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Newington, Connecticut

Newington is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Capitol Planning Region. Located 8 mi south of downtown Hartford, Newington is an older, mainly residential suburb located in Greater Hartford. As of 2023, the population is 30,527. The Connecticut Department of Transportation has its headquarters in Newington.

Newington is home to Mill Pond Falls, near the center of town. It is celebrated each fall during the Waterfall Festival.

The American Radio Relay League is headquartered in Newington, with a call sign of W1AW.

History
Newington has a history of nearly 375 years. While not established officially as a separate town until 1871, settlers from nearby Wethersfield took up residence on the western frontier of their riverside town in 1636. "West Society," as some called it, was an area rich in timber that was used for pipe staves, barrel-sized containers used for colonial trade. Grand pastures also made the land ideal for herding and grazing cattle. Its inhabitants received land grants from Wethersfield leaders. Known as "West Farms," the area west of the central portion of Wethersfield became settled by those who were almost exclusively the descendants of the earliest Wethersfield settlers. In 1721, the "western" farmers requested that the General Assembly of the Connecticut Colony give their land the name "Newington" to denote "the new town in the meadow." The Assembly granted the request, even though it took another 150 years before Newington officially became an incorporated town. The town's name predates its official existence.

Newington's motto inscribed on its town seal is "growth and progress," which it began putting into effect at the end of the eighteenth century. In 1798, the precursor to the Berlin Turnpike was authorized and it changed the complexion of the land by dividing the vast farmlands from the commercial center. Originally called the Hartford and New Haven Turnpike, the route attracted a number of businesses from north to south between Hartford and New Haven.

The town came into its own at the start of the nineteenth century. Its location in the center of Connecticut attracted an increasing number of residents and commercial enterprises. Veteran of the War of 1812 Levi Lusk established one of the first businesses on the Turnpike, a tavern that stood as a precursor to the many motels, bars, stores, and restaurants that would come later. Railroads passed through Newington as early as the 1830s, which accelerated residential and commercial expansion. More homes were built and businesses established as the nineteenth century unfolded.

Newington grew in population and area by the second half of the nineteenth century. Wethersfield had done likewise, and two population centers were produced as a result. One centered on Wethersfield's inner village still closely tied to the Connecticut River; the other in Newington had developed its own identity distinct from its mother town.

An 1869 map of Newington shows that the town was divided into four districts—the North, the Middle, the South, and the South-east—that ran from east to west. From north to south, four main roads traversed the four districts starting from the West Hartford line extending all the way to the Berlin line to the south. Later the roads would be called the Berlin Turnpike, Main Street, Willard Avenue, and Church Street. The town extended four miles in a north-south direction and three miles in an east-west direction.

Incorporation and the Modern Era
In 1871, Newington had a population of 871 people with 132 dwellings, and roughly 130 farms, a substantial increase from the start of the nineteenth century. When Wethersfield town leaders refused to fund highway improvements for better access to the railroads, the town formally declared its independence on July 10.

Newington's incorporation coincided with the emergence of the modern era. John Fish's Store, in the center of town off Willard Street (later Willard Avenue), got the town's first telephone in 1883. The trolley began service in Newington in 1894 and connected Hartford and New Britain. The ride from Newington to the city took 20 minutes and cost five cents. Not only did residents marvel at the invention, but took note of its revolutionizing force; it was now possible to live in Newington and to work in surrounding cities. Farms still comprised the bulk of Newington land, but the road to the world of suburbia was being paved.

The trolley spurred more population growth. Newington had only 1,000 people living in it at the start of the twentieth century, but the number reached 4,000 by 1930. At first, Anglos moved to the town from Hartford and New Britain as foreign-born Poles, Italians, and Irish settled in those cities.

Automobiles, the most visible sign of technological progress, encouraged more immigration and did away with many farms. In the 1930s, Newington's political leaders facilitated this change by paving dirt roads, despite the Great Depression which ground much business activity to a halt. Cars as well as the bus system replaced the trolley service in 1937.

Modernization, to Newington, meant more than just trolleys, automobiles, and buses. Using government as an instrument of social improvement, in the spirit of the Progressives, reflected advancement in the early decades of the twentieth century. In 1898 Newington's Virginia Thrall Smith had appealed to the town's political leaders to build an asylum in Newington for the purpose of caring for neglected children. Overwhelmingly the town approved the request after Smith purchased land at the foot of Cedar Mountain in the town's eastern portion. Initially, it had been called the Home for Incurables, but in 1968 would be renamed The Newington Children's Hospital. Three other hospitals were built in town in the early twentieth century contemporaneous with the rise of Progressivism, including the 1911 establishment of Connecticut's first tuberculosis sanitarium on Cedar Mountain.

By the 1940s, Newington experienced the same level of expansion and population growth that other towns around the state had. The Hartford/New Haven Turnpike was renamed the Berlin Turnpike in 1942, and the road was widened from 18 ft to 200 ft the same year, a clear indication that this part of Newington had become vital to the town's commercial life. Mill Pond, in the western part of town, remained an attraction for residents; its 16-foot natural waterfall remains the smallest in the United States, and is depicted on the town seal. But the lifeblood of the community by mid century had shifted away from the area and toward the Turnpike, now known as "gasoline alley" because of the vast number of gas stations there.

Newington's population grew from 5,449 in 1940 to 9,110 in 1950. Along with North Haven, this increase constituted the fastest in the state. By the last decades of the twentieth century, the town's manufacturing base had begun to face dramatic challenges. Newington became the victim of the dwindling defense industry, while at the same time its own businesses such as the Torrington Company, a manufacturer of automobile parts, solvents, and surgical staplers and Loctite, a specialty adhesives maker, left town in the mid-1990s. The building of Interstate 91 and Interstate 84 earlier in the century had affected Newington businesses adversely by making other cities and towns more attractive to industry and but for the success of shopping centers, condominium development, and the continued commercial activity of the Berlin Turnpike, Newington might have seen a sharper economic decline as the twentieth century came to an end.

Newington's population had increased to 29,701 in 2009 and was projected to surpass 30,000 by 2013. The town remained mostly residential with the exception of the Berlin Turnpike, which witnessed a renewed proliferation of commercial enterprises. Reflecting the conspicuous nature of technological advancement, the Turnpike, by the start of the new century, saw the replacement of small businesses with new and larger chain stores.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 34.0 sqkm. None of the area is covered with water, except for two small ponds, found in the town's largest parks, and various small streams. The town of Newington is bordered by the capital city of Hartford to the north, as well as the suburbs of (clockwise from Hartford) Wethersfield, Rocky Hill, Berlin, New Britain, Farmington, and West Hartford. The town consists mostly of residential areas, although it is also home to the Berlin Turnpike, a large, commercial highway.

Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 30,562 people, 13,011 households, and 8,253 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,310/sq mi. There were 12,699 housing units at an average density of 930.4 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 86.5% White, 3.5% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 5.7% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 1.20% from other races, and 2% from two or more races. 7.6% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 13,011 households, out of which 19.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.7% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.4 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.9% under the age of 19, 5% from 20 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 29.4% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $75,237, and the median income for a family was $79,792. Males had a median income of $43,475 versus $35,601 for females. The per capita income for the town was $33,745. 3.5% of the population and 4.6% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 3.7% of those under the age of 18 and 3.2% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. The median home value was $235,300.

Mill Pond Falls
The town seal depicts Mill Pond Falls, named for a sawmill that was built there in 1860. The 16 ft high falls, located in central Newington at Mill Pond Park, is the smallest natural waterfall in the country. A walking path that encircles Mill Pond includes a footbridge which crosses over the waterfall. There is also an observation area with benches at the base of the falls. The park is popular with local residents as a place to walk dogs, ice skate, jog, and picnic; it also hosts the occasional wedding party and festivals. It is open year-round.

Starting in 2000, the Newington Waterfall Committee has celebrated the famed waterfall through the Waterfall Festival, held every September in the center of town. The festival features over 72 vendors and local music groups, as well as the "Artist's Chalk Walk" in which artists of all ages compete to create the best chalk drawing while passersby attend the festival. On April 17, 2010, the Newington Waterfall Committee agreed to plant a Crimson Maple dubbed the "Thankful Tree" at the falls, giving Newington residents the chance to write on tags what they are thankful for.

Library
The Lucy Robbins Welles Library opened in 1939, and was renovated and expanded in 1988.

Notable locations

 * Gen. Martin Kellogg House, built in 1808 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987
 * The National Iwo Jima Memorial, located on Ella Grasso Boulevard on the Newington and New Britain town line
 * The Newington Junction North, South, and West Historic Districts
 * Newington Junction Railroad Depot, built in 1870 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986
 * Willard Homestead (Newington, Connecticut), built in 1730 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986
 * Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Station (amateur radio station W1AW), on the grounds of the American Radio Relay League, built in 1938.
 * Newington Junction contains three historic districts and the Newington Junction Railroad Depot.

Government
Newington received its Charter from the State of Connecticut in 1871 and is currently governed under the Council-Manager form of government, a system that combines the policy leadership of elected officials in the form of a Town Council, with the professional, managerial, and leadership expertise of an appointed Town Manager. The Town Council is the legislative body for the Town of Newington, and nine members are elected to serve two year terms. The Town Council meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month.

