Darien, Connecticut
Encyclopedia
Darien is a town
in Fairfield County
, Connecticut
, United States
. A relatively small community on Connecticut's "Gold Coast
", the population was 20,732 at the 2010 census. Darien was listed at #9 at CNN Money's list of "top-earning towns" in the United States as of 2011.
Situated between the small cities of Norwalk
and Stamford
, the town is a bedroom community with relatively few office buildings. Most workers commute to the adjacent cities, and many also work in New York City
. Two Metro-North railroad stations – Noroton Heights
and Darien
– link the town to Grand Central Terminal
and the rest of the New Haven Line. For recreation, the town includes four small parks, two beaches on Long Island Sound
, four country clubs, a hunt club, and two yacht clubs.
Elected bodies in the town government are a five-member Board of Selectmen
, a nine member Board of Education
, a seven-member Board of Finance
, a six-member Planning and Zoning Commission, three-member Board of Assessment Appeals, and a 100-member, nonpartisan Representative Town Meeting
. The town has several elective offices as well: the town clerk, probate judge, registrar of voters, tax collector and treasurer.
The Board of Finance approves financial measures, including the town budget; the Board of Education controls the town's public schools; the Representative Town Meeting is the main legislative body of the town.
As of December 1, 2005, the town had 12,099 registered voters, with 6,445 Republicans
(53.1 percent), 1,940 Democrats
(16 percent) and 3,703 unaffiliated voters (30.6 percent). Darien is primarily a Republican town, voting for George W. Bush
in 2000 and 2004, and John McCain
in the 2008 election. However, in 2003, Evonne Klein replaced Robert Harrel as First Selectman, becoming the first Democrat to win the post in 14 years. Klein was re-elected in 2005 and again in 2007, but did not run in the November 3, 2009 election, which was won by Republican David Campbell.
" is the only ambulance service in the nation staffed and run entirely by high school student volunteers. The Explorer post is chartered under the Connecticut Yankee Council
, and is considered a scouting unit.
The service provides emergency care at no cost to the patient, funded entirely by private donations from town residents. Teenagers are allowed to perform patient care due to the fact that Connecticut is one of the few states in the nation which allows Emergency medical technician
s to be certified at age 16.
Students will start training while they are in their freshman year of high school. They are elected by current members of Post and then they continue their training
Supervised by trained adults, Post 53 lets in 20 teenagers a year to join the crew. "Each student receives at least 150 hours of training for basic certification as emergency medical technicians; by their senior year, some even qualify to drive the ambulance."
, the town has a total area of 14.8 square miles (38.3 km²), of which 12.9 square miles (33.4 km²) is land and 2 square miles (5.2 km²), or 13.41%, is water. The town has four exits on the northbound-traffic side of Interstate 95
(Exits 10–13) and three on the southbound-traffic side (where there is no Exit 12). Its northern border is just south of the Merritt Parkway
, where Exits 36 and 37 are closest to the town. It also has two Metro-North railroad stations for commuter trains into New York City, with a 38 to 39 mi (61.2 to 62.8 ) commute of 46–50 minutes from Noroton Heights
and 49–53 minutes from Darien
. (The Talmadge Hill
railroad station on the New Canaan Branch is within walking distance of homes at the far northwestern corner of town, and the Rowayton
railroad station is within walking distance of homes near Raymond Street in the southeastern part of town.) Most trains run non-stop after Stamford into New York City's 125th Street, then Grand Central Terminal
. Along with the New Haven Line of Metro-North Railroad and Interstate 95, US Route 1
, known locally as the Boston Post Road
, or, more commonly, the Post Road, runs east-west through the southern side of town. Except for the Noroton Heights business district, commercial zoning is extremely limited outside of the town-wide strip along the Post Road.
Darien is bordered on the west by Stamford
, on the north by New Canaan
, and on the east by Norwalk
. On the south it faces Long Island Sound. It is part of the "panhandle" of Connecticut
jutting into New York state. The town has 16.5 miles (26.6 km) of coastline and five harbors.
The name "Norporiton" originates from an Indian word assigned to the river along Darien's border with Stamford
. This section of Darien is defined by two peninsulas that claw their way into Long Island Sound, their curved appendages protecting enough coves and inlets to make the area a haven for beachgoers and sailors. The shorter of the peninsulas, Noroton Neck, is divided into shore communities like Noroton Bay and Pratt Island. Long Neck peninsula, which extends farther into Long Island Sound, provides westerly views of Manhattan
. Accessed by the Ring's End Landing bridge, a graceful stone structure that marks a major shipping point for early settlers, Long Neck became a summer destination for the wealthy when rail travel made it accessible during the mid-19th century. Though the general geographic reference to this land feature is "Long Neck Point", therein are two different neighborhoods, each with their own main road and distinct features. On its east side, Long Neck Point Road stretches south beginning at Ring's End/Gorham's Pond Bridge and terminates at the southerly most tip of land. This area is somewhat inland and away from the eastern shoreline and at a relatively high elevation above the water. Pear Tree Point Road, also beginning at Ring's End/Gorham's Pond Bridge, runs south along the western side of the Point adjacent to "The Gut" and to outer Noroton Harbor. This charming route hugs the shoreline at an elevation close enough to the tides (at some points) such that storm conditions can bring the salt water harbor over the road. Approximately half-way south along the peninsula, Pear Tree Point Road turns abruptly to the east, ninety degrees, heading uphill and connecting to Long Neck Point Road point.
Noroton Heights "blew up around the Noroton Heights train station and housed the European immigrants who serviced the old estates," according to an article about the community in The New York Times
. The densely populated streets of this part of town are full of "modest Capes and colonials" along with other house styles.
According to early records, the first clearings of land were made by men from the New Haven
and Wethersfield
colonies and from Norwalk
in about 1641. It was not until 1740, however, that the Middlesex Society of the Town of Stamford
built the first community church, now the First Congregational Church of Darien (which stands on the original site at the corner of Brookside Road and the Boston Post Road).
The area became Middlesex Parish in 1737. It was incorporated as the Town of Darien in 1820. Tories
raided the town several times during the American Revolution
, at one point taking 26 men in the parish prisoner for five months, including the Rev. Moses Mather, pastor of the parish. The Tory-Patriot conflict in Darien is the setting for the novel Tory Hole, the first book by children's author Louise Hall Tharp.
According to the Darien Historical Society, the name Darien was decided upon when the residents of the town could not agree on a name to replace Middlesex Parish, many families wanting it to be named after themselves. A sailor who had traveled to Darién, Panama, then part of the Spanish Empire
, suggested the name Darien, which was eventually adopted by the people of the town.
Until the advent of the railroad in 1848, Darien remained a small, rural community of about 1,000. After the Civil War
, the town became one of the many resorts where New Yorkers built summer homes.
