Fairfield, Connecticut
Encyclopedia
Fairfield is a town
located in Fairfield County
, Connecticut
, United States
. It is bordered by the towns of Bridgeport
, Trumbull
, Easton
, Redding
and Westport
along the Gold Coast of Connecticut
. As of the 2010 census, the town had a population of 59,404. In July 2006, Money magazine
ranked Fairfield the ninth "best place to live" in the United States, and the best place to live in the Northeast
.
s and Congregationalists in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
dissatisfied with the rate of Anglican reforms sought to establish an ecclesiastical society subject to their own rules and regulations. The Massachusetts General Court granted them permission to settle the towns of Windsor
, Wethersfield
, and Hartford
in the area now known as Connecticut
.
On January 14, 1639, a set of legal and administrative regulations called the Fundamental Orders
was adopted, and established Connecticut as a self-ruled entity. By 1639 these settlers had started new towns in the surrounding areas. Roger Ludlow
, framer of the Fundamental Orders, purchased the land presently Fairfield, and established the name.
According to historian John M. Taylor: "Early in 1639 the General Court granted a commission to Ludlow to begin a plantation at Pequannocke. He was on that errand, with a few others from Windsor, afterwards joined by immigrants from Watertown
and Concord
. He bought a large tract of land from the Pequannocke sachems, - afterwards greatly enlarged by other purchases to the westward,- and recalling the attractive region beyond (Uncoa), which he had personally seen on the second Pequot expedition, he also “set down” there, having purchased the territory embraced in the present town of Fairfield, to which he gave its name."
in southwestern Connecticut (the other was Stratford
). The town line with Stratford was set in May 1661 by John Banks, an early Fairfield settler, Richard Olmstead, and Lt. Joseph Judson
, who were appointed as a committee by the Colony of Connecticut. The town line with Norwalk
was not set until May 1685.
Over time, it gave rise to several new towns that broke off and incorporated separately. The following is a list of towns created from parts of Fairfield.
section of the state, the people of Fairfield were early supporters of the cause for independence. Throughout the war, a constant battle was being fought across Long Island Sound
as men from British-controlled Long Island
raided the coast in whaleboat
s and privateer
s. Gold Selleck Silliman
, whose home still stands on Jennings Road, was put in charge of the coastal defenses.
In the spring of 1779, he was kidnapped from his home by Tory forces in preparation for a British raid on Fairfield County. His wife watched from their home as, on the morning of July 7, 1779, approximately 2,000 enemy troops landed on Fairfield Beach near Pine Creek Point and proceeded to invade the town. When they left the following evening, the entire town lay in ruins, burned to the ground as punishment for Fairfield's support of the rebel cause. Ten years later, President George Washington
noted after traveling through Fairfield that "the destructive evidences of British cruelty are yet visible both in Norwalk
and Fairfield; as there are the chimneys of many burnt houses standing in them yet."
Fairfield recovered slowly from the burning, but soon after the end of the war its houses and public buildings had all been rebuilt.
brought Fairfield out of its agrarian past by triggering an unprecedented economic boom in Bridgeport, the center of a large munitions industry. The prosperity created a housing shortage in the city, and many of the workers looked to Fairfield to build their homes. The trolley
and later the automobile made the countryside accessible to these newly rich members of the middle class, who brought with them new habits, new attitudes, and new modes of dress. The prosperity lasted through the twenties.
By the time of the Wall Street Crash of 1929
, the population had increased to 17,000 from the 6,000 it had been just before the war. Even during the Depression
, the town kept growing.
The grounding of a barge with two crewmen on Penfield Reef in Fairfield during a gale led to the first civilian helicopter hoist rescue in history, on November 29, 1945. The helicopter flew from the nearby Sikorsky Aircraft
plant in Bridgeport.
Fairfield is the home of the corporate headquarters of General Electric
(GE), one of the world's largest companies.
The opening of the Connecticut Turnpike
in the 1950s brought another wave of development to Fairfield, and by the 1960s the town's residential, suburban character was firmly established.
(RTM), a Board of Finance, a Board of Education, a Planning and Zoning Commission (TPZ), and many other politically appointed commissions, boards, and committees. The current First Selectman is Michael Tetreau (D).
The town has no criminal or civil court system and all trials are held and handled by the Bridgeport Superior Court system.
Fairfield has two public high schools, Fairfield Warde
and Fairfield Ludlowe
; three public middle schools, Roger Ludlowe
, Tomlinson
, and Fairfield Woods Middle School
; and eleven public elementary schools.
Fairfield has several Catholic schools, including two high schools, Fairfield Prep
and Notre Dame, and two primary schools, St. Thomas Aquinas and Our Lady of the Assumption. A third Catholic primary school, Holy Family, was closed by the Diocese of Bridgeport at the end of 2009-2010 academic year.
Non-religious private schools include Fairfield Country Day School
and the Unquowa School.
Fairfield is also home to two post-secondary institutions, Fairfield University
and Sacred Heart University
.
. According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 31.3 square miles (81.1 km²), of which 30 square miles (77.7 km²) is land and 3.4 square kilometres (1.3 sq mi), or 4.15%, is water. The Mill River, the waters of which feed Lake Mohegan, flows through the town.
Fairfield consists of many neighborhoods. The best known are wealthy Southport
, where General Electric Chief Executive Officer Jack Welch
lived for many years, and Greenfield Hill
, with its large areas, famous dogwood trees, and picturesque green with its white-spired Congregational church. Other well established neighborhoods include Stratfield, Tunxis Hill, the University area, Grasmere, Mill Plain, Knapp's Village, Melville Village, Holland Hill, and the Fairfield Beach area, which has recently undergone a renaissance with the construction of many new homes by residents wishing to live in proximity to the beach and downtown. Two shopping districts in town include the Post Road
(U.S. 1
) and Black Rock Turnpike.
, Interstate 95
, and the Merritt Parkway
. It has two Metro-North Railroad
stations, Fairfield
and Southport
. A third station is under construction near the Grasmere neighborhood and adjacent Black Rock neighborhood of Bridgeport along with a large commercial development known as Fairfield Metro Center
. The town is served by several public bus lines of the Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority
.
of 2010, there are 59,404 people in the town, organized into 20,457 households and 14,846 families. The population density
is 1,927 people per square mile (744/km²). There are 21,648 housing units at an average density of 703 per square mile (277/km²). The racial makeup of the town is 91.6% White, 3.7% Asian, 1.8% African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.2% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. 5.0% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 20,457 households out of which 38.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.6% are married couples
living together, 9.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 27.4% are non-families. 22.3% of all households are made up of individuals and 15.1% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.69 and the average family size is 3.19.
