in town
 * Bob Heussler, voice of the Connecticut Sun and a WFAN broadcaster, has resided in Hamden since 1983
 * Jen Hudak, professional freeskier
 * Jake Hurwitz, comedian, writer and actor, member of the comedy duo Jake and Amir
 * Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, professional wrestler and actor, is an alumnus of Shepherd Glen Elementary School and Hamden Middle School
 * Stephen Malawista, medical researcher, co-discoverer of Lyme disease
 * Ingram Marshall, American composer
 * Robert McVey, hockey player, Gold Medalist at 1960 Olympics
 * Steven Novella, podcast host of The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe
 * Jaroslav Pelikan (1923–2006), leading scholar in the history of Christianity and medieval intellectual history, resided and died in town
 * Jonathan Quick, goaltender for the NHL's New York Rangers
 * Anthony Rossomando, of Dirty Pretty Things
 * Benjamin Scolnic, author, rabbi, long-time resident
 * Dana Terrace, writer, director, storyboard artist, and animator known for creating the Disney Channel animated series, The Owl House
 * Alan Trachtenberg, Yale faculty and Yale administrator
 * Phil Weinberg, Deputy Chancellor for Teaching and Learning, New York City Department of Education
 * Eli Whitney (1765–1825), inventor of the cotton gin
 * Thornton Wilder (1897–1975), the playwright, lived in town and is buried in Mount Carmel Cemetery
 * Avery Wilson, R&B singer, contestant on The Voice, born and raised in Hamden
 * Eddie Wilson (1909–1979), outfielder, born in Hamden
 * C. Vann Woodward (1908–1999), preeminent historian focusing on the South and race relations, was a resident of the town at the time of his death

title: Hamden, Connecticut


text:
Heritage Village, Connecticut

Heritage Village is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Southbury in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 3,736 at the 2010 census.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 2.3 sqmi, all land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,435 people, 2,261 households, and 976 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,500.8 PD/sqmi.There were 2,590 housing units at an average density of 1,131.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 99.01% White, 0.20% African American, 0.03% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.09% from other races, and 0.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.67% of the population.

There were 2,261 households, out of which 1.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.5% were married couples living together, 3.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 56.8% were non-families. 54.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 47.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.52 and the average family size was 2.15. Technically, no children under 18 years are allowed to live in Heritage Village for more than 6 months out of any 12 month period.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 2.7% under the age of 18, 0.7% from 18 to 24, 3.2% from 25 to 44, 14.7% from 45 to 64, and 78.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 75 years. For every 100 females, there were 58.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 57.4 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $38,525, and the median income for a family was $51,714. Males had a median income of $44,261 versus $31,250 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $30,876. About 1.8% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 2.9% of those age 65 or over.

title: Heritage Village, Connecticut


text:
Madison, Connecticut

Madison is a town in the southeastern corner of New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, occupying a central location on Connecticut's Long Island Sound shoreline. The town is part of the South Central Connecticut Planning Region. The population was 17,691 at the 2020 census.

History
Madison was first settled in 1641. Throughout the 18th century, Madison was known as East Guilford until it was incorporated as a town in 1826. The present name is after James Madison, 4th President of the United States.

From 1935 to 1942, Madison served as the site of Camp Hadley, one of 23 Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camps in Connecticut.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 36.8 square miles (95.3 km$2$), of which 36.2 square miles (93.8 km$2$) is land and 0.6 square miles (1.5 km$2$), or 1.6%, is water. Madison is bordered by the municipalities of Clinton and Killingworth to the east, Durham to the north, Guilford to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south.

Principal communities

 * East River
 * Hammonasset Point
 * Madison Center - a census-designated place, with a population of 2,290 at the 2010 census. It is the main area for businesses and the location of the library and Madison Green Historic District.
 * North Madison
 * Rockland

Demographics
As of the 2000 census, there were 17,858 people, 6,515 households, and 5,120 families residing in the town. The population density was 493.3 PD/sqmi. There were 7,386 housing units at an average density of 204.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 96.62% White, 0.40% African American, 0.06% Native American, 1.71% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.25% from other races, and 0.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.34% of the population.

There were 6,515 households, out of which 39.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.8% were married couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.4% were non-families. 18.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.12.

The town's population was distributed with 28.2% under the age of 18, 3.8% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 28.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $87,437, and the median income for a family was $101,297. Males had a median income of $73,525 versus $41,058 for females. The per capita income for the town was $40,537. About 0.9% of families and 1.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.5% of those under age 18 and 2.4% of those age 65 or over.