The Mayor, elected separately, is a member and presiding official of the Council with the power to vote. Recognized as the official head of the Town for ceremonial and military purposes, the Mayor has the authority to appoint the Town Attorney, Director of Health and Clerk of the Council.

State Government
The Connecticut Department of Transportation has its headquarters in Newington. The United States Postal Service operates the Newington Post Office.

Education
Newington Public Schools operates public schools in Newington CT.

There are seven public schools in Newington. There are four elementary schools, which teach kindergarten through fourth grade. Children attend the elementary school which is located in the district in which they reside. The names of the elementary schools are Elizabeth Green, Anna Reynolds, John Paterson, and Ruth Chaffee. There are also two middle schools in town, Martin Kellogg and John Wallace, which teach grades five through eight. Newington High School is attended by graduates of both middle schools and teaches grades nine through twelve.

Private schools in Newington include Emmanuel Christian Academy (Connecticut), which teaches Kindergarten through Grade 6.

The Connecticut Distance Learning Consortium is located in Newington.

Newington High School
Founded in the early 1930s, Newington High School moved to new building in the 1950s, and the 1970s. The former 1950s Newington Senior High School was renovated and is now used as the town hall and the police department.

Other schools
The Japanese School of Greater Hartford, a Japanese weekend educational program, holds its classes in the Saint Mary School in Newington.

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

Railroad

Although Amtrak does not currently serve Newington directly, the town center is located approximately 8 mi south of Hartford's Union Station. Additionally, Newington is a planned stop along the Hartford Line, a proposed commuter rail service from New Haven to Springfield that will use existing tracks, with a possible shuttle bus connection in Windsor Locks for Bradley International Airport. As of December 2015, funding has been secured to finance the construction of the new line, with service scheduled to begin in early 2018. The State of Connecticut has secured funding for restoration of the Newington Junction Railroad Depot, a passenger rail station located off Willard Avenue (CT-173) in the Newington Junction neighborhood. Although the first train station was built on the site in 1850, rail service was discontinued in 1959.

Bus rapid transit
In March 2015, CTfastrak, Connecticut's first bus rapid transit corridor opened, providing a separated right-of-way between Hartford and New Britain with a stop at Newington Junction. The station consists of two side platforms serving the busway, with two center passing lanes to allow express buses to pass buses stopped at the station. It opened with the line on March 28, 2015.

Buses
Newington is served by a few bus routes operated by Connecticut Transit, including the 69, 41, 47 and 45. Additionally, the 907 Newington Express provides express service to downtown Hartford.

Emergency services
Newington is served by the Connecticut State Police, the local municipal police, and the United States Department of Veterans' Affairs Police Department. The municipal police department consists of 52 full-time sworn officers, who also act as the town's first responders for medical emergencies. All officers have gone through first responder training once more to implement the use of new automatic external defibrillators that will be carried in their vehicles.

The town has an incorporated volunteer ambulance service, that provides basic life support and transport services Monday through Friday from 6:00 pm – 6:00 am and weekends 24 hours. Advanced life support and transport during all other times is provided by American Medical Response. With this system the taxpayers get charged one bill sent by the volunteer ambulance with the Advance Life Support charge included. This system is used by several surrounding towns in the Greater Hartford Area.

The town is served by a fire department that is 100% volunteer and was founded in 1917. Besides the school system, it is the only part of town government that is not under the control of the Town Council or Town Manager. The volunteer fire department is run by an elected board of three fire commissioners, which appoints the fire marshal, the chief, and all officers. A study was undertaken during the administration of former town manager Paul Fetherston that recommended eliminating the board of fire commissioners and placing the department under the control of the town manager. During the 2008 round of Charter Revision, both the immediate past mayor (Mortenson) and current town manager (Salomone) brought up the topic of the fire services organizational structure.

Notable people

 * Amy Archer-Gilligan (1873–1962), nursing home proprietor and serial killer who ran a home for the elderly in town from 1904 to 1907
 * Ed Cody (1923–1994), NFL player for Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears from 1947 to 1950, born in Newington
 * Melanie Fontana (born 1986), singer, composer and songwriter signed to Universal Music Group
 * Richard P. Freeman (1869–1944), Spanish–American War veteran and US congressman, died in town
 * Albert Magnoli (born 1953/1954), American film director, screenwriter and editor best known for helming the films Purple Rain, Tango & Cash, Street Knight, and American Anthem, and editing Reckless
 * John Pezzenti (1952–2007), wildlife photographer born in town
 * Lindy Remigino (born 1931), gold medalist (100 meters & 4 × 100 meters) 1952 Olympics
 * Bill Rodgers (born 1947), attended Newington High School was a four-time winner of the Boston Marathon (1975, 1978, 1979, 1980), also won New York City Marathon (1976–1980)
 * Wilber G. Smith (1935–1992), state senator

title: Newington, Connecticut


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West Hartford, Connecticut

West Hartford is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, 5 mi west of downtown Hartford. The town is part of the Capitol Planning Region. The population was 64,083 at the 2020 census.

The town's popular downtown area is colloquially known as "West Hartford Center," or simply "The Center," and is centered on Farmington Avenue and South/North Main Street. West Hartford Center has been the community's main commercial hub since the late 17th century.

Incorporated as a town in 1854, West Hartford was previously a parish of Hartford, founded in 1672. Among the southernmost of the communities in the Hartford-Springfield Knowledge Corridor metropolitan region, West Hartford is home to University of Hartford and the University of Saint Joseph.

West Hartford is home to regular events which draw large crowds from neighboring towns, including the Elizabeth Park Concert Series, and the annual Celebrate West Hartford event, which includes fairground rides, food vendors, musical performances, and stalls by local businesses.

History
According to archaeological evidence, the Wampanoag people used West Hartford as one of their winter camps. Fishing and hunting along the Connecticut River, the area of West Hartford offered the Wampanoag people a refuge from the cold winter wind and the river's severe spring flooding. In 1636 Reverend Thomas Hooker led a group of followers from what is now Cambridge, Massachusetts to the "Great River" and established Hartford, Connecticut and the Connecticut Colony. As the colony grew, additional land was needed. In 1672 the Proprietors of Hartford ordered that a Division be created to the West. A total of "72 Long Lots" were laid out between today's Quaker Lane in the East and Mountain Road in the West. The northern boundary was Bloomfield, and the Southern, present day New Britain Avenue. (The western boundary was extended in 1830 to include part of Farmington). In the 1670s, the area was referred to as the "West Division" of Hartford. This remained the official name until 1806 when Connecticut General Assembly started referring to it as "the Society of West Hartford."

It is believed that the first homesteader to West Hartford was Stephen Hosmer whose father was in Hooker's first group of Hartford settlers and who later owned 300 acre just north of the present day Center. In 1679, Stephen Hosmer's father sent him to establish a sawmill on the property. Young Hosmer would eventually go back to live in Hartford, but in his 1693 estate inventory, 310 acre in West Hartford along with a house and a sawmill are listed. For nearly a century the property would be handed down throughout the family. Evidence still remains of the Town's first industry, as Stephen Hosmer's mill pond and dam can still be found today on the westernmost side of North Main Street.

By the time of the American Revolution, the once rugged wilderness had been largely clear and a new agricultural-based community had developed with a population of just over 1,000 residents and 3,000 sheep. At its core was the parish meeting house. The First Congregational Meeting House was built around 1712. Now in its 5th building, the church stands proudly at what is now the southeast corner of Main Street and Farmington Avenue. As the focus of early religious, political, and social life, the meeting house helped to provide this area with a name, a title that it still holds today—"The Center."

Evidence in the Hartford Courant and in the 1790s census show that some of the more prosperous households relied on laborers and slaves for fieldwork and domestic help. The Sarah Whitman Hooker House was one such residence and still stands on New Britain Avenue. Evidence shows that the Hookers owned several slaves. One such slave, Bristow, bought his freedom from Thomas Hart Hooker in April 1775 as Hooker set off to fight in the Revolutionary War. Bristow continued to live with the family after Thomas Hart Hooker was killed in the war. Bristow became an agricultural expert and left his property to the Hookers' two children when he died. He is the only known African American to be buried in West Hartford's Old Center Burial Yard. West Hartford's Bristow Middle School is named in his honor.

Coming of industry
One of the first major industries to arise centered on the pottery and brick works. Extending from Hartford to Berlin is a sizable deposit of fine clay. In 1770, Ebenezer Faxon came from Massachusetts and settled in what would become the Elmwood section of West Hartford. There he established a pottery on South Road (what is today New Britain Avenue) which took advantage of the local geological landscape. It was Seth Goodwin, however, who helped to establish a pottery dynasty. Goodwin started his pottery works around 1798. For over a hundred years, the Goodwin name would be associated with West Hartford pottery. Producing utilitarian items such as jugs for the gin manufactured in local distilleries, to terra cotta designs and fine china, the Goodwin Company employed up to 75 people in its heyday. The Goodwin Brothers Pottery Company (as it came to be known) burned for the third time in 1908 and never recovered.

