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Windsor, Connecticut

Windsor is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, and was the first English settlement in the state. It lies on the northern border of Connecticut's capital, Hartford. The town is part of the Capitol Planning Region. The population of Windsor was 29,492 at the 2020 census.

Poquonock is a northern area of Windsor that has its own zip code (06064) for post-office box purposes. Other unincorporated areas in Windsor include Rainbow and Hayden Station in the north, and Wilson and Deerfield in the south.

The Day Hill Road area is known as Windsor's Corporate Area, although other centers of business include New England Tradeport, Kennedy Industry Park and Kennedy Business Park, all near Bradley International Airport and the Addison Road Industrial Park.

History
The coastal areas and riverways were traditional areas of settlement by various American Indian cultures, who had been in the region for thousands of years. They relied on the rivers for fishing, water and transportation. Before European contact, the historic Pequot and Mohegan tribes had been one Algonquian-speaking people. After they separated, they became competitors and traditional enemies in the Connecticut region.

During the first part of the 17th century, the Pequot and Mohegan nations had been at war. The Podunk were forced to pay tribute to the more powerful Pequot, who claimed their land. Eventually, the Podunk invited a small party of settlers from Plymouth, Massachusetts, to settle as a mediating force between the other tribes. In exchange they granted them a plot of land at the confluence of the Farmington River and the west side of the Connecticut River. After Edward Winslow came from Plymouth to inspect the land, William Holmes led a small party, arriving at the site on September 26, 1633, where they founded a trading post. The spot of the trading post is at the confluence of the Farmington and Connecticut Rivers. The Loomis Chaffee School currently owns the land as the spot is now the school's sports fields.

Native Americans referred to the area as Matianuck. It was about 50 mi up river from Long Island Sound, at the end of waters navigable by ship and above the Dutch fort at Hartford, offering an advantageous location for the English to trade with the Indians before they reached the Dutch. (The Sicaog tribe had made a similar offer to mediate to the Dutch in New Amsterdam. New Netherland had far fewer European settlers than New England, and they were not in a position to take up the opportunity.)

In 1635, a party of around 30 people, sponsored by Sir Richard Saltonstall, and led by the Stiles brothers, Francis, John and Henry, settled in the Windsor area. Governor John Winthrop of the Massachusetts Bay Company acknowledged in a letter to Saltonstall that the Stiles party was the second group to settle Connecticut.

The first group of 60 or more people were led by Roger Ludlow, primary framer of the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, having trekked overland from Dorchester, Massachusetts. They had arrived in the New World five years earlier on the ship Mary and John from Plymouth, England, and settled in Dorchester. Reverend Warham promptly renamed the Connecticut settlement "Dorchester". During the next few years, more settlers arrived from Dorchester, outnumbering and soon displacing the original Plymouth contingent, who returned to Plymouth in 1638 after selling their parcel to a Matthew Allyn of Hartford.

On February 21, 1637, the colony's General Court changed the name of the settlement from Dorchester to Windsor, named after the town of Windsor, Berkshire, on the River Thames in England. The same day, Windsor was incorporated as a town along with Hartford and Wethersfield.

Several "daughter towns" were formed from Windsor's original boundaries. These include portions or all of Barkhamsted, Bloomfield, Bolton, Colebrook, Coventry, East Granby, East Windsor, Ellington, Enfield, Granby, Harwinton, Litchfield, Manchester, Morris, Simsbury, South Windsor, Suffield, Tolland, Torrington, Vernon, and Windsor Locks.

The first "highway" in the Connecticut Colony opened in 1638 between Windsor and Hartford. Two years later, the highway was extended north to the colony's 1636 settlement at Springfield, with the road also connecting to Wethersfield and thus the four settlements that came to dominate the region for much of colonial history were connected.

In the summer of 1640, an event took place that would forever change the boundaries of the Connecticut River Valley. During a grain famine, the founder of Springfield, William Pynchon, was given authority by Windsor and Hartford to negotiate a price for grain for the three settlements with the natives. First, the natives refused to sell grain at the usual market price, and then refused to sell it at "a reasonable price". Pynchon refused to buy it, attempting to teach the natives a peaceful lesson about integrity and reliability. Windsor's cattle were starving, however, and the citizens of Hartford were furious. With Windsor's consent, Hartford commissioned the famous Indian fighter John Mason to travel to Springfield with "money in one hand and a sword in the other" to threaten the natives, and thereby force the grain trade. The natives capitulated and ultimately sold their grain. After "negotiating the trade", Mason refused to share the grain with Springfield, and, to add further insult, insisted that Springfield pay a tax when sailing ships passed Windsor. Outraged, Springfield forever sided with the Massachusetts Bay Colony, a Puritan settlement in Boston, rather than with the Connecticut Colony, which was much closer geographically and far more compatible ideologically. Windsor played a neutral role in the colonial rivalry between Hartford and Springfield; however, Windsor's direct border with both settlements caused many discussions about whether to align with Massachusetts or Connecticut. Ultimately, Windsor sided with Connecticut.

The Hartford & Springfield Street Railway, a trolley, connected with the Connecticut Company in Windsor Center until 1925. Buses replaced trolleys between Rainbow (a northern section of Windsor) and Windsor Center in 1930. Trolley cars continued to run from Windsor to Hartford until 1940.

The original Windsor settlers have many descendants around the country and beyond. Many are members of the Descendants of the Founders of Ancient Windsor (DFAW).

When the Springfield Line of the NY, New Haven & Hartford RR was built, station stops included Windsor station in Windsor Center with stations also at Wilson in the south of town and Hayden in the north, named for owners who provided land for the railroad right of way. The line was double tracked until the late 1990s and redouble tracked in 2018. Sidings at Windsor station allowed cars to be spotted at the freight house and on the Loomis trestle just to its south. The trestle was removed in the late 1980s. An 1856 brownstone arch bridge carries the tracks over Pleasant St and the Farmington River. Incorporating a horizontal curve, its engineering was noteworthy when built. Following a fatal grade crossing accident, a three-track-wide plate girder bridge was installed to carry tracks over Palisado Avenue.

Geography
Windsor's highest point is on Day Hill at 230 ft above sea level. Windsor's lowest point is on the Connecticut River, at 5 ft above sea level.

The Connecticut River defines Windsor's eastern border. The city of Hartford, the capital of Connecticut, is adjacent to Windsor to the south. The town of Windsor Locks, home of Bradley International Airport, is adjacent to Windsor to the north. Prior to its incorporation in 1854, it was known as the Pine Meadow section of Windsor. The towns of East Windsor and South Windsor are on the east side of the Connecticut River. The town of Bloomfield is to the west. The town of East Granby is to the northwest.

The Farmington River joins the Connecticut River in Windsor. The Farmington River is dammed in the northwestern corner of Windsor to form the 234 acre Rainbow Reservoir.

Historical points of interest
The Joseph Kesselring stage play and Frank Capra movie Arsenic and Old Lace was inspired by actual events that took place in a three-story brick house on Prospect Street, just off the north end of the Windsor green. Sixty men died between 1907 and 1917 while in the care of Amy Archer-Gilligan. Most were proven to be victims of arsenic poisoning.

On historic Palisado Avenue, one can find the First Church in Windsor, Congregational, and adjacent graveyard.

Across the street on the Palisado Green stands a statue of John Mason, a founder of Windsor and a colonial leader in the Pequot War. The historic plaque also honors Robert Seeley, Mason's second-in-command. Nearby stands Windsor's oldest structure, the Capt. John Fyler house, built in 1640.

Further north is the home of Oliver Ellsworth, third Chief Justice of the United States.

The town center is well-planned in comparison to many others in the Greater Hartford area. It has a relative diversity of chains and local shops, as well as a restored Amtrak train station dating to the 1850s. The Vintage Radio and Communications Museum of Connecticut is located in Windsor.

From 1957 to 2006, the town was the location of the S1C Nuclear Powered Training Unit; a prototype nuclear power plant for the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program. The former site has the distinction of being the first nuclear reactor site to receive unrestricted release after demolition and decontamination efforts.