Library
The E.C. Scranton Memorial Library was built in 1901, and was designed by architect Henry Bacon. The library was expanded in 1989.

National Register of Historic Places listings

 * Allis-Bushnell House, added February 25, 1982
 * Deacon John Grave House, added June 28, 1982
 * Hammonasset Paper Mill Site, added February 23, 1996
 * Madison Green Historic District, added June 28, 1982
 * Meigs-Bishop House, added June 16, 1988
 * Jonathan Murray House, added April 12, 1982
 * Shelley House, added February 9, 1989
 * State Park Supply Yard, added September 4, 1986

Beaches
Hammonasset Beach State Park contains the state's longest public beach, with campsites, picnic areas, and a fishing pier. Beaches included Surf Club Beach, East Wharf, and West Wharf. The Madison Beach Club is located there.

Government
Madison was once overwhelmingly Republican in federal elections. In 1924, a strong year for the GOP, town voters gave 85.83% to Republican Calvin Coolidge. The town voted against Franklin Delano Roosevelt in each of his successful campaigns.

Even in 1964, a strong Democratic year, the town gave Barry Goldwater 1,605 votes against Lyndon Johnson with 1,470 votes.

However, Madison residents have delivered Democratic wins in recent years. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 55.78% of the vote in Madison, winning against Republican John McCain with 43.25%. This was the first time that the town had ever voted for a Democrat for president. In 2016, voters gave Democrat Hillary Clinton 54.5% of the vote, while Republican opponent Donald Trump won 41.3% In 2020, voters gave Democrat Joe Biden 53% of the vote, while Republican Donald Trump received only 37.3%.

Education
Madison Public Schools serve grades K–12 and include Ryerson Elementary School, Jeffery Elementary School, Brown Middle School, Polson Middle School, and Daniel Hand High School.

Private elementary schools in Madison include Our Lady of Mercy Preparatory Academy, The Country School, and Grove School.

Transportation
Major roads in Madison include I-95, US 1, and state highway Routes 79 and 80.

Madison train station is served by the Shore Line East commuter railroad, with service to New Haven's Union Station to the west and the Old Saybrook train station to the east, facilitating connections to the MTA's Metro-North Railroad and to Amtrak's Northeast Regional and Acela Express services.

9 Town Transit routes 641 and 645 provide public bus service between Madison Center and Old Saybrook and Middletown, respectively, along U.S. Route 1. From June 20, 2021, to September 6, 2021, 9 Town Transit also operated the Madison Shuttle, providing service between Madison Park and Ride and Hammonasset Beach. CT Transit's route 201 bus connects Madison Center to New Haven.

From 1931 to 2007, Madison was served by Griswold Airport.

Notable people

 * Jill Abramson, former executive editor of The New York Times
 * Brad Anderson (born 1964), film director
 * Jack Beebe (1925–2015), NASCAR team owner
 * Sally Benson, writer of Meet Me in St. Louis
 * Elizabeth Bentley, Soviet spy
 * Mac Bohonnon, Olympic skier
 * John Brent (1938–1985), comedian
 * Cornelius Bushnell, financier for the ironclad ship USS Monitor and a railroad pioneer and investor
 * Jim Calhoun (born 1942), head coach of 3-time NCAA champion Connecticut Huskies men's basketball team
 * Thomas Chittenden, founder of independent Vermont Republic and first Governor of the state of Vermont
 * Ranulf Compton (1878–1974), congressman
 * Duo Dickinson (born 1955), architect
 * Zachary Donohue, figure skater
 * Jack Driscoll (born 1997), NFL player for the Philadelphia Eagles
 * Frank Duryea, inventor and builder of first American gasoline-powered automobile
 * Peter Hastings Falk, expert on American art
 * David Dudley Field I (1781–1867), Congregational clergyman
 * John Gunther, author of Death Be Not Proud and Inside Europe
 * Arnold Jackson, Olympic track gold medalist and World War I brigadier general in British army
 * Edwin D. Kilbourne, developer of influenza vaccines
 * Charles Kullman, tenor with Metropolitan Opera
 * Will Levis (born 1999), NFL player for the Tennessee Titans
 * Kiley McKinnon (born 1995), world champion skier
 * Rob Moroso, NASCAR driver
 * Clio Newton, artist
 * John-Michael Parker, member of the Connecticut House of Representatives
 * Westbrook Pegler, journalist, anti-New Deal columnist
 * Jacques Pépin, celebrity chef
 * Joseph A. Scranton (1838–1908), congressman
 * Streeter Seidell, comedian, writer, actor, and TV host
 * Edgar Snow, journalist, author, and Cold War-era China expert
 * Karlheinz Stockhausen, German composer
 * Grover Whalen, politician and public relations professional known as "Mr. New York"
 * John Willard, U.S. Marshal for Vermont, husband of Emma Willard
 * Wheeler Williams (1897–1972), sculptor
 * Laurence Witten, antiquarian collector and dealer who sold the Vinland map—later found to be a forgery—to Yale University