In the town the population is spread out with 25.4% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 21.1% from 25 to 44, 27.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 40 years. For every 100 females there are 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 85.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town is $83,512, and the median income for a family is $100,920 (these figures had risen to $103,352 and $121,749 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males have a median income of $69,525 versus $44,837 for females. The per capita income
for the city is $43,670. 2.9% of the population and 1.8% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 2.8% of those under the age of 18 and 3.6% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Fairfield is notable for, among other things, its very low crime rate. There have been only three murders in the last five years in town. Money Magazine's 2006 Best Places to Live Survey ranks Fairfield as the second safest municipality in the United States. http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2006/top25s/safest.html
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...
located 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...
. It is bordered by the towns of 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...
, Trumbull
Trumbull, Connecticut
Trumbull, a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut in the New England region of the United States, is bordered by the towns of Monroe, Shelton, Stratford, Bridgeport, Fairfield and Easton along Connecticut's Gold Coast. The population was 36,018 according to the 2010 census.Family Circle magazine...
, Easton
Easton, Connecticut
Easton is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 7,490 at the 2010 census. Easton contains the historic district of Aspetuck....
, Redding
Redding, Connecticut
Mark Twain, a resident of the town in his old age, contributed the first books for a public library which was eventually named after him.-Government:...
and Westport
Westport, Connecticut
-Neighborhoods:* Saugatuck – around the Westport railroad station near the southwestern corner of the town – a built-up area with some restaurants, stores and offices....
along the Gold Coast of Connecticut
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...
. As of the 2010 census, the town had a population of 59,404. In July 2006, Money magazine
Money (magazine)
Money is published by Time Inc. Its first issue was published in October 1972. Its articles cover the gamut of personal finance topics ranging from investing, saving, retirement and taxes to family finance issues like paying for college, credit, career and home improvement...
ranked Fairfield the ninth "best place to live" in the United States, and the best place to live in the Northeast
Northeastern United States
The Northeastern United States is a region of the United States as defined by the United States Census Bureau.-Composition:The region comprises nine states: the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont; and the Mid-Atlantic states of New...
.
Colonial era
In 1635, PuritanPuritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
s and Congregationalists in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
dissatisfied with the rate of Anglican reforms sought to establish an ecclesiastical society subject to their own rules and regulations. The Massachusetts General Court granted them permission to settle the towns of Windsor
Windsor, Connecticut
Windsor is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, and was the first English settlement in the state. It lies on the northern border of Connecticut's capital, Hartford. The population was estimated at 28,778 in 2005....
, 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...
, and Hartford
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
in the area now known as 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...
.
On January 14, 1639, a set of legal and administrative regulations called the Fundamental Orders
Fundamental Orders of Connecticut
The Fundamental Orders were adopted by the Connecticut Colony council on January 14, 1638/39 OS . The orders describe the government set up by the Connecticut River towns, setting its structure and powers....
was adopted, and established Connecticut as a self-ruled entity. By 1639 these settlers had started new towns in the surrounding areas. Roger Ludlow
Roger Ludlow
Roger Ludlow was one of the founders of the Colony of Connecticut. He was born in March 1590 in Dinton, Wiltshire, England. Roger was the second son of Sir Thomas Ludlow of Maiden Bradley, Wiltshire and Jane Pyle, sister of Sir Gabriel Pyle...
, framer of the Fundamental Orders, purchased the land presently Fairfield, and established the name.
According to historian John M. Taylor: "Early in 1639 the General Court granted a commission to Ludlow to begin a plantation at Pequannocke. He was on that errand, with a few others from Windsor, afterwards joined by immigrants from Watertown
Watertown, Massachusetts
The Town of Watertown is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 31,915 at the 2010 census.- History :Archeological evidence suggests that Watertown was inhabited for thousands of years before the arrival of settlers from England...
and Concord
Concord, Massachusetts
Concord is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 17,668. Although a small town, Concord is noted for its leading roles in American history and literature.-History:...
. He bought a large tract of land from the Pequannocke sachems, - afterwards greatly enlarged by other purchases to the westward,- and recalling the attractive region beyond (Uncoa), which he had personally seen on the second Pequot expedition, he also “set down” there, having purchased the territory embraced in the present town of Fairfield, to which he gave its name."
Towns created from Fairfield
Fairfield was one of the two principal settlements of the Connecticut ColonyConnecticut Colony
The Connecticut Colony or Colony of Connecticut was an English colony located in British America that became the U.S. state of Connecticut. Originally known as the River Colony, it was organized on March 3, 1636 as a haven for Puritan noblemen. After early struggles with the Dutch, the English...
in southwestern Connecticut (the other was Stratford
Stratford, Connecticut
Stratford is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located on Long Island Sound at the mouth of the Housatonic River. It was founded by Puritans in 1639....
). The town line with Stratford was set in May 1661 by John Banks, an early Fairfield settler, Richard Olmstead, and Lt. Joseph Judson
Joseph Judson
Joseph Judson was a Connecticut settler, local official and militia officer....
, who were appointed as a committee by the Colony of Connecticut. The town line with 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...
was not set until May 1685.
Over time, it gave rise to several new towns that broke off and incorporated separately. The following is a list of towns created from parts of Fairfield.
- ReddingRedding, ConnecticutMark Twain, a resident of the town in his old age, contributed the first books for a public library which was eventually named after him.-Government:...
in 1767 - WestonWeston, ConnecticutWeston is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut. The population was 10,179 at the 2010 census. The town is served by Route 57 and Route 53, both of which run through the town center. About 19% of the town's workforce commutes to New York City, about to the southwest.Like many towns in...
in 1787- EastonEaston, ConnecticutEaston is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 7,490 at the 2010 census. Easton contains the historic district of Aspetuck....
created from Weston in 1845
- Easton
- BridgeportBridgeport, ConnecticutBridgeport 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...
in 1821 (also partly from StratfordStratford, ConnecticutStratford is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located on Long Island Sound at the mouth of the Housatonic River. It was founded by Puritans in 1639....
) and again in 1895 when the Black Rock section left Fairfield - WestportWestport, Connecticut-Neighborhoods:* Saugatuck – around the Westport railroad station near the southwestern corner of the town – a built-up area with some restaurants, stores and offices....
in 1835 (also partly from Weston and NorwalkNorwalk, ConnecticutNorwalk 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...
)
Revolutionary War
When the Revolutionary War began in the 1770s, Fairfielders were caught in the crisis as much as, if not more than, the rest of their neighbors in Connecticut. In a predominantly ToryLoyalist (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...
section of the state, the people of Fairfield were early supporters of the cause for independence. Throughout the war, a constant battle was being fought across 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...
as men from British-controlled Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
raided the coast in whaleboat
Whaleboat
A whaleboat is a type of open boat that is relatively narrow and pointed at both ends, enabling it to move either forwards or backwards equally well. It was originally developed for whaling, and later became popular for work along beaches, since it does not need to be turned around for beaching or...
s and privateer
Privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
s. Gold Selleck Silliman
Gold Selleck Silliman
Gold Selleck Silliman was born in Fairfield, Connecticut, graduated from Yale University and practiced law and served as a crown attorney before the American Revolution...