Other notable sites
Windsor is home to the following locations on the National Register of Historic Places:
 * Allyn, Capt. Benjamin, II, House – 119 Deerfield Rd. (added 1979)
 * Giles Barber House – 411–413 Windsor Ave. (added 1988)
 * Bissell Tavern-Bissell's Stage House – 1022 Palisado Ave. (added 1985)
 * Broad Street Green Historic District – roughly along Broad St. from Batchelder Rd. to Union St. (added 1999)
 * Benomi Case House – 436 Rainbow Rd. (added 1988)
 * Hezekiah Chaffee House – Meadow Lane, off Palisado Green (added 1972)
 * Taylor Chapman House – 407 Palisado Ave. (added 1988)
 * Horace H. Ellsworth House – 316 Palisado Ave. (added 1988)
 * George Loomis House – 1003 Windsor Avenue (added 1988)
 * Gordon Loomis House – 1021 Windsor Avenue (added 1988)
 * Ira Loomis, Jr. House – 1053 Windsor Avenue (added 1988)
 * Capt. James Loomis House – 881 Windsor Avenue (added 1988)
 * Capt. James Loomis House – 208–210 Broad Street (added 1988)
 * Oliver Ellsworth Homestead – 778 Palisado Ave. (added 1970)
 * Farmington River Railroad Bridge – spans Farmington River and Pleasant St. west of Palisado Ave. (added 1972)
 * Hartford & New Haven Railroad Depot – 41 Central St. (added 1988)
 * Hartford & New Haven Railroad-Freight Depot – 40 Central St. (added 1988)
 * Deacon John Moore House – 37 Elm St. (added 1977)
 * Palisado Avenue Historic District – Palisado Ave. between the Farmington River and Bissell Ferry Rd. (added 1987)

Tobacco farming
Tobacco farming in Connecticut has a long history. When the first settlers came to the valley in the 1630s, tobacco was already being grown by the native population. By 1700 it was being exported via the Connecticut River to European ports. The use of Connecticut tobacco as a cigar wrapper leaf began in the 1820s.

Area farmers grew tobacco for the two outside layers of cigars, the binder and the wrapper. Approximately 34,000 acre of land in Connecticut is covered by Windsor Soil, named after the town.

The movie Parrish, starring Troy Donahue and Karl Malden, was set and filmed in the tobacco farms of Windsor. The film was released in 1961.

The Connecticut Valley Tobacco Museum, containing authentic farming implements and tools, can be found at Northwest Park in Windsor.

Civic Organizations and Local Non-Profit Organizations
Community Health Resources - CHR

Easterseals Capital Region & Eastern Connecticut

Kiwanis Club of Windsor

Mary's Place, A Center for Grieving Children and Families

Rotary Club of Windsor

Saint Casmir's Lithuanian Society Inc.

VFW-Veterans of Foreign Wars-Windsor Post 4740

Vintage Radio and Communications Museum of Connecticut

Windsor Art Center

Windsor Food and Fuel Bank

Windsor Historical Society

Population
As of the census of 2010, there were 29,044 people, 11,233 households, and 7,881 families residing in the town. The population density was 984.5 persons per square mile (380.2/km$2$). There were 11,767 housing units at an average density of 398.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 54.7% White, 34.3% African American, 0.2% Native American, 4.5% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 3.1% some other race, and 3.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.4% of the population.

There were 11,233 households, out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% were headed by married couples living together, 14.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.8% were non-families. 24.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.5% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 31.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.8 males.

Income
According to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey, for the period 2009–2011, median income for a household in the town was $78,211, and median income for a family was $89,726. Male full-time year-round workers had a median income of $58,668 versus $50,529 for females. The per capita income for the town was $34,899. About 3.1% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.0% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.

Windsor was one of a handful of towns in the country where, in the 2000 United States Census, median income for black households ($64,159) was larger than white households ($63,624). Asian households had a median income of $75,716. Hispanic or Latino (of any race) households have a median income of $69,808.

High school demographics
Windsor High School has 1,471 students enrolled. Demographics for 2004–2005 were:
 * Black 46.2%
 * White 41.1%
 * Hispanic 8.8%
 * Asian 3.8%
 * Native American 0.1%

Top employers
Top employers in Windsor according to the town's 2023 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report

Government
Windsor has a council–manager government. The legislative function is performed by a bipartisan Council of nine members, who are elected biennially for two-year terms. The Town Council elects a Mayor from its membership for the two-year term, and also appoints the Town Manager. Peter Souza has served as Windsor's town manager since 2004.

Connecticut House of Representatives:
 * Jane Garibay (D)
 * Bobby Gibson (D)
 * Tami Zawistowski (R)
 * Brandon McGee (D)

Connecticut Senate:
 * Douglas McCrory (D)
 * John Kissel (R)

United States House of Representatives:
 * John B. Larson (D)

The following minor parties have registered voters in Windsor: the Green Party, Libertarian Party, Working Families Party, and Independent Party.

Transportation

 * Bradley International Airport, which serves Greater Hartford as well as the greater Pioneer Valley, is located in the adjacent town of Windsor Locks to the north.
 * Connecticut Transit: There are eight routes serving Windsor: 15, 30, 32, 34, 36, 40, 54, and 92.
 * The 30-Bradley Flyer route bus runs between Hartford and Bradley International Airport through Windsor.
 * The 32, 34, and 36 routes run between Windsor Center and Downtown Hartford along Windsor and Poquonock Avenues. While the 32 route terminates at the Poquonock Park & Ride Lot, the 34 route continues on to serve the Walgreens Distribution Center in the Rainbow neighborhood, and the 36 route continues on to connect with the 54 route in the Day Hill Road Corporate Area.
 * The 92 route provides crosstown trips through Windsor beginning at Copaco in Bloomfield and ending at the Shoppes at Buckland Hills in Manchester.
 * The 40-North Main Street-Wilson route terminates at the Wilson Park & Ride Lot.
 * Service to the Poquonock Park & Ride Lot is provided by the local 30, 32, 34, 36, and 54 routes as well as the 15-Windsor Express route, which provides express service between Poquonock Avenue and Downtown Hartford via I-91.
 * Interstate 91 has seven exits in Windsor, including a High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane traveling north and south between Hartford and the Bradley Airport Connector (Route 20).
 * Interstate 291 begins in Windsor with three exits; it connects Interstate 91 with Interstate 84.
 * There is a railroad station in Windsor Center with Amtrak's Hartford Line, Northeast Regional and Valley Eagle trains and CTrail Hartford Line trains stopping at the station.

Police
Windsor Police Department is located off of Day Hill Road, at 100 Addison Road.

Fire department
Windsor Volunteer Fire Department has five stations: Windsor Station (at the Windsor Safety Complex), Wilson Station, Poquonock Station, Rainbow Road Station and Hayden Station.

Emergency medical services
Windsor Volunteer Ambulance is also located at the Windsor Safety Complex.

Education
The public schools in Windsor are a part of the Windsor Public Schools: The magnet schools in Windsor are managed by the Capital Region Education Council: There is one public library with two branches:
 * One public school for pre-school and kindergarten: Roger Wolcott Early Childhood Center (No longer in operation after school consolidation, children now sent to in district schools, Poquonock or Ellsworth.)
 * Four public elementary schools: Oliver Ellsworth Primary School, Clover Street Intermediate School, John F. Kennedy Intermediate School, and Poquonock Primary School. (Primary Schools: Grades K–2. Intermediate Schools: Grades 3–5)
 * One public middle school (Grades 6–8): Sage Park Middle School
 * One public high school (Grades 9–12): Windsor High School
 * One magnet middle school (Grades 6–8): The Academy of Aerospace and Engineering Middle School
 * One magnet high school (Grades 9–12): The Academy of Aerospace and Engineering High School

 * The Main Branch - Windsor Public Library
 * The Wilson Branch - Windsor Public Library.

There are several private schools in Windsor:

 * Loomis Chaffee, the well-known college preparatory school, is located in Windsor, on a 320 acre campus at the confluence of the Connecticut and Farmington rivers. The original Loomis Homestead, built by Joseph Loomis in 1640 and one of the oldest buildings in the United States, stands on the school's campus across the street from the current school head's residence.
 * Madina Academy, Connecticut's first full-time Islamic School, offers preschool through 12th grade
 * Saint Gabriel's School is a private school that teaches kindergarten through eighth grade. Trinity Christian School is a private school that teaches Pre-School. Praise, Power, Prayer Christian School is a private school that teaches Pre-School.
 * Branford Hall Career Institute on Day Hill Road.
 * Baran Institute of Technology also on Day Hill Road.

Parks
Windsor Meadows State Park is in the southeast corner of town and runs along the shore of the Connecticut River.

Keney Park, in the south, straddles Windsor and Hartford; it includes cricket fields and a golf course.

Northwest Park, Windsor's largest park, is located in the northwest corner of Windsor. It includes a nature center, trails and an animal barn showcasing a burro, sheep, chickens, goats, rabbits, ducks, and a turkey.

Welch Park is in the neighborhood of Poquonock on the Farmington River and is home to a public pool, a basketball court, numerous baseball diamonds, tennis courts, and a small playground.

Stroh Park is off Route 159 near Wilson Congregational Church towards the south end of town. It is home to a public pool, tennis courts, a playground, and a pond.

Strawberry Hills Park is located on River Street. It is a popular location in the summer months for those interested in canoeing and kayaking the Farmington River.