's bestselling 1947 novel Gentleman's Agreement
was set in Darien. The book highlights American anti-Semitism
via an unwritten covenant that prohibited real estate sales to Jews
.
has finance and scheduling operations at 19 Old Kings Highway South in Darien. By mid-2012 JetBlue will combine the Darien and Forest Hills
, Queens
, New York City
headquarters into its headquarters in Long Island City, Queens
.
was listed among the "U.S. News Best High Schools in Connecticut" in 2011. Darien has five elementary school
s: Hindley School
, Holmes School, Ox Ridge School, Royle School, and Tokeneke School
. A $27 million addition was completed in 2000 to the town's middle school, Middlesex Middle School
, and a new $73 million campus for Darien High School was completed in the fall of 2005. Darien sports teams go by the name of the "Blue Wave".
Pear Tree Point School, originally named Plumfield School, is a private school on Long Neck, educating students in pre-kindergarten through Grade 5.
The public library in Darien, the Darien Library, has consistently ranked in the top ten of its category in the HAPLR (Hennen's American Public Library Ratings) Index of libraries.
and the other in downtown Darien
. The Connecticut Turnpike
(Interstate 95) runs through town, as does the Post Road
, U.S. Route 1. Just to the north of town, the Merritt Parkway
(Route 15) runs roughly parallel to the northern border between Darien and New Canaan
. The Talmadge Hill
railroad station is just north of the border as well. Along with the Post Road, major east-west thoroughfares in town are West Avenue and Middlesex Road. Major north-south roads are Hoyt Street, Hollow Tree Ridge Road, Nearwater Lane, Noroton Avenue, Middlesex Road, Mansfield Avenue and Brookside Road.
Interstate 95 has rest stops in Darien both for the southbound and northbound lanes. The state Department of Transportation has added "speed change" lanes between entrances and exits up to Exit 10 (and points westward). The phase of the highway widening from Exit 9 to Exit 10, at a cost of $7.5 million, was expected to be complete by October 2007, state Transportation officials said in August of that year. The state is in the process of planning more such lanes through the rest of the highway in town in a project expected to cost $24.5 million. About 150,000 vehicles pass Exit 12 each day, according to the state Department of Transportation. The state was considering closing the southbound entrance for Exit 12 in 2008 during work on the project.
Chapter 14 of English author Nigel Williams'
1994 travelogue From Wimbledon to Waco
tells of his difficulties in reaching Darien from Interstate 95.
In December 2007 a 15-month, $5.5 million project was completed to add fourth (or "operational") lanes in each direction between the entrances and exits at Exits 10 and 11 in Darien. An earlier project added a fourth lane on the southbound side from the entrance at Exit 10 to Exit 8. After that lane was added, a state Department of Transportation study concluded that accidents were down on that stretch of the highway by 20 percent, amounting to about 160 fewer accidents per year. Construction of operational lanes at exits 11, 12, and 13 was expected to begin in the late spring of 2008.
Several people notable for their esteemed place in American history have called Darien home: Charles Lindbergh
the late aviator, and his wife, author Anne Morrow Lindbergh
lived on Tokeneke Trail. Steel magnate and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie
vacationed for several summers at what became the Convent of the Sacred Heart (divided into many private estates in the 1970s) at Long Neck Point. Christopher Shays
, the former Republican congressman representing Connecticut's Fourth District, was born in Darien (and now lives in Bridgeport
).
Actors and actresses who have lived in town include former resident Christopher Plummer
, Kate Bosworth
, Topher Grace
, and Chloë Sevigny
. Actress Carol Kane
attended Cherry Lawn School in Darien until 1965. Film director Gus Van Sant
also went to high school in Darien. Jazz saxophonist Gerry Mulligan
lived in Darien in later life and died there in 1996. Guitarist Chris Risola
grew up in Darien. Musician Moby
grew up there during his adolescence. Rudolph Valentino
was said to have had a Spanish-style home at the entrance of Salem Straits. Emmy-winning television producer and writer Tom Gammill also grew up in Darien.
People famous in other fields have also called Darien home: Leslie Groves
– military head of the Manhattan Project
, lived in town after the project ended. Paul Manship
, sculptor of the Prometheus figure at Rockefeller Center
, spent summers living on Leroy Avenue and working on his art in the early 1930s. Photojournalist Margaret Bourke-White
lived in town first with author Erskine Caldwell
, then in the same home after their divorce. Helen Frankenthaler
, a major American Abstract Expressionist painter, has lived in Darien in later life and has maintained her primary studio there. Novelist and playwright Richard Bissell
lived in Darien from the early 1950s to the mid-1970s. Artist John Stobart lived on Crane Road for many years, and prints of his historical painting of Ring's End Landing were popular in the 1970s, after the town's 150th anniversary. Producer and NBC executive Grant Tinker
reared his family there in the 1950s. Former Benton & Bowles advertising agency executive and noted big band radio broadcaster G. Emerson Cole
lived in Darien for 35 years. New York Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman
currently lives in town as does 60 Minutes
correspondent Scott Pelley
. Kiss
drummer Peter Criss
also had a home in Darien.
One infamous native of Darien is convicted rapist Alex Kelly, who fled the United States to escape prosecution. His story was dramatized in the television movie Crime in Connecticut: The Story of Alex Kelly
.
of 2000, there were 19,607 people, 6,592 households, and 5,385 families residing in the town. The population density
was 1,525.2 people per square mile (588.7/km²). There were 6,792 housing units at an average density of 203.9 persons/km² (528.3 persons/sq mi). The racial makeup of the town was 95.97% White, 0.45% African American, 0.04% Native American, 2.42% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.30% from other races, and 0.80% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.19% of the population.
There were 6,592 households out of which 46.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.5% were married couples
living together, 5.6% had a woman whose husband did not live with her, and 18.3% were non-families. 15.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.95 and the average family size was 3.31.
In the town the population was spread out with 32.5% under the age of 18, 3.0% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.
According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the town was $160,274, and the median income for a family was $195,905. As of the 2000 Census, males had a median income of $100,000 versus $59,313 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $77,519. 2.0% of the population and 0.6% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 1.6% are under the age of 18 and 2.6% are 65 or older.
New England town
The New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. Without a direct counterpart in most other U.S. states, New England towns are conceptually similar to civil townships in other states, but are incorporated, possessing powers like cities in other...
in Fairfield County
Fairfield County, Connecticut
Fairfield County is a county located in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The county population is 916,829 according to the 2010 Census. There are currently 1,465 people per square mile in the county. It is the most populous county in the State of Connecticut and contains...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. A relatively small community on Connecticut's "Gold Coast
Gold Coast (Connecticut)
The Gold Coast, also known as Southwestern Connecticut or Lower Fairfield County, is a region of the state of Connecticut, United States, that includes the entire southern portion of Fairfield County as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, Super-Public Use Microdata Area Region 09600.This area is...
", the population was 20,732 at the 2010 census. Darien was listed at #9 at CNN Money's list of "top-earning towns" in the United States as of 2011.
