Ellington, Connecticut

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Ellington, Connecticut
settlement_type = Town


imagesize =
image_caption =
image_



mapsize = 250px
map_caption = Location in Connecticut
established_title = Incorporated
established_date = 1786
subdivision_type2 =
subdivision_name2 =
government_type = Selectman-town meeting


mapsize1 =
map_caption1 =
subdivision_type = NECTA
subdivision_name = Hartford
subdivision_type1 = Region
subdivision_name1 = Capitol Region
leader_title = First Selectman
leader_name = Michael P. Stupinski
area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 89.6
area_land_km2 = 88.2
area_water_km2 = 1.4
area_total_sq_mi = 34.6
population_as_of = 2000
population_total = 12921
population_density_km2 = 146.5
population_density_sq_mi = 379.4
timezone = Eastern
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = Eastern
utc_offset_DST = -4
area_land_sq_mi = 34.1
area_water_sq_mi = 0.6
elevation_m = 75
elevation_ft = 246
latd = 41 |latm = 55 |lats = 00 |latNS = N
longd = 72 |longm = 27 |longs = 28 |longEW = W
region =
postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 06029
website = http://www.ellington-ct.gov/
area_code = 860
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 09-25360
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0212330
footnotes =

Ellington is a rural town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. Ellington was incorporated in May, 1786, from East Windsor. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 12,921. Ellington is a rapidly growing community, and is going through the process of Suburbanization. [cite paper |author=Sacks, Michael P. |title=“Suburban Sprawl, Urban Decline and Racial/Ethnic Segregation: Shifting Dimensions of Inequality in a U.S. Metro Area” |publisher=The Office of Population Research at Princeton University |date=September 2004 |url=http://iussp2005.princeton.edu/download.aspx?submissionId=50818 |format=PDF |accessdate=2007-01-30] , which is related to the phenomenon of Urban sprawl.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 34.6 square miles (89.6 km²), of which, 34.0 square miles (88.2 km²) of it is land and 0.6 square miles (1.4 km²) of it (1.59%) is water.

Ellington is bordered by the towns of East Windsor, South Windsor, Vernon, Tolland, Willington, Stafford, Somers, and Enfield.

The town has a panhandle extending to the east that extends to the Willimantic River and encompasses Crystal Lake. A large portion of the town's eastern portion is occupied by the Shenipsit State Forest which is bounded on the south by Shenipsit Lake and on the north by Soapstone Mountain. [ [http://dep.state.ct.us/stateparks/maps/shenipsitgis.pdf "Map of Shenipsit State Forest"; Connecticut DEP] ]

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 12,921 people, 5,195 households, and 3,470 families residing in the town. The population density was 379.4 people per square mile (146.5/km²). There were 5,417 housing units at an average density of 159.1/sq mi (61.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.23% White, 0.99% African American, 0.16% Native American, 1.29% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.44% from other races, and 0.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.40% of the population.

There were 5,195 households out of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.4% were married couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.2% were non-families. 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the town the population was spread out with 25.2% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 35.0% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 98.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $62,405, and the median income for a family was $77,813. Males had a median income of $47,334 versus $32,460 for females. The per capita income for the town was $27,766. About 2.7% of families and 3.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.1% of those under age 18 and 3.9% of those age 65 or over.

Public Schools

Ellington has five public schools:

Elementary Schools

*Center School (K-4)
*Crystal Lake School (K-4)
*Windermere School (K-6)

Middle School

*Ellington Middle School, also called Longview (7-8)

High School

*Ellington High School

Transportation

Roads

Though no Interstate Highways run through it, Ellington is approximately equidistant to both Interstate 84 and Interstate 91, each being about a ten to fifteen minute drive from most parts of town.

Several Connecticut State Roads run through town:
*Connecticut Route 30- (Stafford Rd.) The North/South arterial in the Crystal Lake section of town.
*Connecticut Route 83- (West Rd. & Somers Rd.) The main North/South arterial running through the middle of the town.
*Connecticut Route 74- (Wapping Wood Rd. & Windsorville Rd.) On the Southern edge of town, a major road in Ellington's Five corners.
*Connecticut Route 140- (Sadds Mill Rd., Maple St., Crystal Lake Rd., & Sandy Beach Rd.) The town's main East/West arterial, running the complete width of town.
*Connecticut Route 286- (Pinney St. & Main St.) An arterial running North from Five Corners to the center of town where it turns East and becomes Ellington's Main St.