Mill Brook Open Space, the former Mill Brook and Traditions golf course headed to housing development was purchased and protected as open space by The Trust for Public Land in 2014. This 95 acre property cost $2.1million dollars, with a $1,086,000 grant from the State of Connecticut to help preserve this open meadow. This property will serve as "land for passive recreation, wildlife habitat, community character along with water quality & storm water protection purposes". The proximity of the park to the town is also important in that it will put more than 1,200 residents within a 10-minute-walk to the property.

Events
The Northwest Park Country Fair is held every fall.

The Shad Derby Festival is held every spring in the town center.

The Carol sing and torchlight parade mark the holiday season in December.

Entertainment

 * Keney Park Golf Club
 * The Troy Donahue movie Parrish was filmed on Windsor's tobacco "plantations" in 1961.
 * The movie Academy Boyz was shot at Loomis Chaffee in 1997.
 * A scene in the movie War of the Worlds was shot along the Farmington River.

Religion

 * Sanctuary of Faith and Glory Church
 * Hopewell Baptist Church
 * Truth & Freedom Ministry (Home Church)
 * Pilgrim Way Baptist Church
 * Grace Baptist Church
 * Greater St. Paul's Baptist Church of Deliverance
 * Saint Gabriel's Church, Roman Catholic
 * Saint Gertrude's Church, Roman Catholic
 * Saint Joseph's Church, Roman Catholic
 * The First Church in Windsor, United Church of Christ
 * Poquonock Community Church, Congregational
 * Wilson Congregational Church, United Church of Christ
 * Holy Zion Church of the Jubilee
 * Mount Carmel Christian Ministries
 * Faith Community Church
 * Grace Episcopal Church
 * Archer Memorial AME Zion Church
 * Trinity United Methodist Church
 * Christ the King Lutheran Church
 * Congregation Beth Ahm, Jewish
 * Oasis Christian Church of Connecticut
 * Tohrah Judea
 * Connecticut Valley Church of Christ
 * Praise Power & Prayer Christian Temple
 * Islamic Center of Connecticut
 * International Gospel Fellowship

Notable people

 * Al Anderson, guitarist, singer and songwriter, best known for his 20-year stint in NRBQ
 * Christopher Isaiah Baker (born 1987), nicknamed "Swaggy", is an American football defensive tackle
 * Moe Drabowsky (1935–2006), Polish-born Major League Baseball pitcher, raised in Wilson, schooled at Loomis
 * Oliver Ellsworth, third Chief Justice of the United States, a drafter of the Constitution and American founding father, was born in Windsor
 * Roger Enos, veteran of the French and Indian War and American Revolution who commanded the Vermont Militia in the later stages of the American Revolution
 * John Fitch, inventor of the steamboat, held several patents, operator of the US's first steamboat line
 * Edith Julia Griswold (1863–1926), lawyer and patent expert
 * General William Hayden, Connecticut Adjutant General 1835–1836
 * Mike Joy (born 1949), TV sports announcer, voice of FOX Sports' NASCAR TV coverage, served four elected terms on the Windsor Town Council
 * Evelyn Beatrice Longman, first woman sculptor to be elected a full member of the National Academy of Design
 * Lancelot Phelps (1784–1866), congressman from Connecticut
 * William Phelps (1593–1672), woodworker, judge, civil servant
 * Joseph Hayne Rainey (1832–1887), first African American to be elected to Congress, US congressman from South Carolina, lived in a summer house here with his family
 * Iceman John Scully, professional boxer, world title challenger, ESPN Classic boxing broadcaster
 * John H. Swift (1840–1911), manufacturer member of the New York State Assembly, grew up in Poquonock
 * Ethna Beulah Winston (1903–1993), educator, dean of women
 * Erastus Wolcott (1722–1793), political and military leader during the American Revolutionary War
 * Oliver Wolcott, American founding father, born in Windsor
 * Roger Wolcott (1679–1767), weaver, colonial governor of Connecticut (1751–1754), father of Oliver Wolcott

Principal communities

 * Deerfield
 * Hayden Station
 * Poquonock
 * Rainbow
 * Wilson
 * Windsor Center

title: Windsor, Connecticut


text:
Bantam, Connecticut

Bantam is a borough in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 720 at the 2020 census. It is part of the town of Litchfield.

On July 10, 1989, many of the buildings in Bantam were heavily damaged by a tornado that ripped through Litchfield and New Haven Counties. The storm also caused considerable damage to the Litchfield County town of Thomaston, and to the New Haven County towns of Waterbury, Hamden and North Haven.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 1.0 sqmi, all land.

Climate
This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Bantam has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.

Demographics
As of the 2010 census Bantam had a population of 759. The racial composition of the population was 96.6% white, 1.2% black or African American, 0.3% from other races and 1.8% from two or more races. 3.3% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

At the 2000 census there were 802 people, 364 households, and 202 families residing in the borough. The population density was 793.4 PD/sqmi. There were 376 housing units at an average density of 372.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the borough was 96.01% White, 0.37% African American, 0.50% Native American, 0.75% Asian, 0.87% from other races, and 1.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.00%.

Of the 364 households, 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.2% were married couples living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.5% were non-families. 40.1% of households were one person, and 25.0% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the borough the population was spread out, with 25.8% under the age of 18, 3.0% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 20.3% 65 or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.8 males.

The median household income was $32,167 and the median family income was $50,938. Males had a median income of $42,000 versus $30,385 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $18,442. About 3.1% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.1% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over.

Common ancestries reported were: Irish (21.1%), Italian (14.5%), German (14.0%), English (13.1%), French Canadian (10.1%), French (9.7%).

Education
Residents are zoned to Litchfield Public Schools, including Litchfield High School.

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

title: Bantam, Connecticut


text:
Barkhamsted, Connecticut

Barkhamsted is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. It contains seven villages: West Hill, Mallory, Barkhamsted Center, Center Hill, Washington Hill, Pleasant Valley, and Riverton. The population was 3,647 at the 2020 census, down from 3,799 at the 2010 census. The town is part of the Northwest Hills Planning Region. Barkhamsted was first incorporated in 1779, and named after Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, England.

Geography
The town is in northeastern Litchfield County and is bordered to the north and east by Hartford County. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 110.6 km2, of which 93.9 km2 are land and 6.7 km2, or 6.63%, are water. Major bodies of water include Barkhamsted Reservoir, the primary water source for Hartford; Lake McDonough, and the Farmington River. A high percentage of the land in the town is owned by the state of Connecticut as state forest (Peoples State Forest, American Legion State Forest, Tunxis State Forest, and Enders State Forest) and by the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) as water supply area.

U.S. Route 44 crosses the southwestern part of the town, leading southeast 22 mi to Hartford and northwest 20 mi to North Canaan.

Principal communities

 * Barkhamsted Center
 * Barkhamsted Hollow (historical; became the Barkhamsted Reservoir in the early 20th century)
 * Center Hill
 * Pleasant Valley
 * Riverton

Demographics
As of 2010, Barkhamsted had a population of 3,799. The racial composition of the population was 97.5% white, 0.3% black or African American, 0.6% Asian, 0.6% from some other race and 1.1% reporting two or more races. 1.5% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

As of the census of 2000, there were 3,494 people, 1,334 households, and 1,036 families residing in the town. The population density was 96.5 PD/sqmi. There were 1,436 housing units at an average density of 39.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 98.54% White, 0.06% African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.29% from other races, and 0.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.89% of the population.

There were 1,334 households, out of which 36.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.2% were married couples living together, 6.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.3% were non-families. 16.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.9% 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 2.95.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.0% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 28.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $65,972, and the median income for a family was $73,218. Males had a median income of $51,925 versus $38,102 for females. The per capita income for the town was $28,961. About 1.8% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 1.4% of those age 65 or over.

Politics
Since voting predominantly Republican from 1956 through 1988, Barkhamsted has oscillated between the two major parties at the presidential level.

Services
The town of Barkhamsted has one elementary school, in the village of Pleasant Valley.

Its high school and middle school students attend Northwestern Regional Middle School and Northwestern Regional High School, of the Northwestern Regional School District No. 7, in neighboring Winsted. Barkhamsted schoolchildren attend the Regional High/Middle School with students from three neighboring towns, New Hartford, Norfolk, and Colebrook.

Barkhamsted has three fire departments: the Pleasant Valley Volunteer Fire Department, Riverton Volunteer Fire Company, and Barkhamsted East Volunteer Fire Company. The town employs one paid daytime driver/firefighter to assist the volunteers during normal work hours.

Emergency medical care is provided by the Winsted Area Ambulance Association, the New Hartford Volunteer Ambulance Association, and a Campion paramedic. Both Winsted and New Hartford are volunteer-based services.