Situated between the small cities of Norwalk
Norwalk, Connecticut
Norwalk is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of the city is 85,603, making Norwalk sixth in population in Connecticut, and third in Fairfield County...
and Stamford
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
, the town is a bedroom community with relatively few office buildings. Most workers commute to the adjacent cities, and many also work in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Two Metro-North railroad stations – Noroton Heights
Noroton Heights (Metro-North station)
The Noroton Heights Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of Darien, Connecticut via the New Haven Line. It is 36.2 miles from Grand Central Terminal.The station is located near Exit 10 on Interstate 95...
and Darien
Darien (Metro-North station)
The Darien Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of Darien, Connecticut via the New Haven Line. It is 37.7 miles from Grand Central Terminal. A small station house is located on the north side of the tracks...
– link the town to Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal —often incorrectly called Grand Central Station, or shortened to simply Grand Central—is a terminal station at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States...
and the rest of the New Haven Line. For recreation, the town includes four small parks, two beaches on Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
, four country clubs, a hunt club, and two yacht clubs.
Local pronunciation of the town name
The town name was frequently pronounced "Dairy Ann" dɛəriˈæn, with stress on the last syllable, at least as far back as 1913. Residents say this is still the proper pronunciation, which in the local dialect is more precisely dɛəɹiˈɛən. More common since the mid-to-late 20th century is dɛəriˈɛn "Dairy En". "You can always tell when someone is not from here, because they do pronounce it the way it's spelled," Louise Berry, director of the town library, said in a 2006 interview.Government and politics
See: Government and politics of Darien, ConnecticutGovernment and politics of Darien, Connecticut
The government and politics of Darien, Connecticut take place in an overwhelmingly Republican, very affluent small town with a Triple-A bond rating and a tax base made up of wealthy homes, country clubs and some office buildings.As of August 1, 2006 the town Grand List amounted to $6.33...
Elected bodies in the town government are a five-member Board of Selectmen
Board of selectmen
The board of selectmen is commonly the executive arm of the government of New England towns in the United States. The board typically consists of three or five members, with or without staggered terms.-History:...
, a nine member Board of Education
Board of education
A board of education or a school board or school committee is the title of the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or higher administrative level....
, a seven-member Board of Finance
Board of Finance
The Board of Finance is one of a variety of names for a body that reviews local government budgets in towns or school districts that have the town meeting form of government...
, a six-member Planning and Zoning Commission, three-member Board of Assessment Appeals, and a 100-member, nonpartisan Representative Town Meeting
Representative town meeting
A representative town meeting is a form of municipal legislature particularly common in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Vermont....
. The town has several elective offices as well: the town clerk, probate judge, registrar of voters, tax collector and treasurer.
The Board of Finance approves financial measures, including the town budget; the Board of Education controls the town's public schools; the Representative Town Meeting is the main legislative body of the town.
As of December 1, 2005, the town had 12,099 registered voters, with 6,445 Republicans
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
(53.1 percent), 1,940 Democrats
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
(16 percent) and 3,703 unaffiliated voters (30.6 percent). Darien is primarily a Republican town, voting for George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
in 2000 and 2004, and John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
in the 2008 election. However, in 2003, Evonne Klein replaced Robert Harrel as First Selectman, becoming the first Democrat to win the post in 14 years. Klein was re-elected in 2005 and again in 2007, but did not run in the November 3, 2009 election, which was won by Republican David Campbell.
Post 53
An ambulance service, known as "Darien EMS – Post 53Darien EMS – Post 53
Darien EMS – Post 53 is a nationally recognized ambulance service staffed mostly by teenagers in the town of Darien, Connecticut.It operates with the cooperation of local police, hospitals and the high school...
" is the only ambulance service in the nation staffed and run entirely by high school student volunteers. The Explorer post is chartered under the Connecticut Yankee Council
Connecticut Yankee Council
The Connecticut Yankee Council of the Boy Scouts of America is located in Milford, Connecticut. The present council was formed in 1998 when Quinnipiac Council and Fairfield County Council merged....
, and is considered a scouting unit.
The service provides emergency care at no cost to the patient, funded entirely by private donations from town residents. Teenagers are allowed to perform patient care due to the fact that Connecticut is one of the few states in the nation which allows Emergency medical technician
Emergency medical technician
Emergency Medical Technician or Ambulance Technician are terms used in some countries to denote a healthcare provider of emergency medical services...
s to be certified at age 16.
Students will start training while they are in their freshman year of high school. They are elected by current members of Post and then they continue their training
Supervised by trained adults, Post 53 lets in 20 teenagers a year to join the crew. "Each student receives at least 150 hours of training for basic certification as emergency medical technicians; by their senior year, some even qualify to drive the ambulance."
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 14.8 square miles (38.3 km²), of which 12.9 square miles (33.4 km²) is land and 2 square miles (5.2 km²), or 13.41%, is water. The town has four exits on the northbound-traffic side of Interstate 95
Interstate 95 in Connecticut
Interstate 95, the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, runs in a general east–west compass direction for 111.57 miles in Connecticut from the Rhode Island state line to the New York State line. I-95 Southbound from East Lyme to the New York State...
(Exits 10–13) and three on the southbound-traffic side (where there is no Exit 12). Its northern border is just south of the Merritt Parkway
Merritt Parkway
The Merritt Parkway is a historic limited-access parkway in Fairfield County, Connecticut. The parkway is known for its scenic layout, its uniquely styled signage, and the architecturally elaborate overpasses along the route. It is designated as a National Scenic Byway and is also listed in the...
, where Exits 36 and 37 are closest to the town. It also has two Metro-North railroad stations for commuter trains into New York City, with a 38 to 39 mi (61.2 to 62.8 ) commute of 46–50 minutes from Noroton Heights
Noroton Heights (Metro-North station)
The Noroton Heights Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of Darien, Connecticut via the New Haven Line. It is 36.2 miles from Grand Central Terminal.The station is located near Exit 10 on Interstate 95...
and 49–53 minutes from Darien
Darien (Metro-North station)
The Darien Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of Darien, Connecticut via the New Haven Line. It is 37.7 miles from Grand Central Terminal. A small station house is located on the north side of the tracks...
. (The Talmadge Hill
Talmadge Hill (Metro-North station)
The Talmadge Hill Metro-North Railroad station is a railroad station in the Talmadge Hill section of New Canaan, Connecticut, along the New Canaan Branch of the New Haven Line...
railroad station on the New Canaan Branch is within walking distance of homes at the far northwestern corner of town, and the Rowayton
Rowayton (Metro-North station)
The Rowayton Metro-North Railroad station is one of three New Haven Line stations serving the residents of Norwalk, Connecticut. It is located in the neighborhood of Rowayton, from which it derives its name....
railroad station is within walking distance of homes near Raymond Street in the southeastern part of town.) Most trains run non-stop after Stamford into New York City's 125th Street, then Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal —often incorrectly called Grand Central Station, or shortened to simply Grand Central—is a terminal station at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States...
. Along with the New Haven Line of Metro-North Railroad and Interstate 95, US Route 1
U.S. Route 1 in Connecticut
In the U.S. state of Connecticut, U.S. Route 1 is a major east–west state highway along Long Island Sound. It has been replaced by Interstate 95 as a through route, which it closely parallels, and now primarily serves as a local business route...