, whose home still stands on Jennings Road, was put in charge of the coastal defenses.
In the spring of 1779, he was kidnapped from his home by Tory forces in preparation for a British raid on Fairfield County. His wife watched from their home as, on the morning of July 7, 1779, approximately 2,000 enemy troops landed on Fairfield Beach near Pine Creek Point and proceeded to invade the town. When they left the following evening, the entire town lay in ruins, burned to the ground as punishment for Fairfield's support of the rebel cause. Ten years later, President George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
noted after traveling through Fairfield that "the destructive evidences of British cruelty are yet visible both in 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 Fairfield; as there are the chimneys of many burnt houses standing in them yet."
Fairfield recovered slowly from the burning, but soon after the end of the war its houses and public buildings had all been rebuilt.
Twentieth century
World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
brought Fairfield out of its agrarian past by triggering an unprecedented economic boom in Bridgeport, the center of a large munitions industry. The prosperity created a housing shortage in the city, and many of the workers looked to Fairfield to build their homes. The trolley
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
and later the automobile made the countryside accessible to these newly rich members of the middle class, who brought with them new habits, new attitudes, and new modes of dress. The prosperity lasted through the twenties.
By the time of the Wall Street Crash of 1929
Wall Street Crash of 1929
The Wall Street Crash of 1929 , also known as the Great Crash, and the Stock Market Crash of 1929, was the most devastating stock market crash in the history of the United States, taking into consideration the full extent and duration of its fallout...
, the population had increased to 17,000 from the 6,000 it had been just before the war. Even during the Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, the town kept growing.
The grounding of a barge with two crewmen on Penfield Reef in Fairfield during a gale led to the first civilian helicopter hoist rescue in history, on November 29, 1945. The helicopter flew from the nearby Sikorsky Aircraft
Sikorsky Aircraft
The Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation is an American aircraft manufacturer based in Stratford, Connecticut. Its parent company is United Technologies Corporation.-History:...
plant in Bridgeport.
Fairfield is the home of the corporate headquarters of General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
(GE), one of the world's largest companies.
The opening of 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...
in the 1950s brought another wave of development to Fairfield, and by the 1960s the town's residential, suburban character was firmly established.
Government
The town government consists of the three-member Board of Selectmen, a Representative Town MeetingRepresentative town meeting
A representative town meeting is a form of municipal legislature particularly common in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Vermont....
(RTM), a Board of Finance, a Board of Education, a Planning and Zoning Commission (TPZ), and many other politically appointed commissions, boards, and committees. The current First Selectman is Michael Tetreau (D).
The town has no criminal or civil court system and all trials are held and handled by the Bridgeport Superior Court system.
Education
Fairfield has two public high schools, Fairfield Warde
Fairfield Warde High School
Fairfield Warde High School is a co-educational secondary school located in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States.- History :In 2001, Fairfield High School was deemed overcrowded. To alleviate population overflow, Fairfield Ludlowe High School was opened at the former Roger Ludlowe High School site...
and Fairfield Ludlowe
Fairfield Ludlowe High School
Fairfield Ludlowe High School is a co-educational secondary school located in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States.-Origins:Fairfield Ludlowe High School opened in the fall of the 2003–2004 as a satellite campus of Fairfield High School...
; three public middle schools, Roger Ludlowe
Roger Ludlowe Middle School
Roger Ludlowe Middle School is a co-educational secondary school located in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States. The school is named after Roger Ludlow, the founder of the Town of Fairfield.-History:...
, Tomlinson
Tomlinson Middle School
Tomlinson Middle School is a secondary school located in Fairfield, Connecticut. TMS serves 775 of Fairfields students in the middle school age group. Its current principal is Mrs...
, and Fairfield Woods Middle School
Fairfield Woods Middle School
Fairfield Woods Middle School is a co-educational public school in Fairfield, Connecticut. The school was built in 1954 due to overpopulation of the other middle school, Tomlinson Middle School. Once construction began, there were issues with the layout. The construction company had to redesign...
; and eleven public elementary schools.
Fairfield has several Catholic schools, including two high schools, Fairfield Prep
Fairfield College Preparatory School
Fairfield College Preparatory School is a Jesuit Prep School located on the campus of Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut. It is an all male school of about 900 students, first founded by the Society of Jesus in 1942...
and Notre Dame, and two primary schools, St. Thomas Aquinas and Our Lady of the Assumption. A third Catholic primary school, Holy Family, was closed by the Diocese of Bridgeport at the end of 2009-2010 academic year.
Non-religious private schools include Fairfield Country Day School
Fairfield Country Day School
Fairfield Country Day School is a private, single-sex day school in Fairfield, Connecticut. Founded in 1936 by Laurence W. Gregory, the school has since its inception admitted only boys...
and the Unquowa School.
Fairfield is also home to two post-secondary institutions, Fairfield University
Fairfield University
Fairfield University is a private, co-educational undergraduate and master's level teaching-oriented university located in Fairfield, Connecticut, in the New England region of the United States. It was founded by the Society of Jesus in 1942, and today is one of 28 member institutions of the...
and Sacred Heart University
Sacred Heart University
Sacred Heart University is a Roman Catholic university located in suburban Fairfield, Connecticut, United States. Sacred Heart was founded in 1963 by the Most Reverend Walter W. Curtis, Bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut. Sacred Heart University was the first Catholic university in...
.
Geography
The town is on the shore of the Long Island SoundLong 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...
. According to the United States Census Bureau
United 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 31.3 square miles (81.1 km²), of which 30 square miles (77.7 km²) is land and 3.4 square kilometres (1.3 sq mi), or 4.15%, is water. The Mill River, the waters of which feed Lake Mohegan, flows through the town.
Fairfield consists of many neighborhoods. The best known are wealthy Southport
Southport, Connecticut
Southport is a section and census-designated place of the town of Fairfield, Connecticut, located along Long Island Sound between the Mill River and Sasco Brook . As of the 2010 census it had a population of 1,585...
, where General Electric Chief Executive Officer Jack Welch
Jack Welch
John Francis "Jack" Welch, Jr. is an American chemical engineer, business executive, and author. He was Chairman and CEO of General Electric between 1981 and 2001...
lived for many years, and Greenfield Hill
Greenfield Hill
Greenfield Hill is an historic neighborhood of Fairfield, Connecticut and is roughly bounded by the Merritt Parkway., Burr Street., Redding Road, Hulls Farm Road., and Hill Farm Road....