Rail

Ellington was formerly served by a seven mile long rail line built in 1876 running from Vernon to Melrose, that roughly paralleled Pinney St. and Sadds Mill Rd. The rail line became defunct in the middle part of the 20th Century. [ [http://www.vernondepot.com/ "Vernon Depot/The Hartford, Providence & Fishkill Railroad/Vernon, Connecticut"] ]

Airports

*Ellington Airport- A General aviation airport located adjacent to the town's Industrial park on Route 83. In addition to private aviation, a Flight training school and a helicopter school operate there. Parachuting is a common weekend activity from the airport. [ [http://www.airnav.com/airport/7B9 Airnav.com summary for Ellington Airport (7B9)] ]
*Skylark Airpark- A General aviation airport located in the neighboring town of East Windsor.
*Bradley International Airport- Connecticut's main commercial airport, is located approximately ten miles West of town in Windsor Locks.

Water

Crystal Lake, in the Eastern section of town, is used by many for Recreational boating.

History

Originally part of the town of Windsor, Ellington was part of the town of East Windsor from that town's incorporation in 1768 until Ellington split off 20 years later and incorporated itself in May 1786. Mostly known as an agricultural community, the Crystal Lake section of town was for a while a popular summer resort location. [ [http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-ot-ellington,0,4341641.story?page=1 Staff; "Ellington Town Information"; "The Hartford Courant"; August 16, 2006] ] Ellington still has a significant amount of property dedicated to agriculture including cattle and corn farming.

Ellington is also home to one of America’s oldest roadside memorials. A stone in the southwest side of town marks the site where Samuel Knight was killed “by a cartwheel rolling over his head in 10th year of his age, Nov 8, 1812”.

During the late 19th century & early 20th century, Ellington became the center of a community of Jewish immigrant farmers who were settled there by the philanthropist Baron Maurice de Hirsch's Jewish Colonization Association. They built a synagogue, Congregation Knesseth Israel, [ [http://www.ellingtonshul.org/ourcommunityshistory.htm Raider, Mark; "Jewish Immigrant Farmers in the Connecticut Valley: The Rockville Settlement"] ] that is still standing and in use by an active Modern Orthodox congregation today and is on the National Register of Historic Places. [ [http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/CT/Tolland/state.html The National Register of Historic Places listings for Tolland County, Connecticut] ]

In 1991, Ellington was proposed as a potential site for a low level nuclear waste dump. Strong dissent from area residents forced the state to abandon the plan. [ [http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?RCED-93-81 "NUCLEAR WASTE Connecticut’s First Site Selection Process for a Disposal Facility";"Report to Congressional Requesters" U.S. General Accounting Office; April 1993] ]

As it enters the 21st Century, Ellington has had the 6th fastest growth rate of all the towns in Connecticut, [http://www.ellington-ct.gov/docs/ellington/Administration/Town%20of%20Ellington%20Newsletter%20September%202004.pdf "Coming to Terms with Growth"; Town of Ellington Newsletter; September 2004; p2] ] and has been experiencing changes in growing from a rural farming town to a bedroom community. Exemplative of this change was the displacement of the locally owned Ellington Supermarket by competition from the regional Big Y supermarket chain when a new Big Y was built adjacent to the older supermarket. [ [http://www.journalinquirer.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16897010&BRD=985&PAG=461&dept_id=569426&rfi=6 "Customers Bemoan The Imminent Closing Of Ellington Supermarket"; Journal Inquirer; July 8 2006] ] An independent film entitled "The Supermarket", was made about the incident. [ [http://www.journalinquirer.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=17452900&BRD=985&PAG=461&dept_id=569380&rfi=8 "Former Employee Turns Ellington Supermarket Into Film Icon"; Journal Inquirer; November 10 2006] ] [ [http://www.allbusiness.com/retail-trade/food-stores/4262708-1.html "Former Supermarket Worker Makes Film At Old Store"; Progressive Grocer; November 15 2006] ]

People of note from Ellington

*Faisal Alam, born in 1977, moved to Ellington at age ten. Founder of the Al-Fatiha Foundation, an organization for LGBT Muslims.
*John H. Brockway (January 311801 – July 291870), a U.S. Representative.
*Orlow W. Chapman, born in 1832 in Ellington. A New York Politician, he served as the Solicitor General of the United States from May 29, 1889 until his death by pneumonia on January 19, 1890.
*Echo Chernik, born Heather McKinney (Chernik) August 30, 1973 in Ellington. An Art Nouveau artist working as a mainstream advertising and publishing illustrator, currently working on high profile advertisements and poster design.
*Reverend Henry Weston Smith, born January 10, 1827 in Ellington. A Methodist preacher, he was the first of any denomination to preach in the Black Hills of South Dakota, arriving in Deadwood in 1876. Smith was murdered within months of his arrival and is buried in Mount Moriah Cemetery, Deadwood, along with Wild Bill Hickock and Calamity Jane.
*Mike Vranos, founder of the hedge fund Ellington Management Company.

ee also

*Congregation Knesseth Israel
*Crystal Lake, Connecticut

References

External links

* [http://www.ellington-ct.gov/ Town of Ellington Website]
* [http://www.ellingtonschools.org/ Ellington Public Schools]
* [http://www.enjoycentralct.com/index.cfm Central Regional Tourism District]