East Granby, Connecticut
Encyclopedia
East Granby is a town in Hartford County
, Connecticut
, United States
. The population was estimated at 5,058 in 2005. The town recently celebrated its 150th anniversary with a three-day festival on June 7, 8, and 9, 2008.
East Granby is in the Farmington valley, with the Farmington River
passing along the Southern border of the town
. The Metacomet Ridge
, a mountainous trap rock
ridgeline that stretches from Long Island Sound
to nearly the Vermont
border, runs through the center of the town, cutting off Salisbury Plain
to the east, which used to lie under the ancient, glacial Lake Hitchcock
. High points on the Metacomet Ridge in East Granby include Hatchet Hill
and Peak Mountain
; the latter offers bird's eye view of the historic Old Newgate Prison
. The 51 miles (82.1 km) Metacomet Trail
traverses the ridge.
of 2000, there were 4,745 people, 1,848 households, and 1,354 families residing in the town. The population density
was 271.5 people per square mile (104.8/km²). There were 1,903 housing units at an average density of 108.9 per square mile (42.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.60% White, 1.37% African American, 0.13% Native American, 1.05% Asian, 0.65% from other races
, and 1.20% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.52% of the population.
There were 1,848 households out of which 35.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.8% were no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 22.1% of all househol married couples
living together, 7.5% had a female householder with ds were made up of individuals and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.1% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 27.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $68,696, and the median income for a family was $77,621. Males had a median income of $48,992 versus $37,450 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $30,805. About 0.9% of families and 1.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.6% of those under age 18 and 3.2% of those age 65 or over.
, the smallest public High School in the state of Connecticut. The high school mascot is a crusader and the middle school's is a purple wave. Both the high school's and the middle school's colors are purple and white.
Hartford County, Connecticut
Hartford County is a county located in the north central part of the US state of Connecticut. The 2010 Census records show that the county population is at 894,014 making it the second most populated county in Connecticut....
, 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...
. The population was estimated at 5,058 in 2005. The town recently celebrated its 150th anniversary with a three-day festival on June 7, 8, and 9, 2008.
Geography
Farmington River
The Farmington River is a river located in northwest Connecticut, with major tributaries extending into southwest Massachusetts. Via its longest branch , the Farmington's length increases to , making it the Connecticut River's longest tributary by a mere over the major river directly to its...
passing along the Southern border of the town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
. The Metacomet Ridge
Metacomet Ridge
The Metacomet Ridge, Metacomet Ridge Mountains, or Metacomet Range of southern New England, United States, is a narrow and steep fault-block mountain ridge known for its extensive cliff faces, scenic vistas, microclimate ecosystems, and communities of plants considered rare or endangered...
, a mountainous trap rock
Trap rock
Trap rock is a form of igneous rock that tends to form polygonal vertical fractures, most typically hexagonal, but also four to eight sided. The fracture pattern forms when magma of suitable chemical composition intrudes as a sill or extrudes as a thick lava flow, and slowly cools.Because of the...
ridgeline that stretches from 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...
to nearly the Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
border, runs through the center of the town, cutting off Salisbury Plain
Salisbury Plain
Salisbury Plain is a chalk plateau in central southern England covering . It is part of the Southern England Chalk Formation and largely lies within the county of Wiltshire, with a little in Hampshire. The plain is famous for its rich archaeology, including Stonehenge, one of England's best known...
to the east, which used to lie under the ancient, glacial Lake Hitchcock
Lake Hitchcock
Lake Hitchcock was a glacial lake that formed approximately 15,000 years ago in the late Pleistocene epoch. After the Laurentide ice sheet retreated, glacial ice melt accumulated at the terminal moraine and blocked up the Connecticut River, creating the long, narrow lake...
. High points on the Metacomet Ridge in East Granby include Hatchet Hill
Hatchet Hill
Hatchet Hill, est. , is a trap rock ridge located in East Granby, Connecticut, northeast of Hartford, Connecticut. It is part of the narrow, linear Metacomet Ridge that extends from Long Island Sound near New Haven, Connecticut, north through the Connecticut River Valley of Massachusetts to the...
and Peak Mountain
Peak Mountain
Peak Mountain, also called Copper Mountain, est. , is a traprock mountain located in East Granby, Connecticut, south of the Massachusetts border and 6 miles west of the Connecticut River...