, with its large areas, famous dogwood trees, and picturesque green with its white-spired Congregational church. Other well established neighborhoods include Stratfield, Tunxis Hill, the University area, Grasmere, Mill Plain, Knapp's Village, Melville Village, Holland Hill, and the Fairfield Beach area, which has recently undergone a renaissance with the construction of many new homes by residents wishing to live in proximity to the beach and downtown. Two shopping districts in town include 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. 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...
) and Black Rock Turnpike.
Neighborhoods
- Fairfield CenterFairfield Historic District (Fairfield, Connecticut)The Fairfield Historic District in Fairfield, Connecticut is a historic district that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. It includes 75 contributing buildings....
/Downtown Fairfield - Greenfield HillGreenfield HillGreenfield Hill is an historic neighborhood of Fairfield, Connecticut and is roughly bounded by the Merritt Parkway., Burr Street., Redding Road, Hulls Farm Road., and Hill Farm Road....
- Sasco
- SouthportSouthport, ConnecticutSouthport is a section and census-designated place of the town of Fairfield, Connecticut, located along Long Island Sound between the Mill River and Sasco Brook . As of the 2010 census it had a population of 1,585...
- Stratfield
- Tunxis Hill
Historic sites
- Connecticut Audubon Society Birdcraft Museum and SanctuaryConnecticut Audubon Society Birdcraft Museum and SanctuaryThe Connecticut Audubon Society Birdcraft Museum and Sanctuary, also known as Birdcraft Museum & Sanctuary or simply Birdcraft Sanctuary, in Fairfield, Connecticut is the oldest private songbird sanctuary in the United States...
— 314 Unquowa Road (added 1982) - Bronson WindmillBronson WindmillBronson Windmill is an historic windmill at 3015 Bronson Road in Fairfield, Connecticut.The windmill was built in 1893-94 for Frederic Bronson and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.It is made of Georgia pine....
— 3015 Bronson Road (added 1971) - David Ogden HouseDavid Ogden HouseThe David Ogden House located in Fairfield, Connecticut was built in 1750 as an integral saltbox. . The house is an exceptional survivor of a typical mid 18th century Connecticut farmhouse. There is a massive central field stone chimney topped with brick...
— 1520 Bronson Road (added 1979) - Fairfield Historic DistrictFairfield Historic District (Fairfield, Connecticut)The Fairfield Historic District in Fairfield, Connecticut is a historic district that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. It includes 75 contributing buildings....
— Old Post Road from Post Road to Turney Road (added 1971). This is the old town center of Fairfield, roughly along Old Post Road between U.S. Route 1 and Turney Road. The area contains Fairfield's town hall, public library, and houses dating from the late 18th century. - Fairfield Railroad Stations — Carter Henry Drive (added 1989)
- Greenfield Hill Historic DistrictGreenfield Hill Historic DistrictThe Greenfield Hill Historic District is a historic district that was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1971.It includes 27 contributing buildings over in the neighborhood of Greenfield Hill, Connecticut....
— Roughly bounded by Meeting House Lane, Hillside Road, Verna Hill Road and Bronson Road (added 1971) - John Osborne HouseJohn Osborne HouseThe John Osborne House on King's Highway in Fairfield, Connecticut was built in 1734 according to the tax records. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987....
— 909 King's Highway West (added 1987) - Jonathan Sturges HouseJonathan Sturges HouseJonathan Sturges House is an early and well-preserved nineteenth century gothic revival cottage. It was designed by Joseph Collins Wells and built in 1840. Jonathan Sturges was a business man and patron of the arts. He was also the grandson of Jonathan Sturges, a member of the continental...
— 449 Mill Plain Road (added 1984) - Pine Creek Park BridgePine Creek Park BridgeThe Pine Creek Park Bridge, also known as Mill Hill Road Bridge, is a Pratt pony truss bridge built in 1872. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992....
— North of Old Dam Road, over Pine Circle (added 1992) - Southport Historic District — Roughly bounded by Southport Harbor, railroad tracks, Old South Road, and Rose Hill Road (added 1971)
- Southport Railroad Stations — 96 Station St. and 100 Center St. (added 1989)
Other points of interest
- Connecticut Audubon Society Center at FairfieldConnecticut Audubon Society Center at FairfieldThe Connecticut Audubon Society Center at Fairfield is a nature center and wildlife sanctuary in the Greenfield Hill area of Fairfield, Connecticut. Constructed in 1971, the center features classrooms for environmental education programs, live animals on display, natural history exhibits, a nature...
(separate from the Birdcraft Museum and Sanctuary) – 6 miles (10 km) of boardwalk nature trails in a wildlife sanctuary of 160 acre (0.6474976 km²) with a nature center - Fairfield Museum and History CenterFairfield Museum and History CenterFairfield Museum and History Center is a museum and library focusing on the history of Fairfield, Connecticut and the greater Fairfield area. The museum opened on September 16, 2007 and is located at 370 Beach Road, behind the Fairfield Town Green....
– displays on local history, art and decorative arts, and a library on local history - Gallery of Contemporary Art at Sacred Heart UniversitySacred Heart UniversitySacred Heart University is a Roman Catholic university located in suburban Fairfield, Connecticut, United States. Sacred Heart was founded in 1963 by the Most Reverend Walter W. Curtis, Bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut. Sacred Heart University was the first Catholic university in...
– holds five exhibitions each year - Regina A. Quick Center for the ArtsRegina A. Quick Center for the ArtsThere is also a Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts at St. Bonaventure University in St. Bonaventure, New York.The Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts is the major center of theatre and the arts at Fairfield University located in Fairfield, Connecticut. The Center includes events such as popular...
at Fairfield University
Large and distinctive companies
- General Electric Co.General ElectricGeneral Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
-- headquarters, 3135 Easton Turnpike (307,000 employees companywide) - |R.C. Bigelow (Bigelow Tea CompanyBigelow Tea CompanyR.C. Bigelow, Inc, better known as the Bigelow Tea Company, is an American tea company based in Fairfield, Connecticut. The company was founded by Ruth C. Bigelow in the late 1940s, based on a recipe she marketed as "Constant Comment" tea...
) -- headquarters, Black Rock Turnpike - Sturm, RugerSturm, RugerSturm, Ruger & Company, Incorporated is a Southport, Connecticut-based firearm manufacturing company, better known by the shortened name Ruger. Sturm, Ruger produces bolt-action, semi-automatic, full-automatic, and single-shot rifles, shotguns, semi-automatic pistols, and single- and double-action...
& Co. -- headquarters, Lacey Place in Southport, firearms manufacturer
Media
- Fairfield Online News
- Connecticut PostConnecticut PostThe Connecticut Post is a daily newspaper located in Bridgeport, Connecticut. It serves the greater Bridgeport area, Fairfield County, and the Lower Naugatuck Valley. Municipalities in the Post's circulation area include Bridgeport, Ansonia,...