In 1879 Edwin Arnold established the Trout Brook Ice & Feed Company. Ice from Trout Brook, a stream that runs through the middle of West Hartford, was harvested in the winter, sawn into blocks, and placed into a series of ice houses through an escalator system. Insulated in sawdust, the blocks of ice were used as refrigeration locally and shipped as far away as New York City. By the late 19th century, the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad ran through part of Elmwood in the southeast corner of town. A variety of companies cropped up in this area including Whitlock Coil Pipe Company in 1891, and later Royal Typewriter, Wiremold, Abbot Ball, Colt's Manufacturing and Uncle Bill's Silver Grippers (producer of tweezers). The largest of West Hartford manufacturers was Pratt & Whitney (now Pratt & Whitney Measurement Systems, which later lent its name to Pratt & Whitney, the aerospace corporation headquartered in East Hartford). In 1940 it built a plant on 20 acre and at the height of World War II it employed over 7,000 people. It would stand until 1991, when Pratt & Whitney Measurement Systems was acquired and operations were relocated to Plainville.

A new town
In 1792 a committee of residents was appointed to ask permission from Hartford to secede, and were denied. Five years later they petitioned again and again were denied. In the spring of 1854, the Connecticut General Assembly was meeting in New Haven (co-capitol with Hartford at the time). Most likely taking advantage of the distance from Hartford, a petition dated March 21 was delivered to the General Assembly by delegates from West Hartford. Signed by 153 residents, the petition claimed that residences were "subjected to many inconveniences on account of their present connection with the town and city of Hartford and that their convenience and prosperity would be essentially promoted by being set off as a separate town." On April 26, about 100 residents from West Hartford presented their own case against secession. After review and an opportunity for Hartford to make an argument for keeping West Hartford, the General Assembly voted on May 3 for West Hartford's independence.

The 1854 vote was not however the end of the debate. In 1895 wealthy residents from the "East Side" of West Hartford petitioned Hartford for annexation. Their call was rebuffed by other West Hartford residents. Then in 1923 and 1924 Hartford wanted to annex West Hartford back so that it could achieve a "Greater Hartford Plan." Town residents rallied in opposition and the plan was defeated by a vote of 2,100 to 6137.

Emergence as a streetcar suburb
It is transportation that has had the biggest impact on West Hartford and its evolution from sleepy crossroads to modern suburb. In the late 18th and early 19th century three turnpikes ran through West Hartford. Around these roads, taverns, blacksmith and wheelwright shops, general stores and many other places of businesses sprang up. Early maps provide a sense of how important these byways were in the development of commerce and industry. Then came the trolleys—starting in 1845, Fred Brace began running a horse-drawn omnibus from his home on the corner of Farmington Avenue and Dale Street into downtown Hartford. Even more significant were the horse-drawn trolley lines and later electric trolleys that in 1889 began to weave their way from the inner city of Hartford to the countryside of West Hartford. Trolley lines opened up a land that had been inaccessible to many, and made it possible for professionals and their families to settle along Prospect Avenue, then north of Farmington Avenue.

By the 1880s, Hartford began to experience an economic boom. As such Hartford's business leaders began building their mansions along Prospect Avenue. Prospect Hill, situated on a 1 mi ridge boasting impressive views of the burgeoning city, became the area's most prestigious address. Homes are characteristic of the architectural styles popular in that period are represented, particularly Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals. Many homes in the area on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Connecticut Governor's Residence, built in 1908. Prospect Avenue is adjacent to Elizabeth Park, designed by acclaimed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted in 1896 and named for the wife of Charles M. Pond, who bequeathed the land to the City of Hartford. In 1900, the Hartford Golf Club opened its links on the other side of Asylum Avenue just west of Prospect Avenue, adding to the area's ideal suburban sensibility.

In 1895, Wood, Harmon and Company created one of the town's first subdivisions on property known as Stanley Farm, a tract sloping upward from the trolley line that then ran along Farmington Avenue, across from Reservoir No. 1. Called Buena Vista, it was promoted it "Hartford's New and Handsome Suburb." Their literature highlighted "splendid suburban electric car service" and proximity to Reservoir No. 1.

Other developments followed including "Elmhurst" in Elmwood (1901), and Sunset Farm (1917). One of the most exclusive of these early developments was West Hill. Located on the former estate of Cornelius Vanderbilt, son of the famous financier and transportation magnet, it was the brainchild of Horace R. Grant. Designed by some of Hartford's best architects in the 1920s, West Hill is significant historically because it is an excellent example of a planned real estate development of the early 1920s that proceeded under specific design restrictions to achieve outstanding success as a well-crafted and prestigious neighborhood. The architecture is characteristic of the Colonial Revival and Tudor Revival styles popular in the period. It was declared a National Historic District in 1996.

The automobile
By the 1920s and 1930s the impact of the automobile was felt in West Hartford as the town became more accessible to Hartford's middle and working class citizens. Between 1910 and 1930 the population of West Hartford grew from 4,808 to 24,941 residents. Then with the end of the Great Depression, World War II, and the exodus from urban centers, West Hartford witnessed a tremendous influx of people as its population swelled from 33,776 in 1940 to 62,382 people by 1960. This era ushered in major housing developments and retail spaces throughout the community.

In the 1950s, the primary avenues—Albany, Asylum and Farmington—became important arteries for commuters, and the access made West Hartford attractive to middle-class families. During the decade, the town built one new elementary school each year to accommodate the growing population. In the 1960s, construction began on Interstate 84, completed in 1969. The interstate had many ramifications on the community, the most visible was that it bisected the town, isolating the more industrial and ethnically diverse neighborhood of Elmwood with a physical barrier from the rest of West Hartford. Furthermore, The interstate allowed for increased accessibility as the population increased with the Baby Boom and development, and recalibrated the traditional retail sites.

Subsequent residential development continued on through the late 1970s, particularly in the town's northern, western and far southwestern fringes, as evidenced by the many large colonial, ranch, and split level-style homes in these areas. In 1971, the Bishops Corner development was inaugurated. Housing tenants such as Lord & Taylor, F.W. Woolworth, and Doubleday Book Shop drew shoppers from across the region; the Center with its largely independently owned stores, were negatively impacted by the new retail traffic patterns.

Towards the town's southwest fringe lies Westfarms Mall. Opened in 1974 with original anchors JC Penney, G. Fox & Co., and Sage-Allen, the mall further recalibrated retail in West Hartford. It became well known for its lavish ceilings and waterfall-style fountain. Sitting astride I-84, conveniently connected to the town's main internal arteries, and comprising more than 1,300,000 sqft of stores and restaurants, it is the third largest indoor mall in Connecticut.

Zoning and segregation
In 1924, West Hartford became the first municipality in Connecticut to enact zoning, setting a precedent for other municipalities. The zoning legislation economically segregated residential areas by keeping expensive single-family homes away from multi-family housing, and preventing multi-family housing in single-family neighborhoods. West Hartford justified the zoning as intended to raise property values and keep undesirable groups out of the locality. The impetus for the zoning change was the failure of West Hartford leaders to prevent a Jewish grocery from setting up a grocery store in a West Hartford residential area a few years prior.

Alongside zoning, neighborhoods in West Hartford used racial covenants that prevented non-whites from owning or occupying buildings (until they were ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 1948). In the 1960s and 1970s, real estate agents engaged in racial steering to keep black people out of West Hartford. These policies have contributed to making West Hartford overwhelmingly white.

In recent years, attempts at building multi-family housing in West Hartford have been met with protests from residents.

Heist
In 1983, a robbery was committed by a militant Puerto Rican group called "Los Macheteros" where they robbed a Wells Fargo depot situated in West Hartford, netting $7 million. At the time, it was the largest heist in US history.

Blue Back Square
Opening in 2007, Blue Back Square is a pioneer mixed-use development in the Center that blends retail and residential living space on a large scale. The five-building complex contains 220,000 sqft of ground floor retail space and 120 luxury space. Medical office space encompasses 137,000 sqft, and other professional offices total another 62,500 sqft square feet. A six-screen movie theatre as well as two 500-space parking garages were also built. Named after Noah Webster's popular spelling book, Blue-Back Speller, the development has significantly altered the Center and furthered West Hartford's status as a regional dining and shopping destination.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 57.7 sqkm, of which 56.6 sqkm is land and 1.1 sqkm, or 1.91%, is water.

The west side of West Hartford is flanked by the Metacomet Ridge, a mountainous trap rock ridgeline that stretches from Long Island Sound to nearly the Vermont border. Notable features of the Metacomet Ridge in West Hartford include Talcott Mountain and a number of highland water reservoirs belonging to the Metropolitan District, which maintains watershed and recreation resources on the property. The 51 mi Metacomet Trail traverses the ridge. The town's web site indicates that the highest point in town is 778 ft above sea level on Talcott (Avon) Mountain. The altitude at Town Hall is 120 ft.

West Hartford is adjacent to and west of Hartford, the state capital, and borders Bloomfield, Newington, New Britain, Farmington, and Avon. West Hartford is approximately 100 mi southwest of Boston and 120 mi northeast of New York City. Interstate 84 runs through West Hartford.

Demographics
As of the 2010 Census, there were 63,268 people, 25,258 households, and 16,139 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,888.9 PD/sqmi. There were 25,332 housing units at an average density of 1,152.3/square mile (445.0/km$2$). The racial makeup of the town was 79.6% White, 6.3% African American, 0.2% Native American, 7.4% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 3.8% from other races, and 2.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.8% of the population.