Sister cities

 * 🇺🇸 Madison, New Jersey, United States

title: Madison, Connecticut


text:
Middlebury, Connecticut

Middlebury is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 7,574 at the 2020 census. The town is part of the Naugatuck Valley Planning Region. It is a suburb of the nearby city of Waterbury to its south, and is on the northern fringe of the New York metropolitan area.

History
Middlebury was incorporated as a town in 1807, and named from its central position relative to Waterbury, Woodbury, and Southbury.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 18.5 sqmi, of which 17.8 sqmi is land and 0.7 sqmi, or 3.79%, is water.

Towns that border Middlebury are Southbury, Woodbury, Watertown, Waterbury, Naugatuck and Oxford.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,451 people, 2,398 households, and 1,832 families living in the town. The population density was 363.4 PD/sqmi. There were 2,494 housing units at an average density of 140.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.12% White, 0.36% African American, 0.06% Native American, 1.30% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.26% from other races, and 0.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.22% of the population.

There were 2,398 households, out of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.3% were married couples living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.6% were non-families. 20.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.5% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 29.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $70,469, and the median income for a family was $81,370. Males had a median income of $51,925 versus $37,104 for females. The per capita income for the town was $33,056. About 2.3% of families and 2.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.8% of those under age 18 and 3.9% of those age 65 or over.

As of 2010, it is estimated that there are 7,575 (+17.4% from 2000) people in Middlebury. From 2000 to 2021, the estimated median income has risen to $108,653 (+54.2%). The estimated median home & condo value has risen to $321,100 (+94%).

Local media

 * Waterbury Republican-American – A Waterbury-based independent daily newspaper serving Barkhamsted, Beacon Falls, Bethlehem, Bridgewater, Burlington, Canaan, Cheshire, Colebrook, Cornwall, Falls Village, Goshen, Harwinton, Kent, Litchfield, Middlebury, Morris, Naugatuck, New Hartford, New Milford, Norfolk, Oxford, Plymouth, Prospect, Roxbury, Salisbury, Seymour, Sharon, Southbury, Southington, Thomaston, Torrington, Warren, Washington, Waterbury, Watertown, Wolcott, Woodbury, Winsted
 * Voices – A Southbury-based newspaper serving Southbury, Middlebury, Oxford, Seymour, Naugatuck, Woodbury, Bethlehem, New Preston, Washington, Washington Depot, Roxbury, Bridgewater, Monroe, Sandy Hook, and Newtown.
 * Middlebury Bee-Intelligencer – A Middlebury-based independent newspaper.

Notable people

 * William Hawkins Abbott (1819–1901), born in Middlebury, pioneering petroleum refiner and businessman
 * Shane Bannon (1989–present), Former NFL Running Back
 * Mike Borkowski (1973–present), professional race car driver
 * Naum Gabo (1890–1977), world-famous modernist sculptor, the founder of Constructivism in Moscow in 1919, lived in Middlebury beginning in 1953
 * Grant Goodeve (1976–present), actor
 * A. W. Haydon (1906–1982), American inventor lived in Middlebury from 1965 to his death in 1982
 * John G. Rowland (2006–present), former Connecticut Governor who resigned and pleaded guilty in federal court to a one-count with conspiracy to commit honest services mail fraud and tax fraud
 * Katie Stevens (1992–present), American Idol contestant

Culture and notable features

 * Josiah Bronson House, built in 1738 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982
 * Quassy Amusement Park, (1908–present), one of the nation's oldest amusement parks in continuous operation

title: Middlebury, Connecticut


text:
North Branford, Connecticut

North Branford is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the South Central Connecticut Planning Region. The population was 13,544 at the 2020 census. The town is primarily known for agriculture and for other points of interest including Lake Gaillard and Northford Ice Pavilion. Wallingford, Durham, and North Haven border it to the north- East Haven to the west, Guilford to the east, and Branford to the south.