, known locally as the Boston Post Road
Boston Post Road
The Boston Post Road was a system of mail-delivery routes between New York City and Boston, Massachusetts that evolved into the first major highways in the United States.The three major alignments were the Lower Post Road The Boston Post Road was a system of mail-delivery routes between New York...
, or, more commonly, the Post Road, runs east-west through the southern side of town. Except for the Noroton Heights business district, commercial zoning is extremely limited outside of the town-wide strip along the Post Road.
Darien is bordered on the west by Stamford
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
, on the north by New Canaan
New Canaan, Connecticut
New Canaan is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, northeast of Stamford, on the Fivemile River. The population was 19,738 according to the 2010 census.The town is one of the most affluent communities in the United States...
, and on the east by Norwalk
Norwalk, Connecticut
Norwalk is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of the city is 85,603, making Norwalk sixth in population in Connecticut, and third in Fairfield County...
. On the south it faces Long Island Sound. It is part of the "panhandle" of Connecticut
Connecticut Panhandle
The Connecticut Panhandle, informally known to locals as the Tail, is in southwestern Connecticut, where it abuts New York State. It is contained entirely in Fairfield County and includes all of Greenwich, Stamford, New Canaan, and Darien, as well as part of Norwalk and containing some of the most...
jutting into New York state. The town has 16.5 miles (26.6 km) of coastline and five harbors.
Sections of the town
In addition to some small neighborhoods, the larger divisions of the town are Noroton (roughly in the southwest corner of town), Noroton Heights (roughly north of Interstate 95 to Middlesex Road with an eastern boundary somewhere east of Noroton Avenue), and Tokeneke, in the southeastern end of town. Springdale is west of Wee Burn Country Club and south of Woodway Country Club, centered around St. John's Catholic Cemetery, across the town line from the Springdale section of Stamford.The name "Norporiton" originates from an Indian word assigned to the river along Darien's border with Stamford
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
. This section of Darien is defined by two peninsulas that claw their way into Long Island Sound, their curved appendages protecting enough coves and inlets to make the area a haven for beachgoers and sailors. The shorter of the peninsulas, Noroton Neck, is divided into shore communities like Noroton Bay and Pratt Island. Long Neck peninsula, which extends farther into Long Island Sound, provides westerly views of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. Accessed by the Ring's End Landing bridge, a graceful stone structure that marks a major shipping point for early settlers, Long Neck became a summer destination for the wealthy when rail travel made it accessible during the mid-19th century. Though the general geographic reference to this land feature is "Long Neck Point", therein are two different neighborhoods, each with their own main road and distinct features. On its east side, Long Neck Point Road stretches south beginning at Ring's End/Gorham's Pond Bridge and terminates at the southerly most tip of land. This area is somewhat inland and away from the eastern shoreline and at a relatively high elevation above the water. Pear Tree Point Road, also beginning at Ring's End/Gorham's Pond Bridge, runs south along the western side of the Point adjacent to "The Gut" and to outer Noroton Harbor. This charming route hugs the shoreline at an elevation close enough to the tides (at some points) such that storm conditions can bring the salt water harbor over the road. Approximately half-way south along the peninsula, Pear Tree Point Road turns abruptly to the east, ninety degrees, heading uphill and connecting to Long Neck Point Road point.
Noroton Heights "blew up around the Noroton Heights train station and housed the European immigrants who serviced the old estates," according to an article about the community in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
. The densely populated streets of this part of town are full of "modest Capes and colonials" along with other house styles.
History
For more information, see: History of Darien, ConnecticutHistory of Darien, Connecticut
The history of Darien, Connecticut, has been shaped by its location on the shore of Long Island Sound as the main route from Boston to New York City, initially with sailing ships and dirt roads for transportation, and later with locomotives and highways...
According to early records, the first clearings of land were made by men from the New Haven
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
and Wethersfield
Wethersfield, Connecticut
Wethersfield is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. Many records from colonial times spell the name Weathersfield, while Native Americans called it Pyquag...
colonies and from Norwalk
Norwalk, Connecticut
Norwalk is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of the city is 85,603, making Norwalk sixth in population in Connecticut, and third in Fairfield County...
in about 1641. It was not until 1740, however, that the Middlesex Society of the Town of Stamford
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
built the first community church, now the First Congregational Church of Darien (which stands on the original site at the corner of Brookside Road and the Boston Post Road).
The area became Middlesex Parish in 1737. It was incorporated as the Town of Darien in 1820. Tories
Loyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
raided the town several times during the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, at one point taking 26 men in the parish prisoner for five months, including the Rev. Moses Mather, pastor of the parish. The Tory-Patriot conflict in Darien is the setting for the novel Tory Hole, the first book by children's author Louise Hall Tharp.
According to the Darien Historical Society, the name Darien was decided upon when the residents of the town could not agree on a name to replace Middlesex Parish, many families wanting it to be named after themselves. A sailor who had traveled to Darién, Panama, then part of the Spanish Empire
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....
, suggested the name Darien, which was eventually adopted by the people of the town.
Until the advent of the railroad in 1848, Darien remained a small, rural community of about 1,000. After the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, the town became one of the many resorts where New Yorkers built summer homes.
Gentleman's Agreement and sundown towns
Laura Z. HobsonLaura Z. Hobson
Laura Z. Hobson was an American novelist best known for her novel, Gentleman's Agreement.Born Laura Kean Zametkin in New York City, the daughter of Jewish socialist immigrants, she graduated from Cornell University. On July 23, 1930, she married Francis Thayer Hobson, owner of William Morrow and...
's bestselling 1947 novel Gentleman's Agreement
Gentleman's Agreement
Gentleman's Agreement is a 1947 drama film about a journalist who goes undercover as a Jew to conduct research for an exposé on antisemitism in New York City and the affluent community of Darien, Connecticut...
was set in Darien. The book highlights American anti-Semitism
Antisemitism in the United States
Jewish Americans have flourished since colonial times in what became the United States, which before the Second World War had a general history of racism directed to non-Christian, non-northwest European groups. Antisemitism in the United States has however lacked the extent and severity of its...
via an unwritten covenant that prohibited real estate sales to Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
.
Economy
JetBlue AirwaysJetBlue Airways
JetBlue Airways Corporation is an American low-cost airline. The company is headquartered in the Forest Hills neighborhood of the New York City borough of Queens. Its main base is John F. Kennedy International Airport, also in Queens....
has finance and scheduling operations at 19 Old Kings Highway South in Darien. By mid-2012 JetBlue will combine the Darien and Forest Hills
Forest Hills, Queens
Forest Hills is a neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York, United States.-Neighborhood:The neighborhood is home to upper-middle class residents, of whom the wealthier residents often live in the neighborhood's Forest Hills Gardens area...
, Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
headquarters into its headquarters in Long Island City, Queens
Long Island City, Queens
Long Island City is the westernmost neighborhood of the borough of Queens in New York City. L.I.C. is notable for its rapid and ongoing gentrification, its waterfront parks, and its thriving arts community. L.I.C. has among the highest concentration of art galleries, art institutions, and studio...