Only 49.85% of West Hartford residents reported a religious affiliation. Of these, 31.74% were Roman Catholic, 3.29% Presbyterian, 2.19% Baptist, 2.19% Methodist, 1.59% Jewish, 1.39% Lutheran, 1.31% Episcopalian, 1.19% Pentecostal, 0.4% Mormon, 3.38% of another Christian denomination, and 0.34% were Muslim.

There were 25,258 households, out of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.7% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.3% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 28.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.2 males.

In 2018, the median household income was $99,280 and the per capita income for the town was $54,601. About 3.7% of families and 6.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.3% of those under the age of 18 and 9.6% ages 65 or older.

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

Government
West Hartford has had council–manager government since 1919. It was the first town in the state and one of the first in the country to adopt this form of government, where the council acts as the elected policy board and the town manager serves as the chief executive officer responsible for carrying policies out. In 1921, voters switched to elections by the single transferable vote, using it for two elections, before the General Assembly overturned it in 1923. Town Council members are elected at large for two years and represent all of West Hartford, and the town clerk is elected for four years. Appointed by the Town Council in 2022, Rick Ledwith is the Town Manager.

Connecticut municipalities—as with neighboring Massachusetts and Rhode Island—provide nearly all local services (i.e. fire and rescue, education, snow removal, etc.), as county government has been abolished since 1960.

Railroad
West Hartford is a planned stop along the Hartford Line, a commuter rail service from New Haven to Springfield that uses the current Amtrak-owned New Haven–Springfield Line, with a possible shuttle bus connection in Windsor Locks to Bradley International Airport. Service launched on June 16, 2018. The State of Connecticut has secured funding for the construction of a new train station at Flatbush Avenue at the corner of New Park Avenue. In 2019 Governor Lamont's CT2030 transportation investment plan, which included tolling cars and trucks in 14 locations, was soundly rejected by Republicans and Democrats, leaving less funding for rail projects. Currently there is not enough funding to build a rail station in West Hartford.

Bus
West Hartford is served by several bus routes of Connecticut Transit. Major roads served are Albany Avenue (Route 58), New Britain Avenue (Routes 37, 39, and 128), Park Street (Routes 31 and 33), South/North Main Street (Route 153) Farmington Avenue (Routes 60, 62, 64, and 66), Asylum Avenue (Route 72), Hillside Avenue (Route 63), and Boulevard/South Quaker Lane (Route 69).

Bus rapid transit
CTfastrak, Connecticut's first bus rapid transit corridor, opened in 2015, providing a separated right-of-way between Hartford and New Britain. West Hartford is served by two stations:
 * : Corner of New Park Avenue and New Britain Avenue
 * : Corner of Flatbush Avenue and New Park Avenue

Fire department
The West Hartford fire department operates out of five fire stations, that provide fire protection and emergency medical services at the Advanced life support level.

Utilities

 * Electricity: Eversource Energy
 * Water: Metropolitan District Commission
 * Natural gas: Connecticut Natural Gas
 * Telephone, ADSL/Fiber internet, IPTV television: Frontier Communications
 * Cable television/Cable internet: Comcast

Public schools

The town is home to two public high schools, Conard (home of the Conard Red Wolves) and Hall (home of the Hall Titans), as well as 11 elementary schools and three middle schools in the West Hartford Public Schools system. The elementary schools are Aiken, Braeburn, Bugbee, Charter Oak, Duffy, Morley, Norfeldt, Smith, Webster Hill, Whiting Lane and Wolcott. The middle schools are King Philip, Sedgwick, and the newest, Bristow Middle School, on the former site of Kingswood-Oxford Middle School. The elementary schools are evenly distributed to either King Philip or Sedgwick, and those who enroll at Bristow are chosen by lottery. After middle school, students continue on to high school with their same student body. Sedgwick's graduates go to Conard High School, and King Philip's go to Hall. Bristow students return to the school district they were in during elementary school. The two high schools hold many events and recognize the tension between the two high schools.

Rivalry
As of 2020, both of West Hartford's public high schools, Hall and Conard were ranked in the top 15 in the state and top 5% nationally according to U.S. News. The schools have been neck and neck in competing in educational aspects, but especially in sports. Hall versus Conard sports rivalry has gone on since the beginning of 1957, when their first football game against each other was held. The competition and school spirit is just as alive today, if not, more extreme than it was over 60 years ago. On February 23, 2015, the rivalry went too far when a fight occurred between both teams at the varsity basketball game held at Hall High School. The score of the game was 43–42 and teammates began fighting after a minor issue happened with the buzzer beater. As the entire Hall team stormed the court to celebrate, students began throwing punches at each other and eventually the entire team and coaches were stuck in the middle of a brawl. The fight was recorded entirely for the town to see online and identify which students were at fault, which led to 10 students being arrested. The Hall-Conard fan section was packed per usual and bleachers were filled to capacity as seen in multiple video recordings.

Private schools

 * Saint Thomas the Apostle School
 * Saint Timothy Middle School
 * Northwest Catholic High School
 * St. Brigid-St. Augustine Partnership School
 * American School for the Deaf
 * Kingswood Oxford School
 * Renbrook School
 * Hebrew High School of New England
 * Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Hartford
 * German School of Connecticut

Colleges and universities
Institutions of higher learning in the town include:

 * University of Hartford
 * University of Saint Joseph

The University of Connecticut Greater Hartford Campus was formerly located in West Hartford adjacent to the University of Saint Joseph campus, however it was moved to downtown Hartford in 2017.

Military
The 76th Infantry Division was a unit of the United States Army in World War I, World War II and the Cold War. The 76th Division was reconstituted in October 1946 and reactivated in November of that year as a part of the Organized Reserve, and was headquartered in West Hartford, Connecticut. Units of the division were spread throughout the six New England states. The 405th Army Hospital Unit took over the South Quaker lane facility in 1996.

Media

 * Print
 * The Jewish Ledger, weekly newspaper
 * West Hartford Life, monthly newspaper
 * West Hartford News, weekly newspaper
 * West Hartford Press, weekly newspaper

 * Radio
 * WNWW
 * WWUH
 * WNPR

 * TV
 * West Hartford Community Television (WHCTV)
 * WVIT

Notable people
In alphabetical order by last names:
 * Chip Arndt, gay rights activist, philanthropist, and co-winner of The Amazing Race 4
 * Stephen Barnett (1935–2009), legal scholar who opposed the Newspaper Preservation Act of 1970
 * E. Alexander Bergstrom (1919–1973), conservationist
 * Manute Bol (1962–2010), NBA player
 * Ben Bova, science fact and fiction author
 * Tim Brennan, guitar player and songwriter for Dropkick Murphys
 * Chris Carrabba, singer–songwriter from Dashboard Confessional
 * John Droney, politician and lawyer
 * Dominick Dunne (1925–2009) and John Gregory Dunne, (1932–2003), writers, were born in Hartford and grew up in West Hartford
 * John Franklin Enders, Nobel Laureate 1954 for Medicine
 * Abraham J. Feldman (1893–1977), rabbi
 * John L. Flannery, chairman & CEO, General Electric (GE)
 * Kate E. Griswold (1860-1923), editor, publisher
 * Martin Hayes, Six Time All Ireland Fiddle Champion
 * Lemuel Haynes, clergyman, first African American to be ordained
 * Katharine Houghton Hepburn (1878–1951), social activist
 * Grayson Hugh (singer-songwriter), songs featured in Oscar-winning films Thelma and Louise and Fried Green Tomatoes
 * Liz Janangelo, professional golfer on the LPGA Tour
 * Jared Jordan, drafted 45th by Los Angeles Clippers in the 2007 NBA Draft
 * Charlie Kaufman, Academy Award winner and screenwriter of Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
 * Joan R. Kemler, state representative and the first woman to serve as Connecticut State Treasurer (1986–1987)
 * Edward Lorenz, mathematician and meteorologist, early pioneer of chaos theory, inventor of the strange attractor notion, made the term "butterfly effect" popular
 * Frank Luntz, Republican pollster
 * Kenny Mayne, ESPN personality
 * Joseph Mascolo, actor and soap opera veteran
 * Brett H. McGurk, Special Adviser to the United States Ambassador to Iraq
 * Brad Mehldau, jazz pianist, composer and arranger
 * Alex Mighten, professional soccer player for Nottingham Forest in Nottingham, UK
 * Edward Morley, namesake of Morley Elementary School, scientist best known for the Michelson–Morley experiment
 * John O'Hurley, actor on Seinfeld television series and former Family Feud host
 * Peter Paige, actor
 * Miles S. Rapoport, state representative and Secretary of the State of Connecticut (1995–1999)
 * John P. Reese, money manager and financial columnist
 * Ryen Russillo, ESPN personality
 * Michael Schur, creator of Parks and Recreation and The Good Place
 * William Thompson Sedgwick, professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a key figure in shaping U.S. public health
 * Scott Van Pelt, ESPN personality
 * Kyle Wallack, head hockey coach at Albertus Magnus College
 * Noah Webster, lexicographer, textbook author, Bible translator, spelling reformer, writer, and editor
 * John Woodruff, congressman
 * Gregory S. Woodward, president of the University of Hartford
 * Korczak Ziolkowski (1908–1982), sculptor of Crazy Horse Memorial in South Dakota

Points of interest

 * Bishops Corner
 * Blue Back Square
 * Elizabeth Park
 * Elmwood
 * Fern Park
 * Noah Webster House
 * Park Road
 * West Hartford Center
 * West Hartford Reservoir
 * Westfarms Mall
 * Westmoor Park

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

title: West Hartford, Connecticut


text:
Wethersfield, Connecticut

Wethersfield is a town located in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is located immediately south of Hartford along the Connecticut River. The town is part of the Capitol Planning Region. The population was 27,298 at the time of the 2020 census.