Transportation
There is no public transportation in Barkhamsted; thus, the principal means of transportation is the automobile. The primary state highways in town are Route 44, Route 20, Route 219, Route 318, and Route 181. The village of Riverton is located along Route 20 and the village of Pleasant Valley is off Route 44 (via Route 318). Bradley International Airport is approximately 15 miles east.

Notable locations
Barkhamsted is home of the historic Saville Dam, forming Barkhamsted Reservoir, and Peoples State Forest, where the Stone Museum is located.

Within the Barkhamsted Reservoir lie the foundations of Barkhamsted Hollow, the historic center of town that was purchased by the Metropolitan District Commission of Connecticut in the early 20th century to create a reservoir to serve the Hartford area. This area was flooded following the construction of the Saville Dam on the East Branch of the Farmington River, and took eight years to fill.

Just south of the Barkhamsted Reservoir is Lake McDonough, also known as the compensating reservoir and owned by the MDC. Originally created to ensure the riparian rights of downstream mill owners, this lake now serves the recreational interests of the surrounding area with beaches, boating, and fishing.

The hamlet of Pleasant Valley contains the Pleasant Valley General Store, the Barkhamsted Elementary School, the Pleasant Valley Drive-In, the post office (ZIP Code 06063), and the town hall.

The hamlet of Riverton holds a post office (ZIP Code 06065), the Riverton General Store, the Riverton Inn, the Royal Coachman Tavern, the Riverton Congregational Church, the grange, and the fair grounds. This is also the location of the annual Riverton Fair, which takes place the second weekend of October each year, and is Connecticut's last fair of the year.

The West Branch of the Farmington River is designated as a Wild and Scenic River. It runs through the villages of Riverton and Pleasant Valley and hosts fishermen year-round in the catch-and-release section. On the opening day of fishing season each year, a fishing tournament is held in Riverton, drawing anglers from Connecticut, New York, and Massachusetts.

On the National Register of Historic Places

 * American Legion Forest CCC Shelter – west side of West River Road, American Legion State Forest (added in 1986)
 * Barkhamsted Center Historic District – 119, 131 Center Hill Road; 2,5,6,8 Old Town Hall Road (added in 1999)
 * Beaver Meadow Complex Prehistoric Archeological District (added in 1988)
 * Lighthouse Archeological Site (5-37) (added in 1991)
 * William Moore Jr. House – 5 Mountain Road (added May 14, 1999)
 * Old Riverton Inn – 436 E. River Rd. (added in 1992)
 * Peoples Forest Museum – Greenwood Road, Peoples State Forest (added in 1986)
 * Riverton Historic District – (added in 2007)
 * Union Church/St. Paul's Church – Riverton Road (added in 1985)

title: Barkhamsted, Connecticut


text:
Bethlehem, Connecticut

Bethlehem is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 3,385 at the 2020 census, down from 3,607 at the 2010 census. The town is part of the Naugatuck Valley Planning Region. The town center is a historic district and a census-designated place (CDP).

The town's name has prompted thousands of visitors each December to mail their Christmas cards at the renowned local post office, situated at 34 East Street, in order to get a "Bethlehem" postmark. The post office also has nearly 100 Christmas-related stamps for customers to decorate their envelopes during the holiday season.

Bethlehem is one of the two towns in Litchfield County served by the area code 203/area code 475 overlay. The other is the town of Woodbury.

Education

 * Since 1970, elementary education has been handled by Regional School District 14, including Bethlehem Elementary School.
 * Nonnewaug High School in neighboring Woodbury is the primary regional high school.
 * The Woodhall School is a private high school located in town.

Geography
Bethlehem is in southern Litchfield County and is bordered by Morris to the north, Watertown to the east, Woodbury to the south, and Washington to the west. According to the United States Census Bureau, Bethlehem has a total area of 19.7 sqmi, of which 19.4 sqmi are land and 0.3 sqmi, or 1.45%, is water. The Bethlehem Village census-designated place (CDP) corresponding to the center portion of the town has a total area of 20.9 km2, of which 20.2 km2 are land and 0.7 km2, or 3.30%, are water. The two largest water bodies in the town are Long Meadow Pond and the Bronson E. Lockwood Reservoir, both in the northern part of town.

Connecticut Route 61 passes through the town center, leading north to Morris and Litchfield, and south to US 6 in Woodbury. Connecticut Route 132 takes a winding route through the town, leading south to Woodbury and east into Watertown.

On the eastern side of town is a ridge called "the Devil's Backbone", one of more than 30 Connecticut places named after the devil.

Principal community

 * Bethlehem Village

Demographics
At the 2010 census Bethlehem had a population of 3,607. The racial composition of the population was 97.9% white, 0.4% black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% from some other race and 0.9% from two or more races. 1.7% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

At the 2000 census, there were 3,422 people, 1,246 households and 935 families residing in the town. The population density was 176.8 PD/sqmi. There were 1,388 housing units at an average density of 71.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.49% White, 0.26% African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.79% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.38% from other races and 0.99% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.64% of the population.

There were 1,246 households, of which 35.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.7% were married couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.9% were non-families. 19.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.11.

25.2% of the population were under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 30.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.4 males.

The median household income was $68,542 and the median family income was $78,863. Males had a median income of $51,623 compared with $37,500 for females. The per capita income was $29,672. About 0.5% of families and 2.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation
Route 61 is the main north-south road while Route 132 is the main east-west road through the town. There is no access to public transportation. The nearest rail station (Metro North) is Waterbury, CT. The nearest passenger commercial airports are Tweed New Haven Airport (40 miles) and Bradley International Airport (50 miles).

Local media

 * Waterbury Republican-American, an independent daily newspaper
 * Voices, a local newspaper serving Southbury, Middlebury, Oxford, Seymour, Naugatuck, Woodbury, Bethelhem, New Preston, Washington, Washington Depot, Roxbury, Bridgewater, Monroe, Sandy Hook and Newtown

Points of interest

 * Bellamy-Ferriday House and Garden, built in 1760 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
 * The Bethlehem Green Historic District contains 63 properties and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
 * Old Bethlehem Historical Society Museum
 * Christ Episcopal Church (Bethlehem, Connecticut)

Abbey of Regina Laudis
The town is home to the Benedictine Abbey of Regina Laudis, founded in 1947, one of the first houses of contemplative Benedictine nuns in the United States. Robert Leather, a Protestant industrialist, donated 400 acre of land on which the convent is located. The convent now has 37 nuns.

The abbey is known for its commitment to the arts, especially the performance of Gregorian chant. The acting background of Mother Dolores Hart, O.S.B., has prompted the convent to sponsor annual summer theatre productions.

Hart has worked with fellow artists, including James and Dawn Douglas, to found the Act Association, a group that performs at The Gary-The Olivia Theater, an open-air venue which seats about 200 people. Built in 1982 with the help of actress Patricia Neal, this open-air theater seats about 200 people. Productions have included plays by Shakespeare, Sartre, opera and musical reviews. Patricia Neal and James Douglas appeared in She Stoops to Conquer in 1999.

Events

 * Bethlehem Fair is held the weekend after Labor Day in September on the picturesque fairgrounds located at 384 Main St N.
 * Connecticut Garlic and Harvest Festival is held in October at the town fairgrounds.
 * Christmas Town Festival is held the first weekend of December on the town green.

Notable people

 * Christine Baranski, actress, and her husband, the actor and playwright Matthew Cowles
 * Joseph Bellamy (1719–1790), influential Congregationalist theologian in the 18th century, was pastor at the Congregational church in town for 50 years, until his death
 * Jess Davis, U.S. Olympian, modern pentathlon
 * James Douglas, died there in 2016
 * Dolores Hart, former actress who appeared with Elvis Presley, became a Roman Catholic nun at the Benedictine Abbey of Regina Laudis in town, ultimately becoming head (or "prioress") of the convent. Her formal title now is the Reverend Mother Dolores Hart
 * David Leavitt (1791–1879), New York City banker, financier and art collector, born at Bethlehem to the Connecticut legislator and businessman David Leavitt Sr.
 * Noella Marcellino, Benedictine nun who earned a doctorate in microbiology from the University of Connecticut and became a Roman Catholic nun at the Benedictine Abbey of Regina Laudis in town. She won a Fulbright scholarship to France to collect and examine native strains of fungi from traditional cheese caves, with an emphasis on Geotrichum candidum, and stayed an additional three years on a grant from the French government in order to analyze the samples
 * Dani Shapiro Author and podcaster.

title: Bethlehem, Connecticut


text:
Kedleston Hall

Kedleston Hall is a neo-classical manor house owned by the National Trust, and seat of the Curzon family, located in Kedleston, Derbyshire, approximately 4 miles (6 km) north-west of Derby. The medieval village of Kedleston was moved in 1759 by Nathaniel Curzon to make way for the manor. All that remains of the original village is the 12th century All Saints Church, Kedleston.

