Colchester, Connecticut

Colchester, Connecticut
Town
Location in Connecticut
NECTA	Hartford
Region	Southeastern Connecticut
Incorporated	1698
Government
• Type	Selectman-town meeting
• First Selectman	Linda Hodge
Area
• Total	129.0 km2 (49.8 sq mi)
• Land	127.1 km2 (49.1 sq mi)
• Water	1.9 km2 (0.7 sq mi)
Elevation	168 m (551 ft)
Population  (2005)
• Total	15,389
• Density	121/km2 (310/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (Eastern)
ZIP code	06415, 06420
Area code	860
FIPS code	09-15910
GNIS feature ID	0213409
Website	http://www.colchesterct.net/

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", conducted by CNN. 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.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 49.8 square miles (129.0 km²), of which, 49.1 square miles (127.1 km²) of it is land and 0.7 square miles (1.9 km²) of it (1.49%) is water.

Landmarks

Print made about 1848-1849 by Kelloggs & Comstock

The town of Colchester has many unique "landmarks" 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 located in Colchester, until it was closed. It is now home to Consumer Reports.

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). Bacon Academy, the towns public high school has long had a strong showing in both academics and athletics. Bacon Academy is known for a strong showing in both Girls Soccer and Wrestling at the state tournaments.

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 censusTemplate:GR 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/sq mi (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

• Lyman Trumbull, (1813-1896), born in Colchester, became influential as a U.S. Senator representing the state of Illinois during the Civil War and Reconstruction.
• 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.
• Rick Derringer, rock artist and producer.
• Jonathan Coulton is a singer-songwriter.
• Antonia Van-Loon, (1940-1993), was a best-selling author of "For Us the Living", "Katherine", and "For Love and Honor". She coined the Colchester town motto: "Where Tradition Meets Tomorrow".

External links

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