Woodbridge, Connecticut

Woodbridge, Connecticut
Town
Seal
Location in Connecticut
NECTA	Bridgeport-Stamford
Region	South Central Region
Incorporated	1784
Government
• Type	Selectman-town meeting
• First selectman	Edward Maum Sheehy
Area
• Total	49.7 km2 (19.2 sq mi)
• Land	48.8 km2 (18.8 sq mi)
• Water	1.0 km2 (0.4 sq mi)
Elevation	106 m (348 ft)
Population  (2005)
• Total	9,264
• Density	190/km2 (493/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (Eastern)
ZIP code	06525
Area code	203
FIPS code	09-87700
GNIS feature ID	0213539
Website	http://www.woodbridgect.org/

First Church of Christ on the green in Woodbridge

Below Wepawaug Falls in Woodbridge

Woodbridge is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 8,983 at the 2000 census. It is one of the wealthiest towns in Connecticut, ranking 16th in the state in terms of per capita income, and is home to many of the faculty of Yale University.

History

Woodbridge was originally called "Amity", having been carved out of land originally belonging to New Haven and Milford as an independent parish in 1739. In 1742, the Rev. Benjamin Woodbridge was ordained in Amity, and it is after him that the modern town was named.

In 1661, the town was the location of one of the hideouts of the "Regicides" -- three of the judges who signed the death warrant for King Charles I of England. The ruins of their hideout can be found on the nearby West Rock ridge, which run along the town's eastern border.

Thomas Darling (1720-1789), a tutor at Yale College and later an entrepreneur in New Haven, moved to town in 1774. His home is now the Darling House Museum, operated by the Amity & Woodbridge Historical Association.

In the modern era, Woodbridge has undergone significant suburbanization.

Government

Woodbridge is governed by a 6-member Board of Selectmen.

In April 2006, Edward Sheehy (Democrat) became First Selectman. Sheehy served on the Board of Selectmen for 27 years as a regular selectman. The Board of Selectmen elected Sheehy First Selectman by a 3 to 2 vote, along party lines, to replace Amey Marella (Republican), who stepped down to accept a job as Deputy Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection. Before becoming First Selectwoman in 2001, Marella was an attorney with the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

Recent First Selectmen elections

2006: Edward Sheehy (Democrat) elected by Board of Selectmen, 3 to 2; 2005: Amey Marrella (Republican) defeated Laurence Grotheer; 2003: Amey Marrella (Republican) defeated Janice Horowitz; 2001: Amey Marrella (Republican) defeated Susan Lora Jacobs (Democrat)

Education

Grammar School

Beecher Road School is the town's pre Kindergarten - Grade 6 school. In 2001, the Board of Education split the school into two schools (one preK-2 and multi-age; and one 3-6).

Kevin Brennan was Beecher Road School principal from 1992-1999. Since the Board of Education declined to renew Brennan's contract, Beecher Road School has gone through nine principals in seven years.

Middle School

As part of the Amity school system, Woodbridge shares a middle school with the town of Bethany, which is located north of Woodbridge.

High School

Woodbridge also shares the Amity Regional High School with the neighboring towns of Bethany and Orange. The high school is located in Woodbridge's town center area. It has recently undergone extensive renovations in order to accommodate the extra ninth grade coming in from all three towns.

Private Schools

Woodbridge is also home to Ezra Academy, a Jewish day school. Natalie Portman attended Ezra Academy.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 19.2 square miles (49.8 km²), of which, 18.8 square miles (48.8 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km²) of it is water. The total area is 2.03% water.

Woodbridge is informally divided into two distinct parts -- central Woodbridge, which occupies the western hilly side of town, and the area known as The Flats, which occupies the eastern slice of town bordering the less wealthy West Rock and the New Haven neighborhood of Westville.

Neighboring towns are Bethany to the north, Hamden to the east, New Haven to the southeast, Orange to the south, and Derby, Ansonia, and Seymour to the west.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 8,983 people, 3,103 households, and 2,553 families residing in the town. The population density was 477.0 people per square mile (184.2/km²). There were 3,189 housing units at an average density of 169.3/sq mi (65.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 91.34% White, 1.50% African American, 0.04% Native American, 5.10% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.60% from other races, and 1.39% from two or more races. 1.54% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 3,103 households out of which 40.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.7% were married couples living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.7% were non-families. 15.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.17.

27.8% of the population was under the age of 18, 3.8% from 18 to 24, 22.5% from 25 to 44, 29.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $102,121, and the median income for a family was $111,729. Males had a median income of $75,965 versus $41,731 for females. The per capita income for the town was $49,049. 2.3% of the population and 1.4% of families were below the poverty line. 2.7% of those under the age of 18 and 5.3% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 25, 2005
Party		Active Voters	Inactive Voters	Total Voters	Republican	1,436	72	1,508	Democratic	1,767	125	1,892	Unaffiliated	2,951	253	3,204	Minor Parties	7	0	7
Total		3,766	138	3,904

Other

• The sulfur match was invented in Woodbridge by Samuel Beecher and Thomas Sanford in 1835.
• Woodbridge, CT is the birth place of American film director Jonathan Mostow, who is known best for being the director of Terminator 3.
• Is often talked about on the CW show The Gilmore Girls, as Stars Hollow's (a fictional CT town) rival.
• Yale professor and noted author David Gelernter resides in Woodbridge. He generated headlines in 1993 when he was injured as a victim of the Unabomber.

External links

• Town of Woodbridge official Web site
• Woodbridge Historical Society
• Woodbridge Public Library
• Woodbridge Public Schools
• Beecher Road School
• Amity Regional School District
• Woodbridge Fire Department