Background
The current house was commissioned in 1759 by Nathaniel Curzon and designed by Robert Adam.

The Curzon family, whose name originates in Notre-Dame-de-Courson in Normandy, have been in Kedleston since at least 1297, and have lived in a succession of manor houses near to or on the site of the present Kedleston Hall. The present house was commissioned by Sir Nathaniel Curzon (later 1st Baron Scarsdale) in 1759. The house was designed by the Palladian architects James Paine and Matthew Brettingham and was loosely based on an original plan by Andrea Palladio for the never-built Villa Mocenigo.

At the time a relatively unknown architect, Robert Adam, was designing some garden temples to enhance the landscape of the park; Curzon was so impressed with his designs that Adam was quickly put in charge of the construction of the new mansion.

On the death of Richard Curzon, 2nd Viscount Scarsdale in 1977, expenses compelled the heir, his cousin (Francis Curzon), to transfer the property to the care of the National Trust.

Exterior
The design of the three-floored house is of three blocks linked by two segmentally curved corridors. The ground floor is rusticated, while the upper floors are of smooth-dressed stone. The central, corps de logis, the largest block, contains the state rooms and was intended only for formal entertaining. The East block was a self-contained country house in its own right, containing all the rooms for the family's private use, and the identical West block contained the kitchens and all other domestic rooms and staff accommodation.

Plans for two more pavilions (as the two smaller blocks are known), of identical size and similar appearance, were never executed. These further wings were intended to contain, in the south-east a music room, and in the southwest a conservatory and chapel. Externally these latter pavilions would have differed from their northern counterparts by large glazed Serlian windows on the piano nobile of their southern facades. Here the blocks were to appear as of two floors only; a mezzanine was to have been disguised in the north of the music room block. The linking galleries here were also to contain larger windows, than on the north, and niches containing classical statuary.

The north front, approximately 117 yards [107 m] in length, is Palladian in character, dominated by a massive, six-columned Corinthian portico; however, the south front (illustrated right) is pure neoclassical Robert Adam. This garden facade is divided into three distinct sets of bays; the central section is a four-columned, blind triumphal arch (based on the Arch of Constantine in Rome) containing one large, pedimented glass door reached from the rusticated ground floor by an external, curved double staircase. Above the door, at second-floor height, are stone garlands and medallions in relief.

The four Corinthian columns are topped by classical statues. This whole centre section of the facade is crowned by a low dome visible only from a distance. Flanking the central section are two identical wings on three floors, each three windows wide, the windows of the first-floor piano nobile being the tallest. Adam's design for this facade contains huge "movement" and has a delicate almost fragile quality.

Interior
The neoclassical interior of the house was designed by Adam to be no less impressive than the exterior.

Hall
Entering the house through the great north portico on the piano nobile, one is confronted by the marble hall. Nikolaus Pevsner describes this as one of the most magnificent apartments of the 18th century in England. It measures 67 ft by 37 ft in plan and is 40 ft high.

Twenty fluted pink Nottingham alabaster columns with Corinthian capitals support the heavily decorated, high-coved cornice. Niches in the walls contain casts of classical statuary by Matthew Brettingham the Younger and others; above the niches are grisaille panels of Homeric subjects inspired by Palladio's illustration of the Temple of Mars. The stucco in the ceiling was created by Joseph Rose in the 1770s.

The floor is of inlaid Italian marble. Matthew Paine's original designs for this room intended for it to be lit by conventional windows at the northern end, but Adam, warming to the Roman theme, did away with the distracting windows and lit the whole from the roof through innovative glass skylight.

The overmantels to the fireplaces are by Joseph Rose with firebaskets by Robert Adam.

At Kedleston, the hall symbolises the atrium of the Roman villa and the adjoining saloon the vestibulum.

Saloon
The saloon, contained behind the triumphal arch of the south front, like the marble hall rises the full height of the house, 62 ft to the top of the dome, where it too is sky-lit through a glass oculus. Designed as a sculpture gallery, this circular room 42 ft in width was completed in 1763.

The decorative theme is based on the temples of the Roman Forum with more modern inventions: in the four massive, apse-like recesses are stoves disguised as pedestals for classical urns. The paintings of ruins are by Gavin Hamilton and the grisaille panels have scenes of British worthies painted by John Biagio Rebecca.

The four sets of double doors giving entry to the room have heavy pediments supported by scagliola columns, and at second-floor height, grisaille panels depict classical themes.

From the saloon, the atmosphere of the 18th-century Grand Tour is continued throughout the remainder of the principal reception rooms of the piano nobile, though on a slightly more modest scale.

State bedroom
The "principal apartment", or State bedroom suite, contains fine furniture and paintings.

The state bed was constructed by James Gravenor of Derby. The state bed posts are carved to represent palm tree trunks which soar up and break into flamboyant foliage at the top, sweeping in palm-fronds behind.

Drawing room
The drawing room with huge alabaster Venetian window is 44 ft by 28 ft by 28 ft. The doorcase is also alabaster. The fireplace with a scene of virtue rewarded by honour and riches is flanked by large female figures sculpted by Michael Henry Spang. The gilt sofas by John Linnell date from around 1765. They were commissioned by the 1st Baron Scarsdale and supplied, together with a second pair of sofas to Kedleston in 1765.

Dining room
The dining room, with its gigantic apse, has a ceiling that Adam based on the Domus Augustana in the Farnese Gardens. The apse contains curved tables designed by Adam in 1762 and a giant wine cooler. The ceiling contains panel paintings of the continents by Antonio Zucchi, the seasons by Gavin Hamilton and the centre is by George Morland. The original wall panels are by Francesco Zuccarelli, Frans Snyders, Claude and Giovanni Francesco Romanelli.

Music Room
The Music Room has Ionic doorcases and delicate plaster ceiling designed by Adam. The marble chimneypiece is inlaid with Blue John. The pipe organ was second hand by John Snetzler with the case designed by Robert Adam and built by Robert Gravenor. A second manual with Hautboy was added in 1824 by Alexander Buckingham. The organ was restored in 1993 by Dominic Gwynn.

Library
The library contains a Roman doric doorcase leading to the Saloon. The bookcases were designed by Robert Adam and built by James Gravenor of Derby. The plaster ceiling is divided into octagonal patterns. The library desk was built in 1764 by James Gravenor.

Other rooms
The theme carries on through the music room, down the grand staircase (not completed until 1922) onto the ground floor and into the so-called "Caesar's hall". On the departure of guests, it must sometimes have been a relief to vacate this temple of culture and retreat to the relatively simple comforts of the family pavilion.

Below the Rotunda is the Tetrastyle Hall, which was converted into a museum in 1927 in collaboration with the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The kitchen is an oblong shape with a balustraded gallery at one end. This links the room to other household offices on each side.

Also displayed in the house are many curiosities pertaining to George, Lord Curzon of Kedleston, who succeeded to the house in 1916 and who had earlier served as Viceroy of India from 1899 to 1905. Lord Curzon had amassed a large collection of subcontinental and Far Eastern artefacts. Also shown is Lady Curzon's Delhi Durbar Coronation dress of 1903. Designed by Worth of Paris, it was known as the peacock dress for the many precious and semi-precious stones sewn into its fabric. These have now been replaced by imitation stones; however, the effect is no less dazzling.

In addition to that described above, this great country house contains collections of art, furniture and statuary. Kedleston Hall's alternative name, The Temple of the Arts, is truly justified.

Gardens and grounds

The gardens and grounds, as they appear today, are largely the concept of Robert Adam. Adam was asked by Nathaniel Curzon in 1758 to "take in hand the deer park and pleasure grounds". The landscape gardener William Emes had begun work at Kedleston in 1756, and he continued in Curzon's employ until 1760; however, it was Adam who was the guiding influence. It was during this period that the former gardens designed by Charles Bridgeman were swept away in favour of a more natural-looking landscape. Bridgeman's canals and geometric ponds were metamorphosed into serpentine lakes.

Adam designed numerous temples and follies, many of which were never built. Those that were include the North lodge (which takes the form of a triumphal arch), the entrance lodges in the village, a bridge, cascade and the Fishing Room. The Fishing Room is one of the most noticeable of the park's buildings. In the neoclassical style it is sited on the edge of the upper lake and contains a plunge pool and boat house below. Some of Adam's unexecuted design for follies in the park rivalled in grandeur the house itself.

A "View Tower" designed in 1760 – 84 ft high and 50 ft wide on five floors, surmounted by a saucer dome flanked by the smaller domes of flanking towers — would have been a small neoclassical palace itself. Adam planned to transform even mundane utilitarian buildings into architectural wonders. A design for a pheasant house (a platform to provide a vantage point for the game shooting) became a domed temple, the roofs of its classical porticos providing the necessary platforms; this plan too was never completed. Among the statuary in the grounds is a Medici lion sculpture carved by Joseph Wilton on a pedestal designed by Samuel Wyatt, from around 1760–1770.