Many records from colonial times spell the name "Weathersfield" and "Wythersfield", while Native Americans called it Pyquag. "Watertown" is a variant name.

The neighborhood known as Old Wethersfield is the state's largest historic district, spanning 2 sqmi and containing 1,100 buildings, dating to the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. The town is primarily served by Interstate 91.

History
Founded in 1634 by a Puritan settlement party of "10 Men", including John Oldham, Robert Seeley, Thomas Topping, and Nathaniel Foote, Wethersfield is arguably the oldest town in Connecticut, depending on the interpretation of when a remote settlement qualifies as a "town". Along with Windsor and Hartford, Wethersfield is represented by one of the three grapevines on the Flag of Connecticut, signifying the state's three oldest English settlements. The town was named by colonists for Wethersfield, a village in the English county of Essex. The town was previously called "Watertown", named after Watertown, Massachusetts, until February 21, 1637, when it was incorporated as a town along with Windsor and Hartford. The town established the Old Wethersfield Village Cemetery as its first burying ground on Hungry Hill in 1638.

During the Pequot War, on April 23, 1637, Wangunk Chief Sequin, who had lived with the colonists in Wethersfield but had been forced out after a few years, attacked Wethersfield with Pequot help. They killed six men and three women, a number of cattle and horses, and took two young girls captive. They were daughters of Abraham Swain or William Swaine (sources vary), and were later ransomed by Dutch traders.

Four witch trials and three executions for witchcraft occurred in the town in the 17th century. Mary Johnson was convicted of witchcraft and executed in 1648, Joan and John Carrington in 1651. In 1669, landowner Katherine Harrison was convicted, and although her conviction was reversed, she was banished and her property seized by her neighbors.

From 1716 to 1718, the Collegiate School was briefly located in Wethersfield; it moved to New Haven and developed over the decades as Yale University.

Silas Deane, envoy to France during the American Revolutionary War, lived in the town. His house is now preserved and operated as part of the Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum. In May 1781, at the Webb House on Main Street, General George Washington and French Lt. Gen. Rochambeau planned the Siege of Yorktown, which culminated in the surrender of Britain and independence of the colonies.

The Wethersfield Volunteer Fire Department was chartered by the Connecticut Legislature on May 12, 1803, making it the first formally chartered fire department in the state. It is one of the oldest chartered volunteer fire department in continuous existence in the United States.

Wethersfield was "for a century at least, the centre of the onion trade in New England", during the late 1700s and early to middle 1800s. "Outsiders dubbed the Connecticut village 'Oniontown,' with a crosshatch of affection and derision, for this was home of the world-famous Wethersfield red onion."

In addition, the town was home to William G. Comstock, a well-known 19th-century gardening expert and author of the era's most prominent gardening book, Order of Spring Work. In 1820, Comstock founded what would become Comstock, Ferre & Company, America's oldest continuously operating seed company. It pioneered the commercial sale of sealed packets of seeds, as he had learned from the Amish. Other nationally prominent seed companies in and around the town developed from this agricultural past.

A meteorite fell on Wethersfield on November 8, 1982. It was the second meteorite to fall in the town in the span of 11 years, as the first crashed on April 8, 1971. It crashed through the roof of a house without injuring the occupants, as had been the case with the first meteorite as well. The 1971 meteorite was sold to the Smithsonian, and the 1982 meteorite was taken up as part of a collection at the Yale Peabody Museum.

Demographics
As of the 2000 census, there were 26,268 people, 11,214 households, and 7,412 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,119.9 PD/sqmi. There were 11,454 housing units at an average density of 924.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 93.19% White, 2.09% Black or African American, 0.08% Native American, 1.58% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.82% from other races, and 1.22% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.19% of the population.

There were 11,214 households, out of which 25.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.9% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.9% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.89.

The town population was distributed with 20.1% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 23.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $53,289, and the median income for a family was $68,154. (These figures had risen to $66,044 and $86,432 respectively as of a 2007 estimate.) Males had a median income of $43,998 versus $37,443 for females. The per capita income for the town was $28,930. About 2.4% of families and 4.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.

Top employers
Top employers in Wethersfield according to the town's 2021 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report

The Connecticut Department of Correction and the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles have their headquarters in Wethersfield.

Due to its proximity to the state capital at Hartford, Wethersfield is the site of several State of Connecticut agencies:
 * The Department of Motor Vehicles office and testing location at 60 State Street.
 * The Department of Labor is headquartered at 200 Folly Brook Boulevard.
 * The Department of Correction is headquartered at 24 Wolcott Hill Road.
 * The Superior Court Operations Unit is located at 225 Spring Street.
 * The Court Support Services Division is located at 936 Silas Deane Highway.

The Wethersfield Chamber of Commerce has over 150 member institutions and hosts community events throughout the year.

Landmarks and historic district
Three buildings in Wethersfield are designated as historic landmarks by the National Register of Historic Places:
 * Buttolph-Williams House – 249 Broad St. (added December 24, 1968)
 * Joseph Webb House – 211 Main St. (added November 15, 1966)
 * Silas Deane House – 203 Main St. (added November 6, 1970)

In 1970, Old Wethersfield, the district bounded by Hartford, the railroad tracks, I-91 and Rocky Hill, was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This is the largest historic district in Connecticut, with two square miles containing 1,100 buildings, many dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries.

Other points of interest

 * Old Wethersfield Village Cemetery
 * Broad Street Green
 * Roger Butler House
 * Captain James Francis House
 * Great Meadows
 * Heritage Way – a "linear park" and multi-use path that connects Wethersfield's open areas and recreation facilities
 * Hurlbut-Dunham House
 * Keeney Memorial Culture Center – home of the Wethersfield Museum and Visitor Center
 * Millwoods Park/Pond
 * Wethersfield Cove
 * Wethersfield Historical Society
 * Wethersfield Skate Park
 * John Chester Willard Pool
 * Wintergreen Woods – 100 acre forest with vernal pools and walking trails
 * Wethersfield High School (Connecticut)
 * Eleanor Buck Wolf Nature Center
 * 9/11 Memorial Sports Center

Music
The historic First Church of Christ, Wethersfield, is the home of the Albert Schweitzer Organ Festival Hartford.

The Wethersfield Historical Society sponsors free outdoor concerts throughout the summer.

Running
The Old Wethersfield 5K & 10K is an annual road race that takes place in the Old Wethersfield section of town. Both races begin and end at Cove Park on Hartford Avenue. The event is put on by the Hartford Marathon Foundation and typically takes place at the end of August. The 2017 edition of the 10K is the state championship race for the USATF Connecticut Grand Prix Series as well as the final event of the HMF 10K Challenge Series.

Education
The Wethersfield public school system encompasses Wethersfield High School, Silas Deane Middle School, and five elementary schools: Highcrest School, Charles Wright School, Emerson-Williams School, Alfred W. Hanmer School, and Samuel B. Webb School.

In addition to traditional public schools, Wethersfield also offers parochial and magnet school choices. The CREC Discovery Academy is a Pre-Kindergarten through fifth grade magnet school designed with a focus on STEM education. The Corpus Christi School is a Catholic school of approximately 400 students from Pre-Kindergarten through eighth grade. It was one of only fifty private schools named as a 2012 National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Secretary of Education, in the category of "Exemplary High Performing."

Bus
Greater Hartford's major system of public transportation is currently Connecticut Transit (CT Transit), a Connecticut Department of Transportation-owned bus service operating routes throughout the New Haven, Stamford, Hartford and other metro areas. Wethersfield is served by route numbers 43, 47, 53, 55, 61, and 91.

Roads
Major roads include:
 * Main Street in Old Wethersfield
 * Connecticut Route 287 (Prospect Street)
 * Connecticut Route 175 (Wells Road)
 * Connecticut Route 99 (Silas Deane Highway)
 * Connecticut Route 15 and U.S. Route 5 (Berlin Turnpike and Wilbur Cross Highway)
 * Connecticut Route 3 (Maple Street and Putnam Bridge)
 * Interstate 91 (Exits 25–26)

Rail
Hartford station is the nearest rail station. Wethersfield was once connected to Hartford by streetcar and by passenger service on the Valley Railroad. Its tracks still provide a route for sporadic freight trains between Hartford and Old Saybrook.

Police
The Wethersfield Police Department is headquartered at 250 Silas Deane Highway. In addition to normal police service, the department maintains a Marine Patrol Unit, a Special Response Dive Team, a Special Response Tactics Team, a DARE youth drug awareness program, and a Police Explorer program.

Fire services
The town has three volunteer fire stations. The year 2003 marked the formal 200th Anniversary of the Wethersfield Volunteer Fire Department. Wethersfield has the oldest volunteer fire company in Connecticut, and in New England.

Postal services
The United States Postal Service operates the Wethersfield Post Office at 67 Beaver Rd. The Town zip code is 06109. The Wethersfield Post Office is a fully trained United States Passport acceptance facility.