.
Education
Darien is served by Darien Public Schools, and Darien High SchoolDarien High School
Darien High School is the single public high school serving the town of Darien, Connecticut, in the United States.The Latin motto on the school seal means "The truth will set you free" or "The truth will make you free." The motto is shared by other institutions, including Johns Hopkins...
was listed among the "U.S. News Best High Schools in Connecticut" in 2011. Darien has five elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
s: Hindley School
Hindley School
Hindley School is one of five public elementary schools in Darien, Connecticut, serving about 550 pupils from kindergarten through Grade 5. A part of Darien Public Schools, Hindley sits at 10 Nearwater Lane in the Noroton section of town - Overview :Hindley's school day lasts from 8:30 a.m. to...
, Holmes School, Ox Ridge School, Royle School, and Tokeneke School
Tokeneke School
Tokeneke Elementary School is one of five elementary schools serving children in Kindergarten through fifth grade in Darien, Connecticut, United States. It is a part of the Darien Public Schools system....
. A $27 million addition was completed in 2000 to the town's middle school, Middlesex Middle School
Middlesex Middle School
Middlesex Middle School is a middle school in the Darien Public Schools district in Darien, Connecticut, United States. The school serves students from sixth through eighth grades. Each grade is divided into 4 teams of around 100 to 175 students...
, and a new $73 million campus for Darien High School was completed in the fall of 2005. Darien sports teams go by the name of the "Blue Wave".
Pear Tree Point School, originally named Plumfield School, is a private school on Long Neck, educating students in pre-kindergarten through Grade 5.
The public library in Darien, the Darien Library, has consistently ranked in the top ten of its category in the HAPLR (Hennen's American Public Library Ratings) Index of libraries.
Transportation
The town is served by two train stations, one in Noroton HeightsNoroton Heights (Metro-North station)
The Noroton Heights Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of Darien, Connecticut via the New Haven Line. It is 36.2 miles from Grand Central Terminal.The station is located near Exit 10 on Interstate 95...
and the other in downtown Darien
Darien (Metro-North station)
The Darien Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of Darien, Connecticut via the New Haven Line. It is 37.7 miles from Grand Central Terminal. A small station house is located on the north side of the tracks...
. The Connecticut Turnpike
Connecticut Turnpike
The Connecticut Turnpike, known now as the Governor John Davis Lodge Turnpike, is a freeway in Connecticut that runs from Greenwich to Killingly. It is signed as Interstate 95 from the New York state line at Greenwich to East Lyme, and then as Interstate 395 from East Lyme to Plainfield...
(Interstate 95) runs through town, as does the Post Road
Boston Post Road
The Boston Post Road was a system of mail-delivery routes between New York City and Boston, Massachusetts that evolved into the first major highways in the United States.The three major alignments were the Lower Post Road The Boston Post Road was a system of mail-delivery routes between New York...
, U.S. Route 1. Just to the north of town, the Merritt Parkway
Merritt Parkway
The Merritt Parkway is a historic limited-access parkway in Fairfield County, Connecticut. The parkway is known for its scenic layout, its uniquely styled signage, and the architecturally elaborate overpasses along the route. It is designated as a National Scenic Byway and is also listed in the...
(Route 15) runs roughly parallel to the northern border between Darien and New Canaan
New Canaan, Connecticut
New Canaan is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, northeast of Stamford, on the Fivemile River. The population was 19,738 according to the 2010 census.The town is one of the most affluent communities in the United States...
. The Talmadge Hill
Talmadge Hill (Metro-North station)
The Talmadge Hill Metro-North Railroad station is a railroad station in the Talmadge Hill section of New Canaan, Connecticut, along the New Canaan Branch of the New Haven Line...
railroad station is just north of the border as well. Along with the Post Road, major east-west thoroughfares in town are West Avenue and Middlesex Road. Major north-south roads are Hoyt Street, Hollow Tree Ridge Road, Nearwater Lane, Noroton Avenue, Middlesex Road, Mansfield Avenue and Brookside Road.
Interstate 95 has rest stops in Darien both for the southbound and northbound lanes. The state Department of Transportation has added "speed change" lanes between entrances and exits up to Exit 10 (and points westward). The phase of the highway widening from Exit 9 to Exit 10, at a cost of $7.5 million, was expected to be complete by October 2007, state Transportation officials said in August of that year. The state is in the process of planning more such lanes through the rest of the highway in town in a project expected to cost $24.5 million. About 150,000 vehicles pass Exit 12 each day, according to the state Department of Transportation. The state was considering closing the southbound entrance for Exit 12 in 2008 during work on the project.
Chapter 14 of English author Nigel Williams'
Nigel Williams (author)
Nigel Williams is an English novelist, screenwriter and playwright.-Biography:He was educated at Highgate School and Oriel College, Oxford, is married with three sons and lives in Putney, south-west London...
1994 travelogue From Wimbledon to Waco
From Wimbledon to Waco
From Wimbledon to Waco is a 1995 travelogue book written by Nigel Williams describing his family's first visit to the USA. The Williams do not live in Wimbledon, nor do they reach Waco but as Nigel Williams explains in the last chapter of the book "I like the title..."The first two chapters deal...
tells of his difficulties in reaching Darien from Interstate 95.
In December 2007 a 15-month, $5.5 million project was completed to add fourth (or "operational") lanes in each direction between the entrances and exits at Exits 10 and 11 in Darien. An earlier project added a fourth lane on the southbound side from the entrance at Exit 10 to Exit 8. After that lane was added, a state Department of Transportation study concluded that accidents were down on that stretch of the highway by 20 percent, amounting to about 160 fewer accidents per year. Construction of operational lanes at exits 11, 12, and 13 was expected to begin in the late spring of 2008.
Local media
Darien is served by two local weeklies, the Darien Times and the Darien News-Review, and two local news websites, the Darien Patch and The Daily Darien. Most public meetings are filmed and broadcast live, and recorded for later broadcast by Cablevision's Channel 79 Government Access.Recreation
- Darien Y – the local YMCAYMCAThe Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
, offers more than 300 programs. - YWCA of Darien-Norwalk is located in Darien.
- The Depot – an adult-supervised youth center for town teenagers in the former Noroton Heights Railroad Station building since the organization's founding in 1989. A student board runs the day-to-day programming; an adult board focuses on fundraising, operations management and capital building projects.
- "Darien Playhouse" – Darien's sole commercial cinema
- Darien is the home of the largest Little League Baseball program in the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with 1,474 boys and girls participating.
Parks and beaches
- Cherry Lawn Park – 27.5 acres (111,288.7 m²), 120 Brookside Road
- Weed Beach – 22.12 acres (89,516.5 m²) at 155 Nearwater Lane, Noroton
- Pear Tree Point Beach – 7.95 acres (32,172.5 m²) at 127 Pear Tree Point Road
- Woodland Park Nature Preserve – 64.717 acres (261,900.6 m²) on Middlesex Road
- Baker Park – 11.72 acres (47,429.2 m²) at 75 Noroton Ave. (site of the former Baker School)
- Frate Park – 0.83 acres (3,358.9 m²) at the corner of Middlesex Road and Leroy Avenue
- McGuane Park – 7.5 acres (30,351.5 m²), 221 Noroton Ave.