In the 1770s, George Richardson designed the hexagonal summerhouse, and in 1800 the orangery. The Long Walk was laid out in 1760 and planted with flowering shrubs and ornamental trees. In 1763, it was reported that Lord Scarsdale had given his gardener a seed from rare and scarce Italian shrub, the "Rodo Dendrone" (sic).

The gardens and grounds today, over two hundred years later, remain mostly unaltered. Parts of the park are designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, primarily because of the "rich and diverse deadwood invertebrate fauna" inhabiting its ancient trees.

Second World War
In 1939, Kedleston Hall was offered by Richard Curzon, 2nd Viscount Scarsdale, for use by the War Office. The Hall was used in various ways during the War, including as a mustering point and army training camp.

It also formed one of the Y-stations used to gather signals intelligence by collecting radio transmissions which, if encrypted, were subsequently passed to Bletchley Park for decryption.

Post war
In 1957 Viscount Scarsdale launched a programme of restoration on the exterior of the building which was estimated to cost £30,000. Lord Scarsdale contributed £10,000 and the state provided the rest.

In 1973-74 the central block roof was re-slated and exterior stonework was cleaned by Stone and Marble Maintenance Ltd of Willington Road, Etwall. This revealed the pinkish tinge in the sandy coloured stone.

National Trust
By the 1970s Kedleston Hall had become too expensive for the Curzon family to maintain. When Richard Curzon, 2nd Viscount Scarsdale, died, his cousin Francis Curzon, 3rd Viscount Scarsdale, offered the house, park and gardens to the nation in lieu of death duties. A deal was agreed with the National Trust that it should take over Kedleston, along with an endowment, while still allowing the family to live rent-free in the 23-room Family Wing, which contained an adjoining garden and two rent-free flats for servants or other family members. Richard Curzon and his family currently reside there.

The National Trust engaged Edward Wood and Sons in 1987-88 for a £1,000,000 programme of restoration. The West Pavilion was given a new roof and a new central heating system was installed. The grand staircase was strengthened with reinforcing bars to stop the cantilevered stairs from sagging.

title: Kedleston Hall


text:
Bridgewater, Connecticut

Bridgewater is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 1,662 at the 2020 census, a decline from the figure of 1,727 tabulated in 2010. The town is part of the Western Connecticut Planning Region.

Bridgewater is well known as being a weekend getaway for wealthy New Yorkers, due to its scenic wooded areas, location on the banks of Lake Lillinonah and proximity to New York City. Bridgewater was one of the last remaining dry towns (Eastford is still a dry town) in Connecticut until voters approved the sale of alcohol in a 2014 referendum, by a 660–246 vote. The Bridgewater Country Fair is a popular annual event held every August, attracting visitors from all over New England and the Tri-state area.

Geography
Bridgewater is in southwestern Litchfield County and is bordered by Fairfield County to the south and New Haven County to the southeast. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 44.8 km2, of which 42.5 km2 are land and 2.4 km2, or 5.27%, are water. Bridgewater is located on the northeastern bank of the Housatonic River, on a section that is impounded to form Lake Lillinonah. Danbury is 13 mi to the southwest, and Waterbury is 20 mi to the east.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,824 people, 703 households, and 525 families residing in the town. The population density was 112.4 PD/sqmi. There were 779 housing units at an average density of 48.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.53% White, 0.93% African American, 0.05% Native American, 0.71% Asian, 0.11% from other races, and 0.66% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.49% of the population.

There were 703 households, out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.4% were married couples living together, 5.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.2% were non-families. 21.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.1% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 35.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $80,420, and the median income for a family was $94,720. Males had a median income of $61,750 versus $40,455 for females. The per capita income for the town was $42,505. About 2.3% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.8% of those under age 18 and 0.8% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation
Bridgewater is served by two state highways: Route 67 running east–west in the northern part of town, and Route 133 running north–south. Route 67 leads northwest to New Milford and east to Roxbury, while Route 133 leads south across the Housatonic River into Brookfield. The Danbury Metro-North Railroad station is located roughly 10 miles from the town center.

Local media

 * Waterbury Republican-American, a Waterbury-based independent daily newspaper
 * The News-Times, a Danbury-based daily newspaper
 * The Greater New Milford Spectrum, a MediaNews Group-owned weekly paper
 * Voices, a local newspaper serving Southbury, Middlebury, Oxford, Seymour, Naugatuck, Woodbury, Bethelhem, New Preston, Washington, Washington Depot, Roxbury, Bridgewater, Monroe, Sandy Hook and Newtown

Education
Regional School District 12 is the area school district. Residents are served by REACH Preschool in Washington, Burnham Elementary School in Bridgewater, and Shepaug Valley School (secondary school) in Washington.

The Burnham Library
In 1904, the Bridgewater Library Association was established, succeeding previous lending libraries operated by individuals in town. In 1909 room for library purposes was set aside in recently built town hall. A bequest from William Dixon Burnham, a native who made his fortune in shipping, allowed a Greek Revival style building to be erected from 1925 to 1926, using Mine Hill granite from nearby Roxbury. The dedication took place on August 26, 1926.

By the early 1960s, the library's two floors were finally becoming cramped. With the death of town resident Van Wyck Brooks, a biographer and critic, a "Van Wyck Brooks Memorial Fund was set up to raise money for a library wing in his name. The effort, however, flopped, despite support from such celebrities as Pearl Buck and Archibald MacLeish. Just enough money was raised for a bust of the author and a display of some of his memorabilia. His desk, books, and other items can be found on display in the library's biography section. The fund-raising committee disbanded in 1972, but a year later, a surprising source of funding became known.

Charles E. Piggott, a hermit, misanthrope, and miser living in a Los Angeles slum, died in 1973. As a bulldozer operator razed the shack that had been Piggott's home, the operator happened to notice something shiny. It was a bottle with Piggott's holographic will inside.

Despite apparently having no discernible connection with Bridgewater, Piggott left the fund $300,000—money from careful investments over the years. The state of California contested the will and the library hired a lawyer, at considerable cost, to defend the bequest. Eventually, the lawyer won the case and the library got $210,000.

By 1980, the Van Wyck Brooks Memorial Wing was dedicated, doubling the size of the library.

Burton Bernstein, a longtime town resident, looked into why Piggott would leave money to the library, then wrote an article on the bequest, which appeared in the December 18, 1978, issue of The New Yorker. Piggott, as it turned out, had been a voracious reader on any number of subjects and loved public libraries (which are, after all, free). Bernstein believes that Piggott came across Van Wyck Brooks' The Flowering of New England, which describes the hermit Henry David Thoreau. Piggott may have compared himself to Thoreau, or saw wisdom in some of Thoreau's ideas as presented by Brooks. Perhaps this quote stuck in his mind: "The mass of men led lives of quiet desperation... Did they not know that the wisest had always lived, with respect to comforts and luxuries, a life more simple and meager than the poor?... Poverty had given him all this wealth."

Piggott heard of the Van Wyck Brooks Memorial Fund, recognized the name, and, Bernstein believes, decided to contribute.

Notable people

 * Woody Allen, film director, writer, actor, and comedian
 * Cathie Black, media executive and New York City Schools Chancellor
 * Dan Briody, author
 * Van Wyck Brooks (1886–1963), long-time town resident, was a literary critic, biographer, and historian
 * Philip Evergood (1901–1973), artist
 * Mia Farrow, actress
 * Louise Fitzhugh (1928–1974), author of children's books including Harriet the Spy
 * Susie Gharib, business news journalist
 * Kathy Godfrey (1915–1981), talk show host
 * Susan Kinsolving, author and poet
 * E.G. Marshall (1914–1998), actor
 * Lanford Monroe (1950–2000), wildlife artist and sculptor
 * Mike Nichols (1931–2014), film and theater director, producer, actor, and comedian
 * Drake Olson, racing driver
 * Lee Pockriss (1924–2011), songwriter for films and Broadway shows
 * Diane Sawyer, television broadcast journalist
 * Charles Seeger (1886–1979), noted musicologist and composer
 * Luman Hamlin Weller (1833–1914), congressman from Iowa
 * David Wooldridge (1927–1998), British conductor and composer
 * Teresa Wright (1918–2005), Academy Award-winning actress

title: Bridgewater, Connecticut


text:
Colebrook, Connecticut

Colebrook is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 1,361 at the 2020 census. The town is part of the Northwest Hills Planning Region. Colebrook was named after Colebrooke in the English county of Devon; the reason is now unknown.

