Farmington, Connecticut

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Farmington, Connecticut
established_title = Incorporated
established_date = 1645
established_title1 = Consolidated
established_date1 = 1947
subdivision_type2 =
subdivision_name2 =
government_type = Council-manager


mapsize1 =
map_caption1 =
subdivision_type = NECTA
subdivision_name = Hartford
subdivision_type1 = Region
subdivision_name1 = Capitol Region
settlement_type = Town


imagesize =
image_caption =
image_

---

mapsize = 250x200px
map_caption = Location in Hartford County, Connecticut
leader_title = Town manager
leader_name = Kathleen Eagen
leader_title1 = Council chairman
leader_name1 = Michael Clark
area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 74.6
area_land_km2 = 72.7
area_water_km2 = 1.9
area_total_sq_mi = 28.8
population_as_of = 2005
population_total = 24941
population_density_km2 = 343
population_density_sq_mi = 888
timezone = Eastern
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = Eastern
utc_offset_DST = -4
area_land_sq_mi = 28.1
area_water_sq_mi = 0.7
elevation_m = 49
elevation_ft = 161
latd = 41 |latm = 43 |lats = 40 |latNS = N
longd = 72 |longm = 50 |longs = 25 |longEW = W
region =
postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 06032, 06085
website = http://www.farmington-ct.org/
area_code = 860
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 09-27600
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0213430
footnotes =

Farmington is a town located in Hartford County in central Connecticut in the United States. The population was 23,641 at the 2000 census. It is home to the world headquarters of several large corporations including Carrier Corporation, Otis Elevator Company, and Carvel. As an affluent suburb of Hartford, Farmington is often regarded as one of the most posh and desirable communities in the area. The town was listed among the "preppiest" suburbs in the United States in the tongue-in-cheek 1980s best-seller "The Official Preppy Handbook" [cite book |title=The Official Preppy Handbook |last=Birnbach |first=Lisa |authorlink=Lisa Birnbach |year=1980 |publisher=Workman Publishing Company |location=New York, NY |isbn=0894801406 |pages=p. 188 ] .

History

eventeenth and eighteenth centuries

Farmington was originally inhabited by the Tunxis Indian tribe. In 1640 a white settlement was established by residents of Hartford, making Farmington the oldest inland settlement west of the Connecticut River and one of the oldest communities in the state. They found the area ideal for settling because of its rich soil, location along the floodplain of the Farmington River, and valley geography.

The town and river were given their present names in 1645, which is considered the incorporation year of the town. The town's boundaries were later enlarged several times making it the largest in the Connecticut Colony by far. Farmington has been called the "mother of towns" because its vast area was divided to produce nine other central Connecticut communities. The borough of Unionville, in Farmington's northwest corner, was once home to many factories harnessing the water power of the Farmington River.

Located in the picturesque Farmington Valley, Farmington is steeped in history and New England charm. Main Street, in the historic village section, is lined with colonial estates, some of which date back to the 17th century. During the Revolutionary War George Washington passed through Farmington on several occasions and referred to the town as "the village of pretty houses." [cite news |first=Eve |last=Glasberg |title=A 'Village of Pretty Houses,' Where Women's Lives Were Reshaped |url=http://travel2.nytimes.com/2006/03/03/travel/03trip.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1146283463-YKay2YVq+ebGHCcNTtHgUA/ |work=The New York Times |publisher=The New York Times Company |date=2006-03-03 |accessdate=2007-03-15] In addition, French troops under General Rochambeau encamped in Farmington en route to Westchester County to offer crucial support of General George Washington's army.

Nineteenth century

The majority of Farmington residents were firm abolitionists and were active in aiding escaped slaves. Several homes in the town were safe houses on the underground railroad, in fact the town was such a hub that it became known as "Grand Central Station" among escaped slaves and their "guides". Furthermore, Farmington played an important role in the famous Amistad slaveship trial. In 1841, 38 Mendi Africans and Cinque, the leader of the Amistad revolt, were housed and educated in Farmington because the U.S. government refused to provide for their return to Africa following the trial. The Mendi were educated in English and Christianity while funds were raised by residents for their return to Africa.

The Farmington Canal, a minor canal connecting New Haven with Northampton, Massachusetts, passed through the Farmington on the eastern bank of the river and was operated intermittently between 1828 and 1848. While never a commercial success, the canal's right of way and towpath was eventually used for a railroad, portions of which were used up to the 1990s. Much of the towpath and the railroad bed has been converted to a cycling and running trail running from New Haven to Northampton, Massachusetts.