- Selleck's Woods Nature Preserve – 28.093 acres (113,688.4 m²) on Little Brook Road
- Stony Brook Park – 11.3 acres (45,729.5 m²) on Ledge Road
- Town Hall and Holahan Fields – 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) at 2 Renshaw Road
- Tilley Pond Park – 8.651 acres (35,009.4 m²) on Lakeside Avenue
Restricted membership clubs
- Country Club of Darien – The club has the second-largest estimated property value of any entity in town, with $23.2 million in assessed value (equal to 70 percent of estimated actual value) behind only the Wee Burn Country Club.
- Darien Boat Club – founded in the late 1940s, the club's membership has grown from a few charter members to more than 850, as well as their families.
- Noroton Yacht Club – Former members of "the world-renowned" club "have included two America's Cup skippers." The club runs the largest junior sailing program in the county. The club was founded in 1928 and built its first clubhouse the following year.
- Ox Ridge Hunt Club – On 37 acres (149,733.8 m²), the club hosts a popular annual horse show held since 1926. The club was founded in 1911.
- Piedmont Club – Not a country club, the "Società Umberto Principe di Piemonte, Inc." was organized July 15, 1916 and "a well-appointed and commodious clubhouse" just off Noroton Avenue was erected in 1923, according to a town history published in 1935.
- Tokeneke Club – When developers of Tokeneke were trying to sell real estate there, they found that ensuring access to a beach removed some hesitation on the part of prospective buyers, so they founded the Tokeneke Beach Club in 1907, acquiring "a small stretch of shore on which stood a dilapidated double-decker bathhouse and a broken pier," soon replaced. The club's original wooden buildings caught fire at a Saturday night party in 1932 and burned to the ground; replacement buildings were later battered by hurricanes.
- Wee Burn Country Club – formed in 1895, it is the first organized golf club in the state and "either the second or third in the United States." The name of the club was taken from a small stream, Stony Brook, which ran through the old grounds. Originally a small house on the Post Road in Noroton (across the street from St. Luke's Episcopal Church) was rented for a clubhouse and nearby land for a seven-hole course was rented. The lease stipulated that the links couldn't prevent the landlord from continuing to use the fields as pasture for his cows. Eventually more land was bought on Hollow Tree Ridge Road and the course was enlarged to nine holes and then 18 by (at the latest) the 1930s. The club is the largest taxpayer in Darien, with an assessed property value (equal to 70 percent of estimated value) of $29.8 million. As recently as 1999, the club did not allow women as full members – they were subject to restricted tee times and barred from the clubhouse.
- Woodway Country Club – founded in 1916 when some members of the Wee Burn Country Club decided the small Wee Burn links, then near the Post Road in Noroton, were getting too crowded. The club bought 150 acre (0.607029 km²) of land in Darien and another 45 in Stamford, and an 18-hole course was opened July 1, 1918. The club was the sixth largest taxpayer, according to the October 1, 2004 town Grand List. The assessed value of the property (equal to 70 percent of actual estimated value) was $19.9 million.
- Middlesex Club – private swim and tennis club
Boy Scouts
Darien has many active scout units, including two Boy Scout troops, a Boy Scout Ship, and Explorer Post 53 (see Post 53 section, above), as well as three Cub Scout packs. Both troops and the ship are funded by the Andrew Shaw Memorial Trust; other funding comes from the annual May tag sale at the Scout Cabin on West Avenue, which has raised more than $50,000 in some years. These Scout units are in town:- Packs 55, 56, and 161 – open to boys in 1st through 5th grades.
- Troop 35 – founded in 2004 when the town's existing troop (Troop 53) got too big; open to boys ages 11–18.
- Troop 53 – the town's original Boy Scout troop, founded in 1918; open to boys ages 11–18.
- Ship 53 – founded in recent years to let kids continue their scouting experience on the water; open to boys and girls ages 14–21.
- Post 53 – see above entry
Annual events
- May – Boy Scout Troop 35 and 53 Tag Sale
- May – Hindley Happening Fair
- Memorial Day – Post 53 Food Fair at Tilly Pond Park and Memorial Day Parade
- Summer – annual Sidewalk Sale (sponsored by the Darien Chamber of Commerce)
- October – Tokeneke Big Pumpkin Fair
Ox Ridge Hunt Club Charity Horse Show
The Ox Ridge Hunt Club sponsors this annual June event, which has attracted up to 16,000 spectators and 1,300 equestrians, some from as far away as California and Europe. The 2007 Grand Prix event offered a $25,000 prize. The three-day event is free to spectators.Philanthropic groups
- A Better Chance – for information on the Darien chapter, see Darien High SchoolDarien High SchoolDarien High School is the single public high school serving the town of Darien, Connecticut, in the United States.The Latin motto on the school seal means "The truth will set you free" or "The truth will make you free." The motto is shared by other institutions, including Johns Hopkins...
- Center for Hope is an organization set up in the early 1980s to provide bereavement and critical illness support for adults and children living with an illness, grieving a loss or coping with a trauma. "All counseling, support and education services are facilitated by specially-trained professionals in an atmosphere of hope and renewal", according to the organization. Founded in the early 1980s, the Center For Hope merged with Family Centers Inc. in 2005.
- Children's Council of Darien is a group set up to provide information and advocacy for the town's children from birth through fifth grade. It describes itself as a nonpartisan group of "parents, educators, doctors and local agency members working together in a non-profit organization to better inform the community about children's needs."
- The Community Fund of Darien, formerly The Darien United Way and Community Council, traces its origins to 1924 and assumed its current name upon withdrawing from the national United Way system in 2006. The Community Fund is a 501(c)(3) Public Charity actively working to meet health and human service needs in the greater community – primarily in Darien, Norwalk and Stamford – through strategic and financial leadership.
- CTE is a nonprofit organization founded in 1967 with a mission of countering "the basic causes of poverty in the Greater Stamford Area", according to the group's Web site. The organization is the federal and state designated Community Action Agency for Stamford, Greenwich and Darien.
- Darien Book Aid Plan is a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization that distributes free books in response to specific requests from Peace Corps volunteers, libraries and schools worldwide. Books are also donated within the United States to libraries, prisons, and hospitals, along with Native American and Appalachian groups.
- Darien Community Association is a nonprofit group founded more than 83 years ago which provides educational, cultural, recreational and civic programs; raises funds for scholarships and other community philanthropic works (partly through its Darien Thrift Shop); and maintains the Meadowlands mansion as a community resource.
- Darien/Stamford Chapter of the American Red Cross was formed on January 1, 2007 by the merger of the Darien and Stamford chapters of the American Red Cross. The merger created an organization with an annual budget of about $850,000, a staff of six full-time employees and about 600 volunteers.