Notable people

 * Charles McLean Andrews (1863–1943), historian
 * William Watson Andrews (1810–1897), clergyman
 * Steven Anzovin (1954–2005), American non-fiction author
 * Dick Bertel (born 1931), American media personality and broadcast executive
 * Elizabeth Canning (1734–1773), English maid notoriously exiled for perjury
 * Kenneth F. Cramer (1894–1954), U.S. Army Major General and Chief of the National Guard Bureau
 * James Curtiss (1803–1859), Mayor of Chicago
 * Silas Deane (1737–1789), first American diplomat
 * John Deming (c. 1615–1705), a founder of Wethersfield and an original patentee of Connecticut Colony
 * Tony DiCicco (1948–2017), coach, United States women's national soccer team
 * Bruce Edwards (1954–2004), Tom Watson's caddy of almost 30 years
 * Nathaniel Foote (1592–1644), an original settler
 * Thomas Ian Griffith (born 1962), actor
 * Betsey Johnson (born 1942), fashion designer
 * Mark Linn-Baker (born 1954), actor and director
 * Colin McDonald (born 1984), professional hockey player
 * John Mehegan (1916–1984), jazz pianist
 * William J. Miller (1899–1950), Congressman from Connecticut
 * Stephen Mix Mitchell (1743–1835), United States Senator and Connecticut Chief Justice
 * Chris Murphy (born 1973), United States Senator
 * Tyler Murphy, Former quarterback for the University of Florida Gators; starting quarterback for the Boston College Eagles
 * John Oldham (1592–1636), an original settler
 * John Pinone (born 1961), basketball player and coach
 * Jane Elizabeth Robbins (1860–1946), physician and social worker
 * Annabella Sciorra (born 1960), actress
 * Elizabeth Scott (1708–1776), poet, hymnwriter
 * Robert Seeley (1602–1668), an original settler
 * Christopher Shinn (born 1975), playwright
 * Karen Smyers (born 1961), world champion triathlete
 * David Spicer (1946–2017), organist and choirmaster
 * Charles Stillman (1810–1875), founder of Brownsville, Texas
 * Richard Treat (or Trott) (1584–1669), an original settler of Wethersfield and a Patentee of the Royal Charter of Connecticut
 * Tom Tryon (1926–1991), actor and novelist
 * Sophie Tucker (1887–1966), comedian and singer, interred in Emanuel Cemetery
 * Levi Warner (1831–1911), Congressman from Connecticut
 * Elmer Watson (1831–1911), Connecticut State Senate majority leader
 * Thomas Welles (1590–1660), Governor of Connecticut Colony
 * Benjamin Lee Whorf (1897–1941), linguist
 * Elisha Williams (1694–1755), minister, legislator and judge
 * Benjamin Wright (1770–1842), chief engineer of the Erie Canal
 * Charles Wright (1811–1885), botanical explorer and collector
 * Emily Wright (born 1980), songwriter, producer and engineer

In popular culture
Wethersfield was the setting for the children's novel The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare, as well as the setting of the one-act play The Valiant by Holworthy Hall and Robert Middlemas. https://www.thebooktrail.com/book-trails/the-witch-of-blackbird-pond/

Actor-turned-author Thomas Tryon used his native Wethersfield as the setting for his action/romance novels The Wings of the Morning and In the Fire of Spring, as well as a mystery/horror novel The Other and a film of the same name.

The short film Disneyland Dream features the Barstow family from Wethersfield, including footage of their neighborhood. In the biography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley, Malcolm X recounts a car accident in which he is rear ended at a stop light while traveling through Wethersfield. The novel Parrot and Olivier in America by two-time Booker Prize-winning Australian author Peter Carey was largely set in the town of Wethersfield. The novel touches on some hallmarks of its history including the predominance of onion farming and the old state prison.

title: Wethersfield, Connecticut


text:
Windsor Locks, Connecticut

Windsor Locks is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Capitol Planning Region. As of the 2020 census, its population was 12,613. It is the site of Bradley International Airport, which serves the Greater Hartford-Springfield region and occupies approximately a third of the town. Windsor Locks is also the site of the New England Air Museum.

Located beside the Connecticut River and equidistant from the densely populated cities of Springfield, Massachusetts and Hartford, Connecticut, Windsor Locks is named for a set of canal locks that opened in 1829. Windsor Locks is situated just south of the first large falls in the Connecticut River, the Enfield Falls, which is the head of navigation (the farthest point that seagoing vessels can reach) of the Connecticut River. The Enfield Falls Canal circumvents the Enfield Falls and its nearby shallows.

History
Originally part of Windsor, Windsor Locks broke off into its own settlement in 1854 named after the thriving Enfield Locks going around Enfield Falls which opened in 1829. Bradley International Airport opened as a military base in 1940, and opened to civilian use in 1947. In 1967 the town boundary was altered due to the opening of the Bradley Airport Connector. The town boundary between Windsor Locks and Windsor changed several times and currently sits with Windsor Locks being on the westbound side and Windsor on the eastbound side of the median of CT Route 20.

1965 Little League World Series Win
Led by Coach Russ Mattesen, Windsor Locks Little League advanced to the finals, competing against Stoney Creek Little League from Stoney Creek, Ontario, on August 28, 1965. Pitcher Mike Roche struck out 14 players, and Dale Misek struck a two-run home run to seal victory by a score of 3-1.

Windsor Locks Little League was then crowned the champion of the 1965 Little League World Series.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 24.3 sqkm, of which 23.4 sqkm is land and 0.9 sqkm, or 3.65%, is water.

Climate
Windsor Locks has a humid continental climate with hot and humid summer days to cold sometimes frigid winter nights. Average January temperature high is 36 °F (2.2 °C) and a low of 18 °F (−7.8 °C) temps can reach zero degrees or below 4 nights a year. Summer in Windsor Locks can be hot with the average July temperature of 87 °F (30.6 °C) at daytime and 63 °F (17.2 °C) at nighttime. Temperatures at or above 90 can occur 15 to 25 days per year. The hottest temperature at Windsor Locks was 103 °F (39.4 °C) on July 22, 2011, and the coldest recorded temperature was −26 °F (−32 °C) on January 22, 1961. Average rainfall in Windsor Locks is 46.27 inches.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,043 people, 4,935 households, and 3,306 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,333.8 PD/sqmi. There were 5,101 housing units at an average density of 218.1 persons/km$2$ (565.0 persons/sq mi). The racial makeup of the town was 92.47% White, 2.67% African American, 0.12% Native American, 2.57% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.75% from other races, and 1.42% from two or more races. 2.22% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 4,935 households, out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 33.0% were non-families. 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.7% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% 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 92.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $48,837, and the median income for a family was $59,054. Males had a median income of $41,179 versus $33,641 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,079. 4.4% of the population and 3.3% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 4.5% were under the age of 18 and 4.7% were 65 or older.

Economy
Until 2000, Windsor Locks was home to the oldest corporation listed on the New York Stock Exchange, the Dexter Corporation. Established in 1767 as C.H. Dexter and Sons, the company grew from a family-owned saw and grist mill and evolved into a multi-national producer of long fiber papers and chemical laminates. In its 233 years of operation, the company grew from manufacturing tissues, toilet paper, and tea bags to marketing more specialized products like medical garments and industrial finishes. Faced with a proposed buyout by International Specialty Products Incorporated in 2000, the Dexter Corporation separated its three divisions and sold them off to avoid a hostile takeover.

The Life Sciences division merged with Invitrogen Corporation. The Specialty Polymers division was sold in part to AkzoNobel, and the remaining businesses merged with Loctite Corporation. The third division, Dexter Nonwoven Materials, located on the company's original site in Windsor Locks, was sold to the Finnish Ahlstrom Paper Group. The physical plant continues to operate, with offices located nearby at 2 Elm Street. In 2011, the Home and Personal Nonwovens division of Ahlstrom Windsor Locks was sold to Suominen Corporation, also headquartered in Finland.

In 1952 Hamilton Standard opened its aircraft propeller plant in Windsor Locks. In 1999, Hamilton Standard merged with Sundstrand Corporation to become Hamilton Sundstrand, which is headquartered in Windsor Locks. Hamilton Sundstrand changed names to UTC Aerospace Systems before acquiring Rockwell Collins and forming Collins Aerospace in 2018.

On September 19, 2008, the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston ceased operations at Windsor Locks and moved them to the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.

Education
Primary and secondary education falls under the oversight of Windsor Locks Public Schools. Windsor Locks contains five public schools for students in grades Pre-K3 to 12th grade and one transition academy for students age 18–21.

 * North Street Elementary School: Pre-K3–2nd
 * South Street Elementary School: 3rd–5th
 * Windsor Locks Middle School: 6th–8th
 * Windsor Locks High School (traditional): 9–12
 * Pine Meadow Academy (alternative, Big Picture Learning Affiliate School): 9–12
 * Rise Transition Academy: transition program from ages 18–21

Government and Politics
As of 2023, Windsor Locks is split into two House districts: the 60th represented by Jane Garibay (D) and the 61st represented by Tami Zawistowski (R).

Windsor Locks uses the selectman-town meeting system with an elected Board of Finance. Windsor Locks adopted the Windsor Locks Town Charter in 1981. Windsor Locks' Board of Selectman is composed of First Selectman Scott Storms (R), Selectman Jonathan Savino (D), and Selectman James Cannon (R).