(headquartered in neighboring BridgeportBridgeport, ConnecticutBridgeport 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...
) - Fairfield MinutemanFairfield minutemanThe Fairfield Minuteman is a local newspaper based out of the town of Fairfield, Connecticut. Combined with the Westport Minuteman, both of which are owned by the Journal Register Company, the Minuteman has a combined readership of roughly 30,000....
- Fairfield Citizen-News
- Fairfield Sun
Places of worship
- Church of the Apostles - Anglican
- Trinity Baptist Church
- http://www.greenfieldhillchurch.com/Greenfield Hill Congregational ChurchCongregational churchCongregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
] - http://www.firstchurchfairfield.org/First Church Congregational, UCCUCC-Law:* Uniform civil code of India, referring to proposed Civil code in the legal system of India, which would apply equally to all irrespective of their religion...
] - http://www.southportucc.com/Southport Congregational ChurchCongregational churchCongregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
] - http://www.stpaulsfairfield.org/St. Paul's Episcopal ChurchEpiscopal Church (United States)The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
] - http://www.sttimschurch.com/St. Timothy's Episcopal ChurchEpiscopal Church (United States)The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
] - http://www.trinitysouthport.org/Trinity Episcopal ChurchEpiscopal Church (United States)The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
] - http://fairfieldgrace.org/Fairfield Grace United Methodist ChurchUnited Methodist ChurchThe United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
] - Black Rock Congregational ChurchBlack Rock Congregational ChurchBlack Rock Congregational Church is a non-denominational evangelical church located in Fairfield, Connecticut. The church was established in 1849 in the Black Rock section of Bridgeport, Connecticut, and moved to its current site in 1968...
(website) - Non-denominational Evangelical - Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's WitnessesKingdom HallA Kingdom Hall is a place of worship used by Jehovah's Witnesses. The term was first suggested in 1935 by Joseph Franklin Rutherford, then president of the Watch Tower Society, for a building in Hawaii...
- Our Saviour's Lutheran Church
- First Presbyterian Church of Fairfield
- Holy Cross Roman Catholic ChurchRoman Catholic ChurchThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
- Our Lady of the Assumption
- St. Pius X Church
- St. Thomas Roman Catholic ChurchRoman Catholic ChurchThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
- Congregation Ahavath Achim
- Congregation Beth El
Arts and entertainment
- The Fairfield Community Theatre FoundationFairfield Community TheatreThe Fairfield Community Theatre Foundation in Fairfield, Connecticut, is a nonprofit organization that operates a 1920 landmark movie theater in downtown Fairfield, presenting mostly independent and second-run films. Ticket and snack prices are kept low, partly because the theater is staffed almost...
or the FTC, not only runs the downtown, two-screen moviehouse for independent and second-run films, but operates educational programs for young people who also volunteer at the moviehouse. - The Regina A. Quick Center for the ArtsRegina A. Quick Center for the ArtsThere is also a Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts at St. Bonaventure University in St. Bonaventure, New York.The Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts is the major center of theatre and the arts at Fairfield University located in Fairfield, Connecticut. The Center includes events such as popular...
on the campus of Fairfield UniversityFairfield UniversityFairfield University is a private, co-educational undergraduate and master's level teaching-oriented university located in Fairfield, Connecticut, in the New England region of the United States. It was founded by the Society of Jesus in 1942, and today is one of 28 member institutions of the...
opened in 1990 and includes events such as popular and classical music, dance, theatre, programs for young audiences, and the Open VISIONS Forum lecture series featuring present eminent opinion-makers, artists, authors, learned contributors to the humanities and sciences and civic and political commentators. It houses the 740-seat Kelley Theatre, the 150-seat Lawrence A. Wien Experimental (Black Box) Theatre, and the Thomas J. Walsh, Jr. Art Gallery. The Quick Center has become known as one of the finest concert halls in the country and was recognized as the "cultural epicenter of Fairfield County" by Westport Magazine. - The PepsiCo Theatre, a renovated 1922 carriage house on the campus of Fairfield UniversityFairfield UniversityFairfield University is a private, co-educational undergraduate and master's level teaching-oriented university located in Fairfield, Connecticut, in the New England region of the United States. It was founded by the Society of Jesus in 1942, and today is one of 28 member institutions of the...
, is the home to the Theatre Program of the Department of Visual and Performing Arts and Theater Fairfield, the resident production company of the University. The PepsiCo Theatre is also home to Shakespeare Ventures, a professional theatre company. - WSHU-FMWSHU-FM-External links:*...
Public Radio operated by Sacred Heart University - WVOFWVOFWVOF is the student-run college radio station at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut. As of August 2008, the station has been a partner with Connecticut Public Radio and carries Connecticut Public Radio and NPR programming.-History:...
, student-run radio at Fairfield University - The Gazebo, right across from Victoria's Secret, is home to many bands that play during the summer in the afternoon hours. Free to listen, along with free food and drinks it is an ideal place for entertainment, though it is usually directed towards an older audience.
Recreation
Fairfield residents enjoy a wealth of recreational opportunities, many of which stem from Fairfield's enviable location on the Long Island Sound.- The town's 5 miles (8 km) of Long Island Sound coastline include five town beaches which are staffed by lifeguards during the summer, and miles of privately owned beach which are open to the public below the high tide mark.
- South Benson Marina is a town-owned facility providing 600 boat slips which residents can rent for the summer.
- Lake Mohegan, which includes waterfalls called The Cascades, is in the middle of town and is a popular destination for hiking, as is the Fairfield Audubon Society on Burr Street and the Bird Sanctuary on Unquowa Road.
- Ye Yacht Yard, a town-owned facility on picturesque Southport Harbor, provides boat launch services to residents, and access to moorings in Southport Harbor. Ye Yacht Yard is also the location of Community Sailing of Fairfield, whose members share use of two 18-foot sailboats.
Transportation
Fairfield is traversed by U.S. 1U.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...
, 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...
, and 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...
. It has two Metro-North Railroad
Metro-North Railroad
The Metro-North Commuter Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, or, more commonly, Metro-North, is a suburban commuter rail service that is run and managed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority , an authority of New York State. It is the busiest commuter railroad in the United...
stations, Fairfield
Fairfield (Metro-North station)
The Fairfield Metro-North station is the main train station in Fairfield, Connecticut, serving commuters, students of Fairfield University and Fairfield Prep, and casual travelers via the New Haven Line. It is one of three stations in the town; the others being Southport and the yet-to-be-opened...
and Southport
Southport (Metro-North station)
The Southport Metro-North Railroad station is one of two New Haven Line stations serving the residents of Fairfield, Connecticut.Southport is 48.9 miles from Grand Central Terminal and the average travel time from Grand Central is one hour, 12 minutes though this varies depending on run and time of...