- Darien Technology & Community Foundation
- Junior League of Stamford-Norwalk, founded in 1923, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable. The League focuses its financial and volunteer assets on the issues of positive youth development, child health and welfare and self-sufficiency for women.
- Person-to-Person A 501(c)(3) non-profit agency originally established in 1968 by St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Darien. Its mission is simple: to bring together the needs of people in disadvantaged areas of nearby communities with the resources of people in Darien and the surrounding areas, thereby providing basic emergency services to low-income individuals and families living in lower Fairfield County. A volunteer-driven agency, Person-to-Person is committed to helping clients achieve self-sufficiency through practical help, advocacy, education and problem-solving initiatives. Programs include Emergency Assistance, Campership and Scholarship. In 2007, Person-to-Person helped more than 20,000 people avert crisis and make ends meet. These efforts are made possible by in-kind donations, a force of more than 2,000 volunteers and financial contributions.
Notable residents
For more information, see List of people from Darien, Connecticut.Several people notable for their esteemed place in American history have called Darien home: Charles Lindbergh
Charles Lindbergh
Charles Augustus Lindbergh was an American aviator, author, inventor, explorer, and social activist.Lindbergh, a 25-year-old U.S...
the late aviator, and his wife, author Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Anne Morrow Lindbergh was an American author, aviator, and the spouse of fellow aviator Charles Lindbergh.She was an acclaimed author whose books and articles spanned the genres of poetry to non-fiction, touching upon topics as diverse as youth and age; love and marriage; peace, solitude and...
lived on Tokeneke Trail. Steel magnate and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...
vacationed for several summers at what became the Convent of the Sacred Heart (divided into many private estates in the 1970s) at Long Neck Point. Christopher Shays
Christopher Shays
Christopher H. Shays is an American politician. He was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives and represented the 4th District of Connecticut....
, the former Republican congressman representing Connecticut's Fourth District, was born in Darien (and now lives in Bridgeport
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in Fairfield County, the city had an estimated population of 144,229 at the 2010 United States Census and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area...
).
Actors and actresses who have lived in town include former resident Christopher Plummer
Christopher Plummer
Arthur Christopher Orne Plummer, CC is a Canadian theatre, film and television actor. He made his film debut in 1957's Stage Struck, and notable early film performances include Night of the Generals, The Return of the Pink Panther and The Man Who Would Be King.In a career that spans over five...
, Kate Bosworth
Kate Bosworth
Catherine Ann "Kate" Bosworth is an American actress. Bosworth starred in the television series Young Americans, in which she played Bella Banks. She became known with a leading role in 2002's Blue Crush. The following year, Bosworth played the teenage girlfriend of porn star John Holmes in...
, Topher Grace
Topher Grace
Christopher John "Topher" Grace is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Eric Forman on the Fox sitcom That '70s Show, Eddie Brock/Venom in the Sam Raimi film Spider-Man 3, and Edwin in the 2010 film Predators....
, and Chloë Sevigny
Chloë Sevigny
Chloë Stevens Sevigny is an American film actress, fashion designer and former model. Sevigny gained reputation for her eclectic fashion sense and developed a broad career in the fashion industry in the mid 1990s, both for modeling and for her work at New York's Sassy magazine, which labeled her...
. Actress Carol Kane
Carol Kane
Carolyn Laurie "Carol" Kane is an American actress. Kane has worked on the stage, on the screen and in television. She appeared on the television series Taxi in the early 1980s, as the wife of the character played by Andy Kaufman. She received two Emmy Awards for her work...
attended Cherry Lawn School in Darien until 1965. Film director Gus Van Sant
Gus Van Sant
Gus Green Van Sant, Jr. is an American director, screenwriter, painter, photographer, musician, and author. He is a two time nominee of the Academy Award for Best Director for his 1997 film Good Will Hunting and his 2008 film Milk, both of which were also nominated for Best Picture, and won the...
also went to high school in Darien. Jazz saxophonist Gerry Mulligan
Gerry Mulligan
Gerald Joseph "Gerry" Mulligan was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, composer and arranger. Though Mulligan is primarily known as one of the leading baritone saxophonists in jazz history – playing the instrument with a light and airy tone in the era of cool jazz – he was also...
lived in Darien in later life and died there in 1996. Guitarist Chris Risola
Chris Risola
Chris Risola is the lead guitarist for the rock band Steelheart, sometimes mis-credited as Chris Rizola....
grew up in Darien. Musician Moby
Moby
Richard Melville Hall , better known by his stage name Moby, is an American musician, DJ, and photographer. He is known mainly for his sample-based electronic music and his outspoken liberal political views, including his support of veganism and animal rights.Moby gained attention in the early...
grew up there during his adolescence. Rudolph Valentino
Rudolph Valentino
Rudolph Valentino was an Italian actor, and early pop icon. A sex symbol of the 1920s, Valentino was known as the "Latin Lover". He starred in several well-known silent films including The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, The Sheik, Blood and Sand, The Eagle and Son of the Sheik...
was said to have had a Spanish-style home at the entrance of Salem Straits. Emmy-winning television producer and writer Tom Gammill also grew up in Darien.
People famous in other fields have also called Darien home: Leslie Groves
Leslie Groves
Lieutenant General Leslie Richard Groves, Jr. was a United States Army Corps of Engineers officer who oversaw the construction of the Pentagon and directed the Manhattan Project that developed the atomic bomb during World War II. As the son of a United States Army chaplain, Groves lived at a...
– military head of the Manhattan Project
Manhattan Project
The Manhattan Project was a research and development program, led by the United States with participation from the United Kingdom and Canada, that produced the first atomic bomb during World War II. From 1942 to 1946, the project was under the direction of Major General Leslie Groves of the US Army...
, lived in town after the project ended. Paul Manship
Paul Manship
Paul Howard Manship was an American sculptor.-Life:Manship began his art studies at the St. Paul School of Art in Minnesota. From there he moved to Philadelphia and continued his education at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts...
, sculptor of the Prometheus figure at Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center is a complex of 19 commercial buildings covering between 48th and 51st streets in New York City, United States. Built by the Rockefeller family, it is located in the center of Midtown Manhattan, spanning the area between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue. It was declared a National...
, spent summers living on Leroy Avenue and working on his art in the early 1930s. Photojournalist Margaret Bourke-White
Margaret Bourke-White
Margaret Bourke-White was an American photographer and documentary photographer. She is best known as the first foreign photographer permitted to take pictures of Soviet Industry, the first female war correspondent and the first female photographer for Henry Luce's Life magazine, where her...
lived in town first with author Erskine Caldwell
Erskine Caldwell
Erskine Preston Caldwell was an American author. His writings about poverty, racism and social problems in his native South like the novels Tobacco Road and God's Little Acre won him critical acclaim, but they also made him controversial among fellow Southerners of the time who felt he was...