; the latter offers bird's eye view of the historic Old Newgate Prison
Old Newgate Prison
Old Newgate Prison was a Colonial American prison in what is now East Granby, Connecticut. It is now a historic site.The prison was originally a copper mine, opened in 1705, and is believed to be the first copper mine in America. After mining operations proved unprofitable, the colony of...
. The 51 miles (82.1 km) Metacomet Trail
Metacomet Trail
The Metacomet Trail is a Blue-Blazed hiking trail that traverses the Metacomet Ridge of central Connecticut and is a part of the newly designated New England National Scenic Trail. Despite being easily accessible and close to large population centers, the trail is considered remarkably rugged and...
traverses the ridge.
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 4,745 people, 1,848 households, and 1,354 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 271.5 people per square mile (104.8/km²). There were 1,903 housing units at an average density of 108.9 per square mile (42.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.60% White, 1.37% African American, 0.13% Native American, 1.05% Asian, 0.65% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.20% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.52% of the population.
There were 1,848 households out of which 35.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.8% were no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 22.1% of all househol 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, 7.5% had a female householder with ds were made up of individuals and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.1% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 27.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $68,696, and the median income for a family was $77,621. Males had a median income of $48,992 versus $37,450 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 $30,805. About 0.9% of families and 1.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.6% of those under age 18 and 3.2% of those age 65 or over.
| Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 25, 2005 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Active Voters | Inactive Voters | Total Voters | Percentage |
Republican 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... |
966 | 35 | 1,001 | 30.05% |
Democratic 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... |
752 | 20 | 772 | 23.18% |
Unaffiliated | 1,465 | 90 | 1,555 | 46.68% |
Minor Parties | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0.09% | |
| Total | 3,186 | 145 | 3,331 | 100% | |||||||||||||||||||||
Notable residents
- Walter WickWalter WickWalter Wick is an American artist and photographer best known for the elaborate images in two series of publications, the I Spy and the Can You See What I See? books, which were published by Scholastic Books....
, author of the I SpyI Spy (book series)I Spy is a children's book series with texts written by based on photographs by Walter Wick published by Scholastic Press. The books are named after the I spy guessing game....
find-it-in-the-picture book series
Education
East Granby is served by East Granby Public Schools http://eastgranby.k12.ct.us/, including East Granby High SchoolEast Granby High School
East Granby High School is a high school located in East Granby, Connecticut. The school is a Traditional/RegularSchool with a Grade Range of 9-12. The total enrollment currently stands at 241.-About:...
, the smallest public High School in the state of Connecticut. The high school mascot is a crusader and the middle school's is a purple wave. Both the high school's and the middle school's colors are purple and white.
National Register of Historic Places
- Clark Farm Tenant House Site
- East Granby Historic District
- Old Newgate PrisonOld Newgate PrisonOld Newgate Prison was a Colonial American prison in what is now East Granby, Connecticut. It is now a historic site.The prison was originally a copper mine, opened in 1705, and is believed to be the first copper mine in America. After mining operations proved unprofitable, the colony of...
- Ezekiel Phelps HouseEzekiel Phelps HouseThe Ezekiel Phelps House was the residence of Ezekiel Phelps. It was built in 1744, in the town then known as Simsbury, now known as East Granby, Connecticut....
- Viets' TavernViets' TavernViets' Tavern is an 18th century tavern, directly across the street from the Old Newgate Prison.The date of the construction of this building is not known, but there are multiple references to this tavern in historical records. In 1712, Dr...
In popular culture
- East Granby was noted in book "The Black Box," a record of airplane CVR Recordings. East Granby was the site of the American Airlines flight 1572 incident, which clipped the tops of trees in East Granby as it came in for a landing at Bradley International Airport. This incident appeared the first in the book.