. A third station is under construction near the Grasmere neighborhood and adjacent Black Rock neighborhood of Bridgeport along with a large commercial development known as Fairfield Metro Center
Fairfield Metro Center
Fairfield Metro is a planned commercial development and regional commuter rail station situated on in the town of Fairfield, Connecticut. At present, the station is scheduled to open on December 5, 2011.-Name:...
. The town is served by several public bus lines of the Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority
Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority
The Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority is a transit service serving the Greater Bridgeport region of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The GBTA provides local bus service to the cities/towns of Bridgeport, Trumbull, Stratford, Fairfield, and Monroe....
.
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 2010, there are 59,404 people in the town, organized into 20,457 households and 14,846 families. 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...
is 1,927 people per square mile (744/km²). There are 21,648 housing units at an average density of 703 per square mile (277/km²). The racial makeup of the town is 91.6% White, 3.7% Asian, 1.8% African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.2% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. 5.0% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 20,457 households out of which 38.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.6% are 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, 9.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 27.4% are non-families. 22.3% of all households are made up of individuals and 15.1% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.69 and the average family size is 3.19.
In the town the population is spread out with 25.4% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 21.1% from 25 to 44, 27.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 40 years. For every 100 females there are 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 85.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town is $83,512, and the median income for a family is $100,920 (these figures had risen to $103,352 and $121,749 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males have a median income of $69,525 versus $44,837 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 city is $43,670. 2.9% of the population and 1.8% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 2.8% of those under the age of 18 and 3.6% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Fairfield is notable for, among other things, its very low crime rate. There have been only three murders in the last five years in town. Money Magazine's 2006 Best Places to Live Survey ranks Fairfield as the second safest municipality in the United States. http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2006/top25s/safest.html
| Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 26, 2010 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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... |
10,650 | 395 | 11,045 | 29.41% |
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... |
10,309 | 425 | 10,734 | 28.58% |
Unaffiliated | 14,890 | 779 | 15,669 | 41.72% |
Minor Parties | 112 | 1 | 113 | 0.3% | |
| Total | 35,961 | 1,600 | 37,561 | 100% | |||||||||||||||||||||
Popular culture
The following movies were at least partially filmed in Fairfield:- All Good Things (2010)
- Everybody's Fine (2009)
- Red Light Green Light (2009)
- College Road Trip (2008)
- Just Like It Was (2008)
- The Power of Their Song: The Untold Story of Latin America's New Song Movement (2008)
- Rachel Getting Married (2008)
- 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) - Bobby Dogs (2007)
- Reservation Road (2007)
- Messenger (2006/II)
- Live at the Quick (2002)
- More Than Skin Deep (2002)
- BlackMale (2000)
- Robbie the Rabbit (1998)
- Attack of the Beast Creatures (1985)
- Dragonfly (1976)
- The Stepford Wives (1975)
Television filmed in Fairfield
- Oprah Winfrey Presents: Mitch Albom's For One More Day (2007)
- ROH World Champion: The Best of Samoa Joe (2004)
- ROH: The Conclusion (2003)
- Learning How To Assert Yourself: With Billy Donatuti (2006)
Other
- The television sitcom Who's the Boss?Who's the Boss?Who's the Boss? is an American sitcom created by Martin Cohan and Blake Hunter, which aired on ABC from September 20, 1984 to April 25, 1992...
took place in Fairfield. In certain episodes, particular streets and Bridgeport were mentioned. A lead character, Tony, attended Fairfield University and wore an official Fairfield University sweatshirt during the episode. - An episode of the Food NetworkFood NetworkFood Network is a television specialty channel that airs both one-time and recurring programs about food and cooking. Scripps Networks Interactive owns 70 percent of the network, with Tribune Company controlling the remaining 30 percent....
show Rachael RayRachael RayRachael Domenica Ray is an American television personality, businesswoman, celebrity chef and author. She hosts the syndicated talk and lifestyle program Rachael Ray and three Food Network series, 30 Minute Meals, Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels and $40 a Day...
's Block Party was filmed in Fairfield, as were portions of several episodes of Ham on the StreetHam on the StreetHam on the Street is a cooking show hosted by George Duran on the Food Network in 2006. George adds comedy to cooking as he explores each show's topic in the strangest possible ways. For example, during the show on breakfast, George tested to see if an ostrich egg could be cooked sunny-side up...
. - On January 29, 2009, Stephen ColbertStephen ColbertStephen Tyrone Colbert is an American political satirist, writer, comedian, television host, and actor. He is the host of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, a satirical news show in which Colbert portrays a caricatured version of conservative political pundits.Colbert originally studied to be an...
mentioned Archie Moore's Restaurant's wing sauce spill on his show The Colbert Report. - It is the fictional location of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense in the HellboyHellboyHellboy is a comic book superhero created by writer-artist Mike Mignola. The character first appeared in San Diego Comic-Con Comics #2 , and has since appeared in various eponymous miniseries, one-shots and intercompany crossovers...
graphic novel series. - The 1965 novel "Hurry Sundown" was penned by husband/wife writing team Katya and Bert Gilden while living in Fairfield between 1942 and 1971. It was turned into an Otto Preminger movie in 1967 with the wrap party held in the Gilden's home- stars included Michael Caine, Jane Fonda, Burgess Meredith, Diahann Carroll, Faye Dunaway and George Kennedy
- In an episode of The OfficeThe OfficeThe Office is a popular mockumentary/situation comedy TV show that was first made in the UK and has now been re-made in many other countries, with overall viewership in the hundreds of millions worldwide. The original version of The Office was created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. It...
, Fairfield Public Schools is mentioned.
Notable residents
- William Burnett Benton (1900–1973), former U.S. Senator
- Leonard BernsteinLeonard BernsteinLeonard Bernstein August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim...
(1918–1990), conductor, composer, musician - James BlakeJames BlakeJames Riley Blake is an American professional tennis player. Blake is known for his speed and powerful, flat forehand. As of August 2011, Blake is ranked no. 63 among active male players with 24 career finals appearances...
(b.1979), professional tennis player - Julius BorosJulius BorosJulius Nicholas Boros was a Hungarian-American professional golfer.-Early years:Boros was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut...
(1920–1994), professional golfer, winner of 18 PGA tour events including the 1952 & 1963 U.S. Open (golf)U.S. Open (golf)The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...
and 1968 PGA ChampionshipPGA ChampionshipThe PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship...
was born in Fairfield. - Aaron Burr, Sr.Aaron Burr, Sr.The Reverend Aaron Burr, Sr., was a notable divine and educator in colonial America. He was a founder of the College of New Jersey and the father of the third United States Vice President, Aaron Burr , who killed Alexander Hamilton.-Biography:A native of Connecticut, Burr was born in 1716 in...
