Haddam, Connecticut

Haddam, Connecticut
Town
Location in Connecticut
NECTA	Hartford
Region	Midstate Region
Incorporated	1668
Government
• Type	Selectman-town meeting
• First selectman	Tony Bondi
Area
• Total	120.2 km2 (46.4 sq mi)
• Land	114.0 km2 (44.0 sq mi)
• Water	6.0 km2 (2.3 sq mi)
Elevation	98 m (322 ft)
Population  (2005)
• Total	7,635
• Density	67/km2 (174/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (Eastern)
ZIP code	06424, 06438, 06441
Area code	860
FIPS code	09-35230
GNIS feature ID	0213439
Website	www.haddam.org

Haddam is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 7,157 at the 2000 census. The town was also home to the now decommissioned Connecticut Yankee Nuclear Reactor.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 46.3 square miles (120.0 km²), of which, 44.0 square miles (114.0 km²) of it is land and 2.3 square miles (6.0 km²) of it (5.01%) is water. It is located in the Connecticut River Valley with a majority of the town's western border along the Connecticut River. The area in and around Haddam (Chester, Deep River, Haddam, Essex, Old Saybrook,)was recently named one of the 40 last great places in the Western Hemisphere in accordance with its nearly untouched river and surrounding forests.

Demographics

Population (year 2000): 7,157. Estimated population in July 2005: 7,635 (+6.7% change) Males: 3,614 (50.5%), Females: 3,543 (49.5%)

Middlesex County

Median resident age: 40.3 years Estimated median household income in 2005: $94,000 (it was $78,571 in 2000) Estimated median house/condo value in 2005: $281,000 (it was $175,600 in 2000)

Races in Haddam:

   * White Non-Hispanic (96.0%)
   * Hispanic (1.1%)
   * Black (1.0%)
   * Two or more races (1.0%)

Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 25, 2005
Party		Active Voters	Inactive Voters	Total Voters	Percentage	Democratic	1,493	49	1,542	27.68%	Republican	1,205	44	1,249	22.42%	Unaffiliated	2,633	139	2,772	49.77%	Minor Parties	6	1	7	0.13%
Total		5,337	233	5,570	100%

Education

Haddam has many educational facilities consisting of all elementary, junior, and senior high schools. The town is a part of a Regional District which comprises Haddam, Higganum, neighboring town Killingworth and also Haddam Neck, a part of Haddam that is separated by the Connecticut River. It is the only town in the United States without a bridge to connect the separated parts. The bridge that crosses the river is located in a part of Tylerville - a small village in Haddam - which is directly across from East Haddam, Connectictut. So as a consequence of this poorly planned district, the students from Haddam Neck must travel nearly 40 minutes to school daily.

The three elementary schools in the district are:

Haddam Elementary School - located in Haddam, CT
Burr District Elementary School - located in Higganum, CT
Killingworth Elementary School - located in Killingworth, CT

The district high school is located in Higganum, CT and houses all students from 9th grade and above. The high school is part of a complex which shared facilities with the attached district middle school. In recent years however, a plan was made for a new Intermediate School located in between Haddam and Killingworth that would house 5th grade - 8th grade. The school was recently built and now houses all 5-8 graders. This then leaves the old Middle School complex to become a part of the now ever growing Haddam Killingworth HS (This was the original plan). The Middle School part of the complex has now been converted to a district-run daycare facility, the main offices of the district administration, and houses the local trooper station.

The high school houses between 580 and 720 students depending on the year. Many students from the district middle school end up transferring to area religious, private, or magnet school. Common agenda is the move for students to Xavier (boys) and Mercy (girls) Catholic High Schools in neighboring Middletown, CT to seize better opportunities in terms of discipline and a balanced school atmosphere. The Haddam Killingworth's mascot is the Cougar with school colors of blue and gold. It has numerous extracurricular activities and countless varsity sports that vie yearly for state bids and tournaments.

In recent years it has been praised for its field hockey, soccer, baseball, basketball and cross country teams.

The school also has many art & music offerings and has students annually in regional and national competitions.

Noted people

• David Brainerd, missionary
• Stephen Johnson Field, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States

Literary References

• The "thin men of Haddam" are apostrophized in stanza seven of "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird" by Wallace Stevens:

O thin men of Haddam,

Why do you imagine golden birds?

Do you not see how the blackbird

Walks around the feet

Of the women about you?

• East Haddam's "Devil's Hop Yard" was referenced in H. P. Lovecraft's The Dunwich Horror.

See also

• Haddam Neck
• Higganum

External links

• Town government Web site
• Central Regional Tourism District