Colchester, Connecticut

For other towns named Colchester, see Colchester (disambiguation).

Colchester, Connecticut
—  Town  —
Seal
Location in New London County, Connecticut
Coordinates: 41°33′31″N 72°21′07″W
Country	United States
State	Connecticut
NECTA	Hartford
Region	Southeastern Connecticut
Incorporated	1698
Government
• Type	Selectman–town meeting
• First Selectman	Gregg B. Schuster
Area
• Total	49.8 sq mi (129.0 km2)
• Land	49.1 sq mi (127.1 km2)
• Water	0.7 sq mi (1.9 km2)
Elevation	551 ft (168 m)
Population (2005)
• Total	15,389
• Density	313.4/sq mi (121/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code	06415, 06420
Area code(s)	860
FIPS code	09-15910
GNIS feature ID	0213409
Website	http://www.colchesterct.gov/

Colchester is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 14,551 at the 2000 census. In 2005 it was ranked 57th on the "100 Best Places to Live" in all of the United States, conducted by CNN. In 2010 Colchester became the first town in Connecticut, and the 36th in the country, to be certified with the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) as a Community Wildlife Habitat. Colchester is one of the fastest growing towns in Connecticut. The villages of Westchester and North Westchester are located within Colchester, as is the reservation of the Golden Hill Paugussett Indian Nation. The town center village, which was previously incorporated as a borough, is a census-designated place.

The Colchester Historical Society operates a local history museum in town.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 49.8 square miles (129 km²), of which, 49.1 square miles (127 km²) of it is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²) of it (1.49%) is water.

Principal communities

• Colchester center
• Golden Hill Paugussett Reservation
• North Westchester
• Westchester

Landmarks

Print made about 1848-1849 by Kelloggs & Comstock

Lyman Viaduct on the Air-Line Railroad

Formerly an incorporated borough, the town center of Colchester is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district, known as the Colchester Village Historic District. The town center has many attractions such as the veteran memorial on the town green and Harry's Place, a small shack located in the center of town widely known for their hamburgers and hot dogs. The Connecticut Dragway was also located in East Haddam CT near the Colchester border, until it was closed.

Activities

Fishing, hiking, and hunting at the Salmon River State Forest.

Schools

Colchester has four schools: Colchester Elementary School (Pre K-2), Jack Jackter Intermediate School (Grades 3-5), William J. Johnston Middle School (Grades 6-8), and Bacon Academy (Grades 9-12). In 2009, the Bacon Academy Varsity Girls Basketball team won the Class M State Championship with a 55-53 win over Berlin. In 2010, the Varsity Boys Wrestling team won the Class M State Championship with a 206-190 win over Waterford.

Demographics

The Colchester Congregational Church, Bacon Academy, and, to the right of the church beneath the trees, a small "school for colored children." Sketch by John Warner Barber for his Historical Collections of Connecticut (published in 1836)

As of the census of 2000, there were 14,551 people, 5,225 households, and 3,997 families residing in the town. The population density was 296.6 people per square mile (114.5/km²). There were 5,407 housing units at an average density of 110.2 per square mile (42.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.53% White, 2.37% African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.75% from other races, and 1.32% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.92% of the population.

There were 5,225 households out of which 43.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.9% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.5% were non-families. 18.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the town the population was spread out with 29.8% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 36.5% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 9.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $64,807, and the median income for a family was $72,346. Males had a median income of $47,123 versus $34,250 for females. The per capita income for the town was $27,038. About 2.1% of families and 2.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.4% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.

Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 25, 2005
Party		Active Voters	Inactive Voters	Total Voters	Percentage
	Democratic	2,537	124	2,661	27.87%
	Republican	1,938	90	2,028	21.24%
	Unaffiliated	4,589	265	4,854	50.83%
	Minor Parties	6	0	6	0.06%
Total		9,070	479	9,549	100%

Notable residents

• Jeremy Adams, founder of the town.
• John Adams, (1772–1863), founder of Phillips Exeter Academy, was the principal of the Bacon Academy here from 1803-1810.
• William Adams, (1807–1880), born in Colchester, noted clergyman and president of the Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York.
• Stephen F. Austin, (1793–1836), attended Bacon Academy in 1803.
• Edward Sheffield Bartholomew, (1822–1858), sculptor
• Jonathan Coulton, (1970-), is a singer-songwriter.
• Henry C. Deming, (1815–1872), mayor of Hartford, mayor of New Orleans, Colonel in the Union Army and US Congressman.
• Rick Derringer, (1947-), rock artist and producer.
• Ezra Hall Gillett, (1823–1875), author, clergyman, and professor.
• Prince Saunders, (1775–1839), attorney general of the Republic of Haiti.
• Lyman Trumbull, (1813–1896), born in Colchester, Bacon Academy graduate (1829) became influential as a U.S. Senator representing the state of Illinois during the Civil War and Reconstruction.
• Abigail Goodrich Whittelsey, (1788–1858), editor.
• Denison Worthington, (1806–1880), Wisconsin State Senator.
• Ron Wotus, (1961-), Bacon Academy graduate (1979), San Francisco Giants bench coach.
• Eliphalet Adams Bulkeley, (1803-1872) Bacon graduate (1819); state senator, state's attorney and founder of Aetna Insurance Company (1846)
• Alfred Ely (February 15, 1815 – May 18, 1892), US Representative of New York and taken prisoner after the First Battle of Bull Run

External links

• Town government Web site
• Mystic Country: The Eastern Regional Tourism District
• Eightmile River Study Committee Web site