(1716–1757), native, clergyman, educator, and father of Vice President Aaron BurrAaron BurrAaron Burr, Jr. was an important political figure in the early history of the United States of America. After serving as a Continental Army officer in the Revolutionary War, Burr became a successful lawyer and politician... - John Byrne (b.1950) comic book artist & author.
- Susan CooperSusan CooperSusan Mary Cooper is an English author best known for The Dark Is Rising, an award-winning five-volume saga set in and around England and Wales. The books incorporate traditional British mythology, such as Arthurian and other Welsh elements with original material ; these books were adapted into a...
(b.1935) author of the acclaimed children's sequence The Dark Is Rising. - Hume CronynHume CronynHume Blake Cronyn, OC was a Canadian actor of stage and screen, who enjoyed a long career, often appearing professionally alongside his second wife, Jessica Tandy.-Early life:...
, actor - Michael J. DalyMichael J. DalyMichael J. Daly was a United States Army officer who received the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II...
(1924–2008), World War II Medal of Honor recipient - T. F. Gilroy DalyT. F. Gilroy DalyT. F. Gilroy Daly was a lawyer and United States District Judge in Connecticut who, as a trial lawyer, was noted for winning the freedom of a man wrongly convicted of murder in 1976. He served as District Judge from 1977-1996....
, attorney and Federal judge born and raised in Fairfield. - C. Douglas DillonC. Douglas DillonClarence Douglas Dillon was an American diplomat and politician, who served as U.S. Ambassador to France and as the 57th Secretary of the Treasury...
, Sec of US Treasury, Amb to France, lived in Fairfield c. 2002-2003 - David L. DownieDavid L. DownieDavid Leonard Downie is an American scholar focusing on international environmental politics and policy and currently serves as Director of the Program on the Environment and Associate Professor of Political Science at Fairfield University.-Research and writings:Downie has written extensively on...
, author and professor of politics and environment policy at Fairfield UniversityFairfield UniversityFairfield University is a private, co-educational undergraduate and master's level teaching-oriented university located in Fairfield, Connecticut, in the New England region of the United States. It was founded by the Society of Jesus in 1942, and today is one of 28 member institutions of the... - Keir DulleaKeir DulleaKeir Dullea is an American actor best known for the character of astronaut David Bowman, whom he portrayed in the 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey and in 1984's 2010: The Year We Make Contact...
, actor - Dick DurrellDick DurrellRichard J. Durrell was an American advertising executive and one of the founding staff members for People magazine....
(1925–2008) a founder of People Magazine adjunct professor at Sacred Heart UniversitySacred Heart UniversitySacred Heart University is a Roman Catholic university located in suburban Fairfield, Connecticut, United States. Sacred Heart was founded in 1963 by the Most Reverend Walter W. Curtis, Bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut. Sacred Heart University was the first Catholic university in...
. - Timothy Dwight IVTimothy Dwight IVTimothy Dwight was an American academic and educator, a Congregationalist minister, theologian, and author...
(1752–1817), American Congregationalist minister, theologian, educator, and author; president of Yale College was a pastor for twelve years at the Greenfield Hill Church. - Chris FrantzChris FrantzChris Frantz is an American musician and record producer. He was the drummer for both Talking Heads and the Tom Tom Club.-Career:...
and Tina WeymouthTina WeymouthMartina Michèle "Tina" Weymouth is an American musician, best known as a founding member and bassist of the New Wave group Talking Heads and its side project Tom Tom Club .-Profile:Weymouth is of French heritage on her mother's side. Weymouth was a cheerleader in high school...
, founding members of Talking HeadsTalking HeadsTalking Heads were an American New Wave and avant-garde band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991. The band comprised David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison...
and Tom Tom ClubTom Tom ClubTom Tom Club is an American new wave band founded in 1981 by husband-and-wife team Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz, both also known for being bandmembers of Talking Heads.-Biography:...
. - Robert GreenbergerRobert GreenbergerRobert "Bob" Greenberger known for his work as an editor for Comics Scene, Starlog Press and Weekly World News, as well as holding executive positions at both Marvel Comics and DC Comics. He is also an elected office holder in his home of Fairfield, Connecticut.-Early life:Greenberger was born in...
(born 1958), writer, editor and Fairfield politician. - J. J. Henry, PGA golfer & 2006 Ryder Cup team member.
- Paul HoganPaul HoganPaul Hogan, AM is an Australian actor best known for his role as Michael "Crocodile" Dundee from the Crocodile Dundee film series, for which he won a Golden Globe award.-Early life and career:...
, aka "Crocodile Dundee", lived many years in Fairfield with wife Linda Kozlowski
- Don ImusDon ImusJohn Donald "Don" Imus, Jr. is an American radio host, humorist, philanthropist and writer. His nationally-syndicated talk show, Imus in the Morning, is broadcast throughout the United States by Citadel Media and relayed on television by the Fox Business Network.-Personal life:Imus was born in...
, radio personality, past resident in Southport - Eliot A. JardinesEliot A. JardinesEliot A. Jardines was the first Assistant Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Open Source in the United States.-Early life and education:...
, Assistant Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Open source intelligenceOpen source intelligenceOpen-source intelligence is a form of intelligence collection management that involves finding, selecting, and acquiring information from publicly available sources and analyzing it to produce actionable intelligence... - Oliver Burr JenningsOliver Burr JenningsOliver Burr Jennings was an American businessman and one of the original stockholders in Standard Oil.-Early life and family:...
, Exxon (Standard Oil) Founder - Pat JordanPat Jordan (author)Pat Jordan is a leading sports writer with his work included in the Best American Sports Writing anthology series seven times. He is also the acclaimed author of A False Spring, a bittersweet memoir about his minor league baseball career, which is ranked #37 on Sports Illustrated's Top 100 Sports...
, leading sports writer and acclaimed author of A False Spring, ranked #37 on Sports Illustrated's Top 100 Sports Books of All Time - Linda KozlowskiLinda KozlowskiLinda Kozlowski is an American actress. She has been nominated for a Golden Globe Award.-Early life:Kozlowski was born in Fairfield, Connecticut to a Polish family...
, actress, born in Fairfield (1958). - David LaChapelleDavid LaChapelleDavid LaChapelle is a photographer and director who works in the fields of fashion, advertising, and fine art photography, and is noted for his surreal, unique, sexualized, and often humorous style.-Early life:...
, born in Fairfield, renowned photographer and director - Jonathan LewisJonathan Lewis (oncologist)Jonathan J. Lewis MD, PhD, is a surgeon, biomedical researcher, and entrepreneur. He was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. His family includes his parents, Maisie Lewis, a music educator, and Myer Lewis, a prominent barrister and human rights advocate, a sister Anne, and a brother Selwyn, a...