Historical places
The following places in Windsor Locks are on the National Register of Historic Places.
 * David Pinney House and Barn – 58 West St. (added August 25, 1977)
 * Enfield Falls Canal – along Connecticut River from Windsor Locks north to Suffield CT at a location directly across the Connecticut River from Thompsonville (added May 22, 1976)
 * J. R. Montgomery Company Industrial Complex – 25 Canal Bank Rd. (added December 31, 2017)
 * Memorial Hall – Intersection of South Main and Elm streets (added July 2, 1987)
 * Windsor Locks Passenger Station – Main Street (added October 2, 1975)

Notable people

 * John A. Chapman (1965–2002), US Air Force Combat Controller, posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor
 * Ella Grasso, 83rd Governor of Connecticut
 * Henry Molaison (1926–2008), American patient who suffered from life-threatening epilepsy and therefore got his medial temporal lobe surgically removed, and as a tragic consequence of this life-saving treatment, developed anterograde amnesia.
 * Kathryn Morris, American actress, best known for her lead role as Detective Lilly Rush in the CBS series Cold Case

title: Windsor Locks, Connecticut


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Torrington, Connecticut

Torrington is the most populated municipality and largest city in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States, and the Northwest Hills Planning Region. It is also the core city of Greater Torrington, one of the largest micropolitan areas in the United States. The city population was 35,515 according to the 2020 census. The city is located roughly 23 mi west of Hartford, 34 mi southwest of Springfield, Massachusetts, 67 mi southeast of Albany, New York, 84 mi northeast of New York City, and 127 mi west of Boston, Massachusetts.

Torrington is a former mill town, as are most other towns along the Naugatuck River Valley. Downtown Torrington is home to the Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts, which trains ballet dancers and whose Company performs in the Warner Theatre, a 1,700-seat auditorium built in 1931 as a cinema by the Warner Brothers film studio. Downtown Torrington hosts the largest Lodge of Elks in New England. Downtown Torrington also hosts KidsPlay, a children's museum which was founded in 2012 and expanded their location in 2015 after purchasing the adjacent building.

Torrington has two radio stations, WAPJ 89.9 FM, operated by the non-profit Torrington Community Radio Foundation, and WSNG 610 AM, owned by Buckley Broadcasting.

Torrington has two daily newspapers. The Republican-American, which circulates a Litchfield County edition and has a bureau on Franklin Street, and The Register Citizen, which serves Torrington and Winsted, in addition to most of the Northwest Corner. Charlotte Hungerford Hospital has also developed into an important health care resource for the area. In 2008, Torrington was named by Bizjournals as the number one "Dreamtown" (micropolitan statistical area) out of ten in the United States to live in.

History
Torrington was first settled in 1735 by Ebenezer Lyman, Jr., of Durham, Connecticut. The downtown section of Torrington was known as Wolcottville, after the Wolcott family of Connecticut, which produced several governors between 1813 and 1881. Its early settlers resided on the hills west of the Naugatuck River where the first school, church, store, and tavern were constructed. Later, the eastern hill known as Torringford was settled, as it provided the best farmland. Torrington was given permission to organize a government and incorporate as a town in October 1740. The town is named after Torrington in Devon, England.

The fast moving waters of the Naugatuck River were used to power early nineteenth-century industries. Industrial growth skyrocketed when Frederick Wolcott constructed a woolen mill in 1813. The mill attracted a large workforce and created demands for goods, services, and housing.

Israel Coe and Erastus Hodges began the construction of two brass mills on the Naugatuck River in 1834. This event sparked the beginning of the brass industry in Torrington, which later would spread throughout the entire Naugatuck Valley. In 1849, the Naugatuck Valley railroad was completed, connecting Torrington with other population centers, ending its isolation, and stimulating further industrial growth. Soon, Torrington was producing a variety of metal products, including needles, brass, hardware, bicycles, and tacks. Torrington's growing industrial plants attracted English, Irish, and German immigrants throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Between 1880 and 1920, Torrington's population soared from 3,000 to 22,000 as immigration from southern and eastern Europe increased; most immigrants during this period were Poles, Czechs, Slovaks, and Italians. Torrington was chartered as a city in 1923.

In 1955, a massive flood destroyed much of the downtown area and other property in the region when Hurricanes Connie and Diane caused local rivers to overflow. Torrington is home to several state parks, one of which is the very popular Burr Pond State Park. In 1851, Milo Burr placed a dam across the confluence of several mountain streams impounding water for power. The tannery and three active sawmills erected downstream consumed the finest pines and oaks for miles around to meet the needs of lumber production. The clearings became homesites, and Connecticut's industrial leadership was further strengthened. Burr Pond was designated as a state park in 1949. The pond itself has several small inlets and islands. The shore is rocky and there are deep drop-offs in several places, but the pond only has a maximum depth of thirteen feet. Fish species present include largemouth bass, chain pickerel, black crappie, yellow perch, bluegill, pumpkinseed, and brown bullhead. Gail Borden, discoverer of the process of milk preservation by evaporation and condensation, built the world's first condensed milk factory here, in 1856. The new milk product proved to be of great value, particularly to the Union Army during the Civil War. Fire destroyed the mill in 1877. A bronze tablet marks its site, just below the falls.

Torrington is the birthplace of abolitionist John Brown. The birthplace accidentally burned in 1918. In the year 2000, the Torrington Historical Society acquired the property in merger with the John Brown Association. Plans are now being formulated to improve visitor services and to construct interpretive trails on the property.

There was a 100-acre University of Connecticut regional campus in Torrington. It closed in May 2016 due to low enrollment In 2018, the site was sold to Five Points Arts Gallery for $375,000.

Downtown redevelopment
Torrington is planning to revitalize its downtown area in an effort to attract residents and visitors to the city's shopping and cultural opportunities. These redevelopment plans are still in discussion and are not yet completed. The City of Torrington will receive $500,000 for improvements and streetscape enhancements to Torrington's Main Street and downtown. The grant, which will flow through the state, will be designated for downtown improvements on the east side of Main Street and will include, among other enhancements, new sidewalks. A $750,000 grant for downtown improvements secured earlier in 2012 for the west side of Main Street will make similar improvements.

The following ideas have been discussed:

Coe Memorial Park restoration
The historic restoration and renovation to downtown Coe Memorial Park were completed in the beginning of 2004. The Coe Memorial Park Subcommittee and the City of Torrington, worked closely with Ferrero Hixon Associates, to restore the Park to a Victorian walking park, much as it was when it was first gifted to the Town in 1906. These renovations included new sidewalks and paths, and the relocation of memorials and monuments. In 2005, award-winning horticulturist, Gwenythe B. Harvey, owner of the firm The Garden Goddess, LLC, was hired to redefine, design and upgrade existing garden areas. Coe Memorial Park's Botanical Gardens has since become a well-known tourist destination.

Retail expansion
Torrington hopes to attract a wide variety of merchants into its downtown setting. Empty and abandoned buildings would be converted into a mix of retail, office, and residential space. A potential plan discusses the possibility of a national clothing retailer or bookstore chain constructing a location at the top of Water Street on the site of the Kelley Bus Company. This plan had come under fire by some because it involves the demolition of the former Torrington railroad station, which is considered by many to be historical. Despite this, the 113-year-old former Torrington railroad station was demolished, as a safety hazard, on January 4, 2011. The historical society was able to save a few pieces, including the ticket window and some of the terra-cotta ornaments from the outside of the building.

Accessibility
A parking garage is slated to be constructed in the heart of downtown on either Main Street or Water Street. The municipal parking lot next to the Torrington Library would also serve as a downtown parking area. Because the downtown redevelopment project emphasizes pedestrian access, brick sidewalks lined with trees, benches, and bike racks would be constructed along Main Street.

Roads and traffic
To relieve congestion, the city plans to convert the Main Street/Water Street/East Main Street downtown intersection into a "+" shape, rather than its current criticized setup. The city expects to convert Main Street into a one-way road with parking lining one side of the street. The neighboring Prospect Street would also be converted into a one-way road with traffic flowing in the opposite direction. Most of the roads are in medium to poor condition and filled with pot holes.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 40.4 square miles (104.6 km$2$). Approximately 39.8 square miles (103.1 km$2$) of this area is land and 1.5 km$2$ (0.6 sq mi or 1.41%) is water.

The eastern and western sides of the city, at its borders, are at the tops of peaks, while the downtown and central sections of the city are in the Naugatuck River Valley. This provides some interesting views from the higher locations, with the city lights as a backdrop below. Due to the lack of suitable highways and bypass routes in an east–west direction, crossing the city requires driving down into the valley and back up the other side.

Principal communities

 * Burrville
 * Drakeville
 * Newfield
 * Torringford (part of which has been named the Torringford Street Historic District)
 * Downtown Torrington
 * West Torrington
 * Wrightville

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, Torrington has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 35,202 people, 14,743 households, and 9,125 families residing in the city. The population density was 884.7 PD/sqmi. There were 16,147 housing units at an average density of 405.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 93.03% White, 2.15% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, 1.83% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.31% from other races, and 1.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.30% of the population.