Geography
Colebrook is in northeastern Litchfield County and is bounded to the east by Hartford County, Connecticut, and to the north by Berkshire and Hampden County in Massachusetts. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 85.3 km2, of which 81.7 km2 are land and 3.6 km2, or 4.23%, are water. Colebrook River Lake and West Branch Reservoir, both on the West Branch of the Farmington River, are in the northeastern part of the town. The Algonquin State Forest is in the central part of the town.

Colebrook is 15 mi north of Torrington and 30 mi northwest of Hartford, the state capitol.

Principal communities

 * Colebrook center
 * North Colebrook
 * Robertsville

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,471 people, 566 households, and 419 families residing in the town. The population density was 46.7 PD/sqmi. There were 656 housing units at an average density of 20.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.01% White, 0.68% African American, 0.61% Asian, 0.88% from other races, and 0.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.45% of the population.

There were 566 households, out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.2% were married couples living together, 5.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.8% were non-families. 19.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.5% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 27.5% 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 102.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $58,684, and the median income for a family was $64,286. Males had a median income of $42,647 versus $35,987 for females. The per capita income for the town was $29,789. About 1.4% of families and 2.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation
The town is served by Connecticut Routes 8, 182, and 183. Route 8 leads south 5 mi to Winsted and north 7 mi to Sandisfield, Massachusetts. Route 182 leads west 4 mi to U.S. Route 44 in Norfolk, while Route 183 leads south 6 mi to Winsted and northwest 12 mi to New Marlborough, Massachusetts.

Education
It is in the zone for Northwestern Regional School District No. 7: Northwestern Regional Middle School and Northwestern Regional High School.

Notable locations

 * Rock Hall, a building designed by architect Addison Mizner, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Wind farm siting
Wind Colebrook was a proposal to build the state's first utility scale wind turbine project, for which permitting was ultimately denied.

BNE Energy was cleared to build three wind turbines in Colebrook and two 2.85MW, 100m-diameter turbines were installed in 2015. A third (3.8MW, 130m rotor diameter) turbine is planned for installation by 2021. According to BNE Energy's quarterly generation reports to PURA, the Colebrook wind farm has slightly exceeded the planned level of energy generation, with 12,742MWh generated in 2016 and 12,706MWh generated in 2017. The wind farm, according to these figures, is operating at about 30 percent of its rated capacity.

Notable people

 * Roy Chapman Andrews, inspired the movie character Indiana Jones.
 * Rufus Babcock, second president of Colby College; born in North Colebrook
 * Donald Barr (1921–2004), novelist, educator, and book reviewer for The New York Times; retired to Colebrook in the 1980s
 * Abiram Chamberlain (1837–1911), the 60th governor of Connecticut; born in Colebrook
 * Jonathan Edwards (the younger) (1745–1801), theologian; lived and preached in Colebrook for four years
 * Eric Foner (born 1943), Columbia University professor, author, and noted Civil War historian
 * Hiram Griswold (1807–1881), member of the Ohio Senate and defense lawyer of John Brown
 * Harris Merton Lyon, short story writer; lived in North Colebrook
 * Christine Negroni (1956- ), noted aviation and travel writer; part-time resident of the town
 * James Phelps (1822–1900), judge, Connecticut state legislator and US congressman; born in Colebrook
 * Lancelot Phelps (1784–1866), congressman and father to James Phelps
 * Ammi Phillips (1788–1865), artist; born in Colebrook
 * Thomas Robbins (1777–1856), Congregational minister, bibliophile, and antiquarian; died in Colebrook
 * Julius Rockwell (1805–1888), judge and congressman from Massachusetts; born in Colebrook

title: Colebrook, Connecticut


text:
Cornwall, Connecticut

Cornwall is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 1,567 at the 2020 census. The town is part of the Northwest Hills Planning Region.

History
The town of Cornwall, Connecticut, is named after the county of Cornwall, England. The town was incorporated in 1740, nearly four decades before the United States declared its independence. The town encompasses three distinct townships: Cornwall Bridge and West Cornwall, each bordered by the Housatonic River to the west, and Cornwall Village, located three miles east of the river. One significant natural feature is the vast amount of forested land, including hundreds of acres of Mohawk State Forest, resulting in Cornwall often being called “the “Greenest Town in Connecticut”. The proximity of its settlements to the Housatonic River offered an efficient means of transporting materials and goods, which helped stimulate Cornwall's early farming economy as well as assisting in the evolution of business and industry. During the 19th century and the arrival of the Industrial Revolution, the town maintained two furnaces, including a blast furnace, to support charcoal-making industries. Cornwall was home to the Foreign Mission School, dating to 1817, as well as the Cream Hill Agricultural School in 1845, whose property, still an active farmstead, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Cornwall has long been known as the “Home of the Covered Bridge,” which has spanned the Housatonic River since 1864. One of only three surviving covered bridges in Connecticut, the bridge is a popular tourist destination and among the most-photographed locations in the state. Modern-day Cornwall continues to reflect its rural farming character while being home to arts, culture, artisans and entrepreneurs. Its convenience to major metropolitan areas makes it attractive for year-round and second-home residents.

In 1939 poet Mark Van Doren wrote "The Hills of Little Cornwall", in which the seductive beauties of the countryside were portrayed:

 * The mind, eager for caresses,
 * Lies down at its own risk in Cornwall;

Cornwall also makes a glancing appearance in Wallace Stevens's late poem "Reality is an Activity of the Most August Imagination."

Cornwall played a role in the establishment of Christianity in the Hawaiian Islands after a native Hawaiian died here of Typhus in 1818. This tragedy was instrumental in the Congregational church's 1820 outreach to the ‘Sandwich Islands’ at Kona, Hawaii.

Geography
Cornwall is in northwestern Litchfield County. It is bordered to the north by the town of Canaan, to the east by Goshen, to the south by Warren, to the southwest by Kent, and to the west, across the Housatonic River, by Sharon. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town of Cornwall has a total area of 120.0 km2, of which 119.3 km2 are land and 0.7 km2, or 0.55%, are water. The town contains a major portion of Mohawk State Forest.

Principal communities

 * Cornwall (has its own ZIP Code for a specific P.O. box)
 * Cornwall Bridge (has its own post office)
 * Cornwall Hollow
 * East Cornwall
 * West Cornwall (has its own post office)

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,434 people, 615 households, and 389 families residing in the town. The population density was 31.2 PD/sqmi. There were 873 housing units at an average density of 19.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.49% White, 0.21% African American, 0.70% Asian, 0.21% from other races, and 1.39% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.46% of the population. There were 615 households, out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.5% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.6% were non-families. 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.4% under the age of 18, 3.3% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 28.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $54,886, and the median income for a family was $64,750. Males had a median income of $46,875 versus $30,536 for females. The per capita income for the town was $42,484. About 1.0% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.0% of those under age 18 and 1.6% of those age 65 or over.

Some of the main features of Cornwall include the Cream Hill Lake, the Covered Bridge, Mohawk Ski Mountain and the town which contains a library and tennis courts.

Education
Cornwall is a member of Regional School District 01, which also includes the towns of Canaan, Kent, North Canaan, Salisbury, and Sharon. Public school students attend the Cornwall Consolidated School for grades K–8 and Housatonic Valley Regional High School for grades 9–12.

Arts and culture
The Cornwall Library, organized in 1869, constructed a new building in 2002 that houses a collection of over 28,000 items. It sponsors art shows, lectures, a Books & Bloom sale and tour, along with many other events.

The Cornwall Chronicle is a non-profit monthly newspaper that publishes news and feature stories about Cornwall, a calendar of events, and drawings by local artists. It was started in 1991 and has not missed an issue since.

The Rose Algrant Show is an exhibit of works in all media by artists from Cornwall, Connecticut over the age of 18. It has been held annually since 1959 (2020 was online).

Museums and other points of interest

 * Cathedral Pines – a 42 acre nature conservatory and old-growth forest
 * Cornwall Bridge – concrete arch bridge built in 1930 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004
 * Cornwall Bridge Railroad Station – added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972
 * Cornwall Historical Society – located in a converted carriage barn, features annual exhibits on Cornwall's history
 * House VI ("the Frank residence") – an example of Deconstructivist architecture
 * Mohawk Mountain Ski Area – a ski resort
 * West Cornwall Covered Bridge – listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975

The town was home to the Foreign Mission School between 1817 and 1826.

Transportation
The town is served by Connecticut Route 4, U.S. Route 7, and Connecticut Routes 43, 125 and 128. Route 4 leads east 13 mi to Torrington and west 11 mi to Sharon, while Route 7 leads north 14 mi to North Canaan and south 25 mi to New Milford. Routes 43, 125 and 128 are entirely within the town of Cornwall, Route 43 running from North Corners near Cornwall village to Cornwall Hollow, Route 128 running from North Corners to West Cornwall, and Route 125 running from Cornwall Village north to Route 128.