, biomedical researcher, cancer drug developer - Justin LongJustin LongJustin Jacob Long is an American film and television actor. He is best known for his roles in the Hollywood films Galaxy Quest, Jeepers Creepers, Dodgeball, Live Free or Die Hard, He's Just Not That into You, Drag Me to Hell, and Youth in Revolt, and his personification of a Mac in Apple's "Get a...
, actor and native. - Roger LudlowRoger LudlowRoger Ludlow was one of the founders of the Colony of Connecticut. He was born in March 1590 in Dinton, Wiltshire, England. Roger was the second son of Sir Thomas Ludlow of Maiden Bradley, Wiltshire and Jane Pyle, sister of Sir Gabriel Pyle...
, town founder - John MayerJohn Mayer (musician)John Clayton Mayer is an American pop rock and blues rock musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and music producer. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to Atlanta in 1997, where he refined his...
, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter - Brian MonahanBrian MonahanBrian Monahan is the Attending Physician of the United States Congress and the United States Supreme Court and holds the rank of Rear Admiral in the United States Navy. Dr...
, US Navy Rear Admiral and Attending Physician of the United States CongressAttending Physician of the United States CongressThe Attending Physician of the United States Congress is the physician responsible for the medical welfare of the members of the United States Congress and the nine justices of the Supreme Court of the United States.The Attending Physician is also tasked with emergency care for thousands of... - Matt Morgan, professional wrestler, American Gladiator and actor
- Anne M. MulcahyAnne M. MulcahyAnne M. Mulcahy is former chairwoman and CEO of Xerox Corporation. She was named CEO of Xerox on August 1, 2001, and chairwoman on January 1, 2002. In addition to serving on the Xerox board, she has been a member of the boards of directors of Catalyst, Citigroup Inc., Fuji Xerox Co. Ltd...
, Chairman, Xerox Corporation - Charles NagyCharles NagyCharles Harrison Nagy is an American former Major League Baseball All-Star right-handed pitcher who played for 14 seasons in the major leagues from to , mostly with the Cleveland Indians, and currently serves as the pitching coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks.-Early life and amateur career:Nagy...
, former MLB baseball pitcher for the Cleveland IndiansCleveland IndiansThe Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
. - Joe NamathJoe NamathJoseph William "Joe" Namath , nicknamed "Broadway Joe" or "Joe Willie", is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for the University of Alabama under coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and his assistant, Howard Schnellenberger, from 1962–1964, and professional football in the...
, New York JetsNew York JetsThe New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
quarterback and sport commentator, past resident - Henry Fairfield OsbornHenry Fairfield OsbornHenry Fairfield Osborn, Sr. ForMemRS was an American geologist, paleontologist, and eugenicist.-Early life and career:...
, (1857–1935) geologist, paleontologist, eugenicist, and a native.
- Jason RobardsJason RobardsJason Nelson Robards, Jr. was an American actor on stage, and in film and television, and a winner of the Tony Award , two Academy Awards and the Emmy Award...
, actor. Lived in Southport. - Meg RyanMeg RyanMargaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra , professionally known as Meg Ryan, is an American actress and producer. Raised in Bethel, Connecticut, Ryan began her acting career in 1981 in minor roles, before joining the cast of the CBS soap opera As the World Turns in 1982...
, actress. Born in Fairfield (1961). - Chris SarandonChris SarandonChris Sarandon is an American actor who was married to actress Susan Sarandon between 1968 and 1979. He is best known for playing Prince Humperdinck in the film The Princess Bride, the vampire Jerry Dandridge in Fright Night and Detective Mike Norris in the first entry of the Child's Play series,...
and Joanna GleasonJoanna GleasonJoanna Gleason is a Canadian actress and singer. She is a Tony Award-winning musical theatre actress and has also had a number of notable film and TV roles.-Early life:...
, actors - Gold Selleck SillimanGold Selleck SillimanGold Selleck Silliman was born in Fairfield, Connecticut, graduated from Yale University and practiced law and served as a crown attorney before the American Revolution...
, Revolutionary War general - Howard SosinHoward SosinHoward Sosin was born in Illinois and became a financial whiz. He was for a time an associate Professor at the Columbia Business School.He founded American International Group Financial Products in 1987 and remained there until 1993.-References:...
, founder of AIG Financial Products, presently investor - Gene TierneyGene TierneyGene Eliza Tierney was an American film and stage actress. Acclaimed as one of the great beauties of her day, she is best remembered for her performance in the title role of Laura and her Academy Award-nominated performance for Best Actress in Leave Her to Heaven .Other notable roles include...
, actress, Tierney cottage just off Sasco Hill - Brian Torff, jazz musician, composer, head of Fairfield University's music program
- Raviv Ullman, star of Phil of the FuturePhil of the FuturePhil of the Future is an American situation comedy that originally aired on Disney Channel from June 18, 2004, to August 19, 2006 for a total of two seasons. The series was created by Tim Maile and Douglas Tuber and produced by 2121 Productions, a part of Brookwell McNamara Entertainment...
- Franco VentrigliaFranco VentrigliaFranco Ventriglia is an opera singer who sang bass in every major European opera house for over twenty years during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. He returned to the U.S. in 1978 and continued performing there and in southeast Asia until his retirement at age 79.-Biography:Franco Ventriglia was...
, opera singer and a native - Robert Penn WarrenRobert Penn WarrenRobert Penn Warren was an American poet, novelist, and literary critic and was one of the founders of New Criticism. He was also a charter member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers. He founded the influential literary journal The Southern Review with Cleanth Brooks in 1935...
, author and poet - Michael WeatherlyMichael WeatherlyMichael Manning Weatherly, Jr. is an American actor, best known for his roles as Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo on the television series NCIS, and Logan Cale on the television series Dark Angel.-Early life:...
, actor and a native, currently starring as Special Agent Anthony DiNozzoAnthony DiNozzoAnthony "Tony" D. DiNozzo Jr. is a fictional character from the CBS TV series NCIS. He is portrayed by Michael Weatherly.-Background:Tony comes from a wealthy family from Long Island, New York. He is an only child, but has been cut off from his family's fortune. His mother, maiden name Paddington,...
in the hit CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
series, NCISNCIS (TV series)NCIS, formerly known as NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, is an American police procedural drama television series revolving around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducts criminal investigations involving the U.S...
. - Jack WelchJack WelchJohn Francis "Jack" Welch, Jr. is an American chemical engineer, business executive, and author. He was Chairman and CEO of General Electric between 1981 and 2001...
, former CEO of General Electric, former town resident - Bob Wright, former chairman of NBC for 20 years
- Mabel Osgood WrightMabel Osgood WrightMabel Osgood Wright was an American author, born in New York City. In 1884 she was married to James Osborne Wright, an Englishman. She became president of the Audubon Society of the State of Connecticut on its organization in 1898...
, author & founder of the Connecticut Audubon Society (Birdcraft Museum in Fairfield).