, then in the same home after their divorce. Helen Frankenthaler
Helen Frankenthaler
Helen Frankenthaler is an American abstract expressionist painter. She is a major contributor to the history of postwar American painting. Having exhibited her work in six decades she has spanned several generations of abstract painters while continuing to produce vital and ever-changing new work...
, a major American Abstract Expressionist painter, has lived in Darien in later life and has maintained her primary studio there. Novelist and playwright Richard Bissell
Richard Pike Bissell
Richard Pike Bissell was an author of short stories and novels, one of which, 7½ Cents, was turned into the Broadway musical The Pajama Game. This won him the 1955 Tony Award for Best Musical...
lived in Darien from the early 1950s to the mid-1970s. Artist John Stobart lived on Crane Road for many years, and prints of his historical painting of Ring's End Landing were popular in the 1970s, after the town's 150th anniversary. Producer and NBC executive Grant Tinker
Grant Tinker
Grant Almerin Tinker is the former chairman and CEO of NBC from 1981 to 1986, co-founder of MTM Enterprises, and television producer. Tinker is the former husband of television actress Mary Tyler Moore...
reared his family there in the 1950s. Former Benton & Bowles advertising agency executive and noted big band radio broadcaster G. Emerson Cole
G. Emerson Cole
George Emerson Cole is an American radio, television, and special events producer/announcer pioneer whose weekly radio program "The Big Bands Are Back" is now in its 32nd consecutive year in Pinehurst, North Carolina...
lived in Darien for 35 years. New York Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman
Brian Cashman
Brian McGuire Cashman is an American Major League Baseball executive for the New York Yankees.-Early life:Cashman was born in Rockville Centre, New York and raised in Washingtonville, New York. He was raised in an Irish Catholic family. He moved with his family to Lexington, Kentucky, where his...
currently lives in town as does 60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
correspondent Scott Pelley
Scott Pelley
Scott Cameron Pelley is an American television journalist who is currently anchor and managing editor of the CBS Evening News and a correspondent for the CBS news magazine 60 Minutes...
. Kiss
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
drummer Peter Criss
Peter Criss
George Peter John Criscuola , better known as Peter Criss, is an American drummer and singer, best known as the original drummer for the rock band Kiss...
also had a home in Darien.
One infamous native of Darien is convicted rapist Alex Kelly, who fled the United States to escape prosecution. His story was dramatized in the television movie Crime in Connecticut: The Story of Alex Kelly
Crime in Connecticut: The Story of Alex Kelly
Crime in Connecticut: The Story of Alex Kelly is based on the life of Alex Kelly. It was released on March 16, 1999.-Plot:...
.
In film
Films at least partially filmed in Darien with release date.- My Soul to TakeMy Soul to TakeMy Soul to Take is a 2010 American horror film, written and directed by Wes Craven. It is his first film since 1994's Wes Craven's New Nightmare that he both wrote and directed.The film stars Max Thieriot as the protagonist Adam "Bug" Hellerman, who is one of seven teenagers chosen to die.The film...
(2010) (aka "25/8My Soul to TakeMy Soul to Take is a 2010 American horror film, written and directed by Wes Craven. It is his first film since 1994's Wes Craven's New Nightmare that he both wrote and directed.The film stars Max Thieriot as the protagonist Adam "Bug" Hellerman, who is one of seven teenagers chosen to die.The film...
") - The Best Laid Plans (2009)
- Birds of AmericaBirds of America (film)Birds of America is an offbeat American family dramedy directed by Craig Lucas, written by Elyse Friedman, and starring Matthew Perry. It premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival...
(2008) (aka "The Laws of Motion"). - Revolutionary RoadRevolutionary RoadRevolutionary Road, the first novel of author Richard Yates, was a finalist for the National Book Award in 1962 along with Catch-22 and The Moviegoer. When it was published by Atlantic-Little, Brown in 1961, it received critical acclaim, and the New York Times reviewed it as "beautifully crafted.....
(2008) - Buttercup (2007)
- The Life Before Her Eyes (2007)
- Ode to Fredo (2007)
- Ready for Action
- The Stepford Wives (2004)The Stepford Wives (2004 film)The Stepford Wives is a 2004 American science fiction film. The film is a remake of the 1975 film of the same name; both films are based on the Ira Levin novel The Stepford Wives...
- American Dream (2002)
- Cannonball Run IICannonball Run IISee also Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy DashCannonball Run II comedy film featuring Burt Reynolds and an all-star cast, released by Warner Bros. and Golden Harvest...
(1984) - The Stepford Wives (1975)The Stepford Wives (1975 film)The Stepford Wives is a 1975 science fiction–thriller film based on the 1972 Ira Levin novel of the same name. It was directed by Bryan Forbes with a screenplay by William Goldman, and stars Katharine Ross, Paula Prentiss, Peter Masterson, Nanette Newman and Tina Louise...
- Gentleman's AgreementGentleman's AgreementGentleman's Agreement is a 1947 drama film about a journalist who goes undercover as a Jew to conduct research for an exposé on antisemitism in New York City and the affluent community of Darien, Connecticut...
(1947)
Landmarks
- The Convent of St. Birgitta, which houses a Swedish order of nunNunA nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
s, has a large waterfront plot with a panoramic view of Scott's Cove. The conventConventA convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
offers room and board to guests or small groups looking for a spiritual retreat. - A notable work of modern architecture in town is the Frederick J. Smith HouseFrederick J. Smith HouseThe Frederick J. Smith House is a work of modern architecture designed by Richard Meier. The house was planned starting in 1965 and completed in 1967 in Darien, Connecticut. The home has been featured in numerous books...
, designed by architect Richard MeierRichard MeierRichard Meier is an American architect, whose rationalist buildings make prominent use of the color white.- Biography :Meier is Jewish and was born in Newark, New Jersey...
. The house was planned starting in 1965 and completed in 1967. The home has been featured in numerous books. "There is a formal layering, giving a sense of progression, as one moves across the site from the entrance road down to the shore, and the 'line of progression' determines the major site axis," Meier has written. "Perpendicular to this axis, the intersecting planes in the house respond to the rhythms of the slope, trees, rock outcroppings, and the shoreline."
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 19,607 people, 6,592 households, and 5,385 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,525.2 people per square mile (588.7/km²). There were 6,792 housing units at an average density of 203.9 persons/km² (528.3 persons/sq mi). The racial makeup of the town was 95.97% White, 0.45% African American, 0.04% Native American, 2.42% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.30% from other races, and 0.80% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.19% of the population.
There were 6,592 households out of which 46.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.5% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 5.6% had a woman whose husband did not live with her, and 18.3% were non-families. 15.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.95 and the average family size was 3.31.
In the town the population was spread out with 32.5% under the age of 18, 3.0% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.
According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the town was $160,274, and the median income for a family was $195,905. As of the 2000 Census, males had a median income of $100,000 versus $59,313 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $77,519. 2.0% of the population and 0.6% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 1.6% are under the age of 18 and 2.6% are 65 or older.
External links
- Town of Darien official website
- Darien Historical Society
- Darien Library, 1441 Post Road