On the National Register of Historic Places

* Austin F. Williams Carriagehouse and House — 127 Main Street (added September 5, 1998)
* Farmington Historic District — Porter and Mountain Rds., Main and Garden Sts., Hatter's and Hillstead Lanes, and Farmington Ave. (added April 17, 1972)
* First Church of Christ — 75 Main St. (added June 15, 1975)
* Gen. George Cowles House — 130 Main St. (added June 11, 1982)
* Gridley-Parsons-Staples Homestead — 1554 Farmington Ave. (added August 30, 1981)
* Hill-Stead Museum — 35 Mountain Rd. (added August 17, 1991)
* Pequabuck Bridge — Meadow Rd. at Pequabuck River (added August 19, 1984)
* Shade Swamp Shelter — US 6 E of New Britain Ave. (added October 4, 1986)
* Stanley-Whitman House — 37 High St. (added November 15, 1966)
* West End Library — 15 School St., Unionville (added May 25, 2000)

Education

Students in Farmington have access to public schools that consistently rank among the best in the nation. The town has seven main public schools. The four K-4 elementary schools are Union School, West District School, Noah Wallace School, and East Farms School. The recently built West Woods Upper Elementary School houses all of grades 5-6 and features state of the art facilities. Irving Robbins Middle school houses grades 7-8. Farmington High School serves grades 9-12 for the entire town. In 2005, Farmington High School was ranked 125 on "Newsweek" Magazine's list of the best schools in the United States, [cite news |first=Halley |last=Bondy |authorlink= |coauthors=Brillman, Dan & Kaufman, Becca |title=The Top of the Class |url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18757087/?sort=Rank&count=1043&Search=&start=100&limit=100&year=2005& |work=Newsweek |publisher=MSNBC |accessdate=2007-06-17] in 2006 Farmington was ranked 269 [cite news |first=Halley |last=Bondy |authorlink= |coauthors=Brillman, Dan & Kaufman, Becca |title=The Top of the Class |url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18757087/?sort=Rank&count=1236&Search=&start=200&limit=100&year=2006& |work=Newsweek |publisher=MSNBC |accessdate=2007-06-17] and in 2007, 298. [cite news |first=Halley |last=Bondy |authorlink= |coauthors=Brillman, Dan & Kaufman, Becca |title=The Top of the Class |url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18757087/?sort=Rank&count=1327&Search=&start=200&limit=100&year=2007& |work=Newsweek |publisher=MSNBC |accessdate=2007-06-17]

Important institutions in town

Just above the village, off Mountain Road, lies the Hill-Stead Museum. The estate, completed in 1901 and designed for Alfred Atmore Pope by his daughter Theodate Pope Riddle, one of the first woman American architects, is known for its Colonial Revival architecture. Now a museum, its 19 rooms hold a nationally-recognized collection of Impressionist paintings by such masters as Manet, Monet, Whistler, Degas and Cassatt. It is also the sight of the annual Sunken Garden Poetry Festival, and is a National Historic Landmark.

Miss Porter's School, an exclusive college preparatory school for girls, is in Farmington. The school, whose buildings occupy much of the village center, is a significant historic and cultural institution in its own right. Founded in 1843 by educational reformer Sarah Porter, Miss Porter’s has long been one of the most selective preparatory schools for girls in the country. Famous alumni include Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Lilly Pulitzer and members of the Bush, Vanderbilt, and Rockefeller families.

The town is also home to the University of Connecticut Health Center, where over 4,000 people work. The Health Center also houses John Dempsey Hospital. The hospital provides the only full-service emergency department in the Farmington Valley and a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), one of only two in Connecticut.

Farmington is also home to TRUMPF Inc. TRUMPF is the largest manufacturer of Fabricating Machinery in the United States and a World Market Leader in Lasers used for Industrial Production Technology.

Development issues

Many residents have repeatedly fought proposals by the state to widen Route 4, a main thoroughfare linking northwestern Connecticut to I-84, fearing that such a move would compromise the character and integrity of the town. With the recent relocation of Parsons Chevrolet, "on that crazy corner" just above the village, there is some suspicion that this widening of Route 4 will come sooner rather than later. Work has been delayed because of the town's fight to maintain the village aesthetic and requests for modifications to the proposed plan.