There were 14,743 households, out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.7% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.1% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.7% 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 2.96.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.0% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $41,841, and the median income for a family was $54,375. Males had a median income of $37,702 versus $28,418 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,406.

Government
Torrington is governed by a mayor and a six member Board of Councilmen. Torrington also elects a board of education, a board of public safety, city clerk, and a city treasurer.

=== Members ===

 * Mayor Elinor Carbone, Chairman
 * Anne L. Ruwet, Member
 * Drake L. Waldron, Member
 * Molly E. Spino, Member
 * David L. Oliver, Member
 * Paul Cavagnero, Member
 * Stephen Ivain, Member

Transportation
Three primary highways meet in downtown Torrington: Route 8, Route 4, and Route 202. Other major roads include Route 183 and Route 272. The city is served by buses of the Northwestern Connecticut Transit District. Northeast Transportation Company operates connecting service to Waterbury.

There is freight rail service operated by the Naugatuck Railroad extending up the Waterbury Branch to Torrington.

Bradley International Airport (BDL) in Windsor Locks is the closest major commercial airport to Torrington.

Main Street Marketplace
Main Street Marketplace (MSMP) was created in 2009 by founders Steve Criss, Rose Ponte, Jessica Hodorski and the 2009 ACT Commissioners. The original idea for MSMP was to create an event to bring families together downtown to support the local merchants. Since 2009, MSMP brings in about 3,000 visitors a night, has 40–45 exhibitors, 15–20 food vendors, non-profit exhibitors, and a variety of different types of performers every night. It was a multi-week event that ran consecutively during the summer on a specified weeknight from 5 to 9 o'clock. Main Street was shut down and the marketplace extended from Water Street to Alvord Street.

City financial report (2004)
The City of Torrington typically collects 100% of taxes owed through the use of private tax collectors.

The 2004 General Fund budgetary fund balance was $5.8 million. The city has bonded debt outstanding of $36.8 million for governmental activities and $4.2 million for business type (WPCA). All current outstanding bonded debt will be retired by the year 2021 (current estimate).

Torrington's bond rating is A1.

In 2004, total revenue was $88,444,157: Property Taxes (64.40%), Board of Education Grants (23.44%), Federal & State Grants (7.06%), General Government (3.67%), Public Safety (0.64%), Public Works (0.53%), Invest Income (0.26%), and Recreation (0.01%).

Total expenditures and encumbrances were $88,679,873: Board of Education (53.41%), Public Safety (12.97%), Pension & Miscellaneous (10.58%), Public Works (8.34%), Debt Services (7.69%), General Government (3.49%), Public Health & Social Services (1.99%), Operating Transfers Out (0.85%), Recreation (0.40%), Second Part Budget (0.29%).

Crime and law enforcement
The number of violent crimes recorded by the FBI in 2003 was 139. The number of homicides was 0. The violent crime rate was 3.9 per 1,000 people.

In 1984–1985, Torrington's Police Department was sued by Tracey Thurman, who was nearly killed in 1983 by her estranged husband Charles "Buck" Thurman. In Thurman v. City of Torrington (finalized 1985), the federal court levied a $2.3 million judgment against the city for refusing to enforce its previous restraining orders because the perpetrator was married to the victim. Thurman's abuse, attempted murder and lawsuit were later depicted in a 1989 made-for-TV movie A Cry for Help: The Tracey Thurman Story, starring Nancy McKeon.

In March 2013, Torrington received a degree of national notoriety for a statutory rape case involving three teen-aged boys accused of sexually assaulting two 13-year-old girls. Joan Toribio and Edgar Gonzalez, both 18, were among the accused. Both were popular high school football players, who claimed that the encounters were consensual. The third male, Dylan Rodriguez, was underage himself. Several dozen Torrington High School students rallied around the accused and allegedly aggressively bullied the victims online. One of the victims was called a “hoe” on her Facebook page and blamed for "ruining the lives" of the accused. Despite receiving national criticism, Torrington High School students continued to use social media to support the defendants, posting online photos while diminishing the validity and severity of the victim's claims.

Baseball
A professional baseball team and two collegiate baseball teams have played their home games at Fuessenich Park.

The Torrington Titans played in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League of New England. They played their inaugural season in the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League, a collegiate summer baseball league. After leading the ACBL in attendance in 2010, the team was sold to the Carminucci Sports Group (CSG), which transferred their affiliation to the Futures League. CSG owns both the Brockton Rox of the professional Can-Am League, and fellow Futures League affiliate the Martha's Vineyard Sharks.

In 2009, an organization called Our Baseball Haven, introduced a unique concept and proposal through which a collegiate baseball team could once again call Torrington its home. The concept, called "crowdsourcing" was supported by some five hundred individuals and the Peekskill (NY) Robins of the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League (ACBL) were moved to Torrington and their name changed to the Torrington Titans. The Titans capped their successful 2010 inaugural season by winning the Kaiser Division. The Titans did not return for the 2017 season

The Torrington Twisters were a member of the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) from 1997 to 2008. Torrington twice played host to the league All-Star Game (1998, 2008) and generally placed high in their division each season. The organization made an abrupt move to Massachusetts after 2008.

A professional baseball team once located in the city was known as the Torrington Braves, and were a member of the Colonial League. After just one season, 1950, they disbanded.

Running
The Torrington Road Race is a five-mile (8 km) run, which coincides with Donor's Week in August. Starting at Coe Memorial Park, the course extends to the farther reaches of the valley, including Riverside Avenue, Migeon Avenue, Prospect Street and others. The race, which started in 1972, primarily includes runners from around Connecticut and has also attracted some runners each year from Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and others. The record time for the race was 24:22 by Evance Rotich in 2008. Chris Chisholm holds the record for number of times winning the race with six (1984, 2002–2003, 2013–2015), and Anne Curi-Preisig holds the record for most first-place woman finishes with six (1990–1991, 1993–1996). Rosa Moriello is the only woman to finish as the overall winner of the race, with a time of 27:55 in 2012.

High school sports
Torrington High School typically offers football, soccer, volleyball, cross country, swimming, basketball, track, baseball, softball, tennis, and golf, as well as cheerleading and dance.

The Torrington High School Athletic Hall of Fame has elected more than 100 individuals since 1998.

In 2006, the Torrington High School Men's Basketball team captured their first Connecticut State Championship since 1944, beating rival high school Holy Cross of Waterbury.

On the National Register of Historic Places

 * Downtown Torrington Historic District—Roughly bounded by Church and Alvord Sts., Center Cemetery, Willow St., E. Main St., Litchfield St., and Prospect St. (added 1988)
 * Fyler-Hotchkiss Estate—192 Main St. (added 1987)
 * James Alldis House—355 Prospect St. (added 1982)
 * Migeon Avenue Historic District—Roughly along Migeon Ave. and parts of Forest St. (added 2002)
 * Paugnut Forest Administration Building—385 Burr Mountain Rd. (added 1986)
 * Skee's Diner—589 Main St. (added 2002)
 * South School—362 S. Main St. (added 1986)
 * Torringford Street Historic District—Torringford St. from East Main St. to W. Hill Rd. (added 1991)
 * Torrington Fire Department Headquarters—117 Water St. (added 1987)
 * Villa Friuli—58 High St. (added 1991)
 * Warner Theatre—68-82 Main St. (added 1984)
 * Warrenton Woolen Mill—839 Main St. (added 1987)
 * Water Street Historic District—Roughly along Water St., from Church St. to Prospect St. (added 2003)

Notable people

 * John Brown (1800–1859), abolitionist, was born in Torrington
 * Josiah Bunting III (born 1939), author, educator, soldier and Superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute
 * W. G. Curtis (1857–1913), a homesteader and politician, lived in Torrington, Connecticut, and later founded and named the town of Torrington, Wyoming after his former residence
 * Bill C. Davis (1961–2021), playwright, was living in Torrington at the time of his death
 * Dick Ebersol (born 1947), chairman of NBC Universal Sports, was born in Torrington
 * Frank Fixaris (1934–2006), Maine sportscaster, was born in Torrington and grew up at 600 Prospect Street
 * Aline Huke Frink (1904–2000), mathematician, professor at Pennsylvania State University, born in Torrington
 * Ellen Maria Huntington Gates (1835–1920), hymn writer and poet
 * Horace Holley (1887–1960), prominent follower of the Baha'i Faith was born in Torrington
 * Samuel John Mills (1783–1818), Congregationalist missionary
 * Lyman Cornelius Smith (1850–1910), an industrialist and founder of the L.C. Smith & Brothers Typewriter Company, which grew into the Smith-Corona Company, was born here
 * William L. Shirer, Author of “The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich”, lived on the 40 acre estate on Stillwater Pond Road (formerly, Brass Mill Dam Rd.); once the location of Torrington’s first dairy farm.
 * Steven Strogatz, American mathematician and popularizer of mathematics, born in Torrington
 * Karl Swenson (1908–1978), actor, who died in Torrington
 * Tracey Thurman, a victim of domestic violence who drew national attention in 1985
 * Patricia Wald (1928–2019), first female judge of the Washington, D.C., circuit, was born and raised in Torrington
 * Jordan Williams (born 1990), basketball center for the Maryland Terrapins and the New Jersey Nets
 * Jocko Willink (born 1971), US Navy SEAL Lt. Commander, Author, Podcaster. Born in Torrington

title: Torrington, Connecticut