The town has the neighborhoods of Totoket, Wood Chase, Sea Hill, Twin Lakes, Ashley Park, and Doral Farms. North Branford also includes the village of Northford.

History
This early mill and farming community incorporated from Branford in 1831. The year prior, Maltby Fowler had opened a button-making shop. Its success along with the inventiveness of his six sons—who devised a range of machines to produce such things as screws, embossed silk, pins, and horseshoe nails—saw the rise of new manufactures along the town's Farm River. By the early 1900s, North Branford's abundant supply of trap rock, a material used for making roadways, made quarrying a growth industry. Today, the town's manufacturing sector is concentrated in electronics and electronic components.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 26.6 square miles (69.0 km$2$), of which 24.9 square miles (64.5 km$2$) is land and 1.7 square miles (4.5 km$2$) (6.49%) is water. Neighboring towns are Wallingford and Durham to the north, Guilford to the east, Branford to the south, and North Haven and East Haven to the west.

Much of the town's acreage is dominated by Totoket Mountain, part of the Metacomet Ridge, a mountainous trap rock ridgeline that stretches from Long Island Sound almost to the Vermont border. The north side of Saltonstall Mountain is also located in North Branford. Totoket Mountain contains Lake Gaillard, a reservoir, formed in 1926, managed by the South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority (SCCRWA). The SCCRWA maintains a network of hiking trails on Totoket Mountain in the Big Gulph area of Northford. The SCCRWA is said to own one-third of the town's area.

Totoket Mountain, 720 feet high, is the highest point of the town in the Northford neighborhood.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,906 people (6,303 of which reside in the village of Northford), 5,132 households, and 3,869 families residing in the town. The population density was 558.0 PD/sqmi. There were 5,246 housing units at an average density of 210.5/sq. mi. (81.3/km$2$). The racial makeup of the town was 96.50% White, Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.80% of the population, 1.19% African American, 0.92% Asian, 0.84% from two or more races, 0.06% Native American, and 0.02% Pacific Islander.

There were 5,132 households, of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.2% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.6% were nonfamilies. 20.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70, and the average family size was 3.15.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.6% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 25.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.2 males; for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $64,438, and the median income for a family was $71,813. Males had a median income of $46,852 versus $33,469 for females. The per capita income for the town was $28,542. About 1.2% of families and 1.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.9% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.

The Totoket, an Algonkian-speaking native tribe, lived in the Branford and North Branford area.

Education
The high school in town is North Branford High School; their athletic teams are known as the North Branford Thunderbirds. The middle school is North Branford Intermediate School; it has just recently undergone a new construction project which renovated an existing structure and added approximately 35000 sqft to the school. Their teams are known as the North Branford Thunderbirds. There are two elementary schools, Jerome Harrison (JHS) and Totoket Valley (TVES). In mid- 2010, the decision was made to rearrange grades and close the Stanley T. Williams elementary school in Northford.

Historical preservation
Headquartered in town is the Totoket Historical Society, Inc. Founded in 1958 as the Northford Historical Institute, the society runs four historic buildings in town: the Reynolds Beers House (the main museum and office), the Miller Barn, the "Little White Gas Station", and the Little Red Schoolhouse. THS has a collection of local historical artifacts, many now being digitized. The Society's vast collection includes items such as historical photographs, business documents and ledgers, and documents relating to land transfer and the incorporation of the town, as well as many more assorted documents. In the Miller Barn is a collection of vintage farm equipment.

The Reynolds-Beers House is open regularly, and other Society buildings are opened to the public on predetermined dates or by appointment.

Notable locations

 * Branford Steam Railroad, a formerly steam-powered freight railroad in town, utilized by Tilcon for the transportation of its products to shoreline barges.
 * Northford Ice Pavilion
 * Lake Gaillard
 * Northford Center Historic District added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002

Commerce
North Branford contains many commercial offices, such as Tilcon, Fire-Lite Alarms, and many more businesses located on major roads in North Branford and Northford.

Notable people

 * Charlotte Fowler Baldwin (1805–1873), American missionary in Hawaii
 * Agnes G. Doody (1930-2023), professor of speech communication at University of Rhode Island
 * Adam Erne (born 1995), NHL player for the Detroit Red Wings
 * Leslie Hotson (1897-1992), literary scholar, died in North Branford
 * Robert Ward (died 2021), longest-serving minority leader of the Connecticut House of Representatives
 * Paul F. Zukunft (born 1955), Commandant of the United States Coast Guard

title: North Branford, Connecticut