Farmington also faces a relatively strong demand for housing. The lure of Farmington's quality public school system, convenient location for commuters, charm, and name recognition continue to attract new home buyers. As such, town officials are faced with the task of accommodating new growth while respecting the preservation and need for open space. Farmington's real estate values are among the highest in Greater Hartford.

In January 2008, town residents overwhelmingly approved the purchase of nearly 100 acres of farmland. This blocked a proposal to convert the farm into a residential strip, something many feared would have compromised the town's rural feel.

Notable residents

*Hip-hop artist Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, his 17 acre, 50,000 square foot estate is currently for sale for $18,500,000. [ [http://www.50poplarhillroad.com/ Exquisite Compound] ]
*Suzy Whaley, the first female golfer to qualify for a PGA event, resides in the posh Devonwood subdivision.
*Former New England Patriots football player Tebucky Jones also maintains a home in Farmington.
*Oliver Wolcott, second secretary of the U.S. Treasury Department and signer of the Declaration of Independence died in town.
*Chauncey Langdon, a United States Representative from Vermont, was born in town.
*Jenah Doucette, a contestant who placed third on America's Next Top Model, Cycle 9.
*Boxer Mike Tyson previously owned the house that was eventually bought by 50 Cent.

Historical populations

Sources: [http://www.sots.state.ct.us/RegisterManual/regman.htm Interactive Connecticut State Register & Manual] and [http://eire.census.gov/popest/data/cities.php U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division]

Geography

), of which, 28.1 square miles (72.7 km²) of it is land and 0.7 square miles (1.9 km²) of it (2.50%) is water.

Farmington borders the towns of Avon, Burlington, Newington, West Hartford, and Plainville, and the cities of New Britain and Bristol.

Farmington is mostly wooded. But there are also a myriad of meadows and hills in the east and southeast. There are also numerous ponds and lakes. The Farmington River runs through the town from the northwest from Burlington, enters Unionville, then takes a sharp near Farmington Center and flows north towards Avon. The Metacomet Ridge, a 100 mile range of low traprock mountain ridges, occupies the east side of Farmington as Pinnacle Rock, Rattlesnake Mountain, Farmington Mountain, and Talcott Mountain. The ridge is traversed by the 51 mile Metacomet Trail, a hiking trail and contains several rock walls and chimneys suitable for technical climbing. These climbing areas, as well as several other rockclimbing locations in Central Connecticut are documented in the 1995 book, "Hooked on Traprock" [http://www.amazon.com/Hooked-Traprock-Climbing-Central-Connecticut/dp/0848817621/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1222965626&sr=8-7.]

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 23,641 people, 9,496 households, and 6,333 families residing in the town. The population density was 842.6 people per square mile (325.3/km²). There were 9,854 housing units at an average density of 351.2/sq mi (135.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 92.91% White, 1.55% African American, 0.12% Native American, 3.72% Asian, 0.59% from other races, and 1.11% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.19% of the population. [cite web |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFFacts?_event=&geo_id=06000US0900327600&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US09%7C05000US09003%7C06000US0900327600&_street=&_county=Farmington&_cityTown=Farmington&_state=04000US09&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=060&_submenuId=factsheet_1&ds_name=null&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null&reg=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry=&show_2003_tab=&redirect=Y |title=Farmington, Connecticut fact sheet |accessdate=2007-03-06 |year=2000 |work=American Fact Finder |publisher=United States Census Bureau]

There were 9,496 households out of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.3% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.3% were non-families. 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the town, the population was spread out with 24.4% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 90.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $67,073, and the median income for a family was $85,396. Males had a median income of $57,113 versus $39,156 for females. The per capita income for the town was $39,102. About 2.8% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Interstate 84 passes through the eastern edge of the town. The sprawling Westfarms Mall is also located on this end of town. The mall houses anchor stores Nordstrom, Lord and Taylor, and Macy's as well as a host of other retailers and restaurants.

ee also

*Farmington High School
*Farmington Canal
*Miss Porter's School
*Tunxis Community College
*Metacomet Ridge
*Metacomet Trail
*Dr. Eli Todd

References

External links

* [http://www.farmington-ct.org/ Town of Farmington]
* [http://www.farmingtonchamber.com/ Farmington Chamber of Commerce]
* [http://www.farmingtonlibct.org/ The Farmington Library]