The covered bridge in West Cornwall, crossing the Housatonic River, is one of only three covered bridges in Litchfield County. It has a span of 242 ft and has been in continuous service since 1864.

Notable people

 * Ethan Allen (1738–1789), Revolutionary War hero (Green Mountain Boys) and co-founder of the state of Vermont
 * Ira Allen (1751–1814), one of the founders of Vermont
 * Major Andre Andrews (1792–1834), mayor of Buffalo, New York
 * Norman Dorsen (1930–2017), Law Professor, former president American Civil Liberties Union
 * Edward L. Ferman (born 1937), editor and publisher, most notably of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction
 * Theodore Sedgwick Gold (1818–1906), Connecticut state secretary of the board of agriculture
 * Ralph C. Harrison (1833–1918), attorney and Supreme Court of California justice
 * Tom Jones (born 1928), composer, The Fantasticks
 * Alexandra Paul (born 1963), actress; raised in Cornwall
 * Oliver Platt (born 1960), actor
 * Tim Prentice (born 1930), sculptor
 * Abraham A. Ribicoff (1910–1998), governor of Connecticut and U.S. senator
 * Roxana Robinson (born 1946), novelist and biographer
 * John Sedgwick (1813–1864), Union Army general killed by a sniper at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
 * Oscar Serlin (1901–1971), Broadway producer, Life with Father
 * Marc Simont (1915–2013), artist, political cartoonist and illustrator of children's books
 * Richard Schlesinger, veteran CBS News correspondent
 * James Thurber (1894–1961), author ("The Secret Life of Walter Mitty"), cartoonist and celebrated wit
 * Charles Van Doren (1926–2019), historian, notable quiz show contestant, resident
 * Mark Van Doren (1894–1972), poet and teacher
 * Sam Waterston (born 1940), actor; lives in West Cornwall
 * Josepha Newcomb Whitney (1871–1957), suffragist, pacifist, elected to Connecticut legislature

title: Cornwall, Connecticut


text:
Goshen, Connecticut

Goshen is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 3,150 at the 2020 census. The town is part of the Northwest Hills Planning Region.

Geography
Goshen is in central Litchfield County and is bordered to the east by the city of Torrington. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town of Goshen has a total area of 117.0 km2, of which 113.0 km2 are land and 4.0 km2, or 3.44%, are water. A large portion of the Mohawk State Forest is located in the town. The Appalachian Trail formerly passed through the town until it was re-routed west of the Housatonic River.

Principal communities

 * Goshen Center
 * West Goshen

Other minor communities and geographic areas in the town are Hall Meadow, North Goshen, Tyler Lake, West Side, and Woodridge Lake. Woodridge Lake is private. It is only available to residents (it is not a gated community). They have access to the clubhouse, and all of the lake's beaches.

History
The town was incorporated in 1739, one year after settlement of the town center began. The community was named after the Land of Goshen, in Ancient Egypt. The Congregational church was founded the following year. During the 18th century, Goshen was a farming, and later, prosperous business community. Gunmakers from the town such as the Medad Hills manufactured guns during the French and Indian War and Revolutionary War. Other notable business include the Pine Apple Cheese Factory and the Brooks pottery shop.

The first school in Goshen was built in 1753. A seminary for young women was established in 1819. The Goshen Academy was established several years later and became a well-regarded preparatory school during the 19th century.

Settlers from Goshen were the first to settle Hudson Township, Summit County, Ohio, in the Connecticut Western Reserve.

Notable locations
Historic sites in the town include:
 * Hervey Brooks Pottery Shop and Kiln Site, an archeological site listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP)
 * Goshen Historic District (Goshen Center) – CT 63 and 4 and Gifford Rd., NRHP-listed
 * West Goshen Historic District – roughly bounded by CT 4, Beach, Mill and Milton Sts., and Thompson Rd., NRHP-listed

Transportation
Connecticut Route 4 is the principal east–west through route in the town, while Connecticut Route 63 serves as the main north–south road. Route 4 leads east into Torrington and west into Cornwall, while Route 63 leads northwest to South Canaan and southeast to Litchfield.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,697 people, 1,066 households, and 814 families residing in the town. The population density was 61.8 PD/sqmi. There were 1,482 housing units at an average density of 33.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 98.26% White, 0.48% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.74% Asian, and 0.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.22% of the population.

There were 1,066 households, out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.5% were married couples living together, 5.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.6% were non-families. 20.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 31.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $64,432, and the median income for a family was $72,452. Males had a median income of $48,125 versus $30,464 for females. The per capita income for the town was $33,925. About 2.9% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.1% of those under age 18 and 3.9% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture
Multiple events are hosted at the Goshen Fairgrounds each year, located on Route 63 south just outside the center of town. One such event is the Goshen Stampede, a festival held annually on Father's Day weekend that hosts a rodeo, demolition derby, music festival, and truck pull. Later in the summer on Labor Day weekend is the annual Goshen Fair. As the county's largest agricultural fair, it features farm animal judgement shows, competition and contest in log chopping, log sawing, hay-bale throwing and the like. There are food, art, photography, baked goods, and craft contests, as well as rides for children, carnival games, and craft and food vendors. Attendance over the three days can range up to 50,000 people.

Traditionally at the beginning of August, and usually the first Saturday, the Church of Christ presents an Annual Blueberry Festival where they sell blueberry pies, blueberries and host a blueberry breakfast. It is very well known and people from all around the area come to enjoy the festival and the pies. The blueberry pies are available for sale all year long, as well as other flavors made by hand by the congregation (apple, peach, and blueberry-peach). Mini pies are also sold by the church at the Goshen Fair.

The town is also home to the Goshen Players.

Notable people

 * William R. Brewster, American Civil War general
 * David Darling, cellist and composer
 * Daniel S. Dickinson, U.S. senator
 * Ezra Foot, Wisconsin state senator
 * Eunice Newton Foote, scientist, inventor and woman's rights campaigner
 * Asaph Hall, astronomer credited with discovering the moons of Mars
 * Ivan Lendl, Professional Tennis Player and Coach
 * Madeleine L'Engle, author
 * Frederick Miles, congressman
 * Ebenezer F. Norton, congressman
 * Mary Pope Osborne, author
 * Kevin Phillips, author and political analyst
 * Isaac Williams, Jr., congressman

authors: Егор Затяжкин

title: Goshen, Connecticut


text:
Harwinton, Connecticut

Harwinton is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 5,484 at the 2020 census. The town is part of the Northwest Hills Planning Region. The high school is Lewis S. Mills.

History
The town incorporated in 1737. The name of the town alludes to Hartford and Windsor, Connecticut (HAR + WIN) followed by the suffix -ton, meaning town.

Geography
Harwinton is in eastern Litchfield County; it is bordered to the northwest by the city of Torrington and to the east by Burlington in Hartford County. Hartford, the state capital, is 23 mi to the east, and Bristol is 11 mi to the southeast.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town of Harwinton has a total area of 80.7 km2, of which 79.8 km2 are land and 0.9 km2 of it, or 1.12%, are water. The town is bordered to the west by the Naugatuck River. The southeastern portion of the town contains the Roraback Wildlife Area and several reservoirs.

Principal communities

 * Campville
 * Harwinton Center (part of Northwest Harwinton CDP)

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,283 people, 1,958 households, and 1,546 families living in the town. The population density was 171.8 PD/sqmi. There were 2,022 housing units at an average density of 65.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 98.69% White, 0.08% African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.51% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.13% from other races, and 0.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.89% of the population.

There were 1,958 households, out of which 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.6% were married couples living together, 5.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.0% were non-families. 17.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.4% 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 3.05.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.1% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 29.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $66,222, and the median income for a family was $75,912. Males had a median income of $51,597 versus $40,000 for females. The per capita income for the town was $32,137. About 0.8% of families and 2.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 3.4% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation
Connecticut Route 4 connects the town to Torrington in the northwest and to Hartford in the east. Route 118 connects the town westward to Litchfield center, with a junction for the Route 8 expressway in the western part of Harwinton. Route 222 runs south from Harwinton to Thomaston center. Route 72 leads south then east to the city of Bristol.

Notable people

 * Harry C. Bentley (1877–1967), founder of Bentley University
 * Jonathan Brace (1754–1837), judge and U.S. congressman
 * George S. Catlin (1808–1851), U.S. congressman
 * Collis Potter Huntington (1821–1900), one of four men who formed the Central Pacific Railroad
 * Elam Luddington (1806–1893), Mormon pioneer to Utah and the first Mormon missionary to preach in Thailand
 * Luman Watson (1790–1834), clockmaker
 * Abner Wilcox (1808–1869), missionary teacher to the Kingdom of Hawaii

title: Harwinton, Connecticut