Pomfret, Connecticut
Encyclopedia
Pomfret is a town
New England town
The New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. Without a direct counterpart in most other U.S. states, New England towns are conceptually similar to civil townships in other states, but are incorporated, possessing powers like cities in other...

 in Windham County
Windham County, Connecticut
Windham County is a county located in the northeastern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. As of 2010, the population was 118,428.The entire county is within the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor, as designated by the National Park Service.-History:Windham...

, 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 3,798 at the 2000 census.

Geography

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 40.6 square miles (105.2 km²), of which, 40.3 square miles (104.4 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square mile (0.776996433 km²) of it (0.64%) is water.

Villages

Pomfret includes several villages, neighborhoods, or sections:
  • Abington
  • Elliotts
  • Pomfret
  • Pomfret Center
  • Pomfret Landing

Other geographic features

The principal roads through the town are U.S. Route 44
U.S. Route 44
U.S. Route 44 is an east–west United States highway that runs for 237 miles through four states in the Northeastern region of the United States. The western terminus is at U.S. Route 209 and New York State Route 55 in Kerhonkson, a hamlet in the Hudson Valley region of New York...

 (running east-west) and Routes 169
Route 169 (Connecticut)
Route 169 is a state highway in the U.S. states of Connecticut and Massachusetts. It begins in the city of Norwich and runs through Northeastern Connecticut, continuing across the state line into Southbridge, Massachusetts. The route ends in Charlton after another nine miles...

 (running north-south), and 101 (running east-west).

Mashamoquet State Park and Wolf Den State Park are both located in Pomfret, near the intersection of US 44 and CT 101. Wolf Den State Park is the alleged site of General Israel Putnam
Israel Putnam
Israel Putnam was an American army general and Freemason who fought with distinction at the Battle of Bunker Hill during the American Revolutionary War...

's slaying of the last wolf in Connecticut. Rocky paths connect join the small cave which is the actual wolf den with a glacially-positioned boulder called the Indian Chair. Camping and cook-out facilities are available for a nominal fee.

The Airline Trail, a former railroad bed, joins the town of Pomfret with its neighbor to the east, Putnam
Putnam, Connecticut
Putnam is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 9,002 as of the 2000 census. It is home to WINY, an AM radio station.-History:...

. The Airline Trail runs seven miles (11 km), much of it through an Audubon Society property named the Bafflin Sanctuary, a 700 acres (2.8 km²) nature preserve.

Pomfret has no formal town center; the town office is located on US Route 44. The Congregational Church stands on the eastern edge of the old town green on Pomfret Hill, across from the Pomfret School
Pomfret School
Pomfret School is an independent coeducational boarding and day school in Pomfret, Connecticut, United States for grades 9 through 12 plus a post-graduate year. Pomfret School was founded in 1894, on the principles of intellectual rigor and the development of character...

, founded in 1894. About a mile north of the Congregational Church
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....

 is Christ Episcopal Church, which contains several windows designed and constructed by Louis Comfort Tiffany
Louis Comfort Tiffany
Louis Comfort Tiffany was an American artist and designer who worked in the decorative arts and is best known for his work in stained glass. He is the American artist most associated with the Art Nouveau  and Aesthetic movements...

. Across from Christ Church on the west side of Route 44 is The Rectory School, founded in 1920. At the divergence point of US 44 and CT 169 is Most Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The 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...

, and the Vanilla Bean Café, a small restaurant. It was in this very café that the Coca-Cola company first launched its Vanilla Coke
Vanilla Coke
Coca-Cola Vanilla is the limited relaunch of the formerly produced Vanilla Coke soft drink from the early 2000s. Vanilla Coke is a vanilla flavored version of Coca-Cola Classic....

 beverage in 2002.

Town House Road is the location of the former Town House, a location that was chosen by a committee of Selectmen from neighboring towns when Pomfret citizens could not agree on a location. The building, Pomfret Town House
Pomfret Town House
Pomfret Town House is an historic meetinghouse on Town House Road in Pomfret, Connecticut.The meetinghouse was built in 1841 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989....

, was built in 1841 and is listed on the National Register. The geography and lack of traditional center can be best understood by remembering after its initial founding, Pomfret was expanded southward significantly, first around Mortlake
Mortlake, Connecticut
-History:On October 19, 1687, the Connecticut Colonial General Court granted Captain William Blackwell a patent for a separate township laid out south of Mashamoquet Brook, six miles east to west and seven miles north to south, to be called Mortlake...

, later absorbing the town. Pomfret First Church was established in today's Pomfret Hill area; Pomfret Second Church covered what is largely today's Town of Brooklyn; while Pomfret Third Church was established in today's Abington area.

Demographics

As of the census
Census
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 3,798 people, 1,433 households, and 1,053 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 94.2 people per square mile (36.4/km²). There were 1,503 housing units at an average density of 37.3 per square mile (14.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.24% White, 0.39% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.74% Asian, 0.37% 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 1.11% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.61% of the population.

There were 1,433 households out of which 36.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.2% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.5% were non-families. 20.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the town the population was spread out with 26.7% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 96.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $57,938, and the median income for a family was $64,650. Males had a median income of $43,333 versus $28,901 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 $26,029. About 1.7% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.7% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Pomfret residents are zoned to the Pomfret Community School http://www.pomfret.ctschool.net/ for grades Kindergarten through 8. Pomfret students are eligible to attend Woodstock Academy
Woodstock Academy
Woodstock Academy, founded in 1801, is an endowed academy or independent high school for students located in Woodstock, Connecticut, United States....

 http://www.pomfretct.com/board_education.html; Woodstock Academy became Pomfret's zoned high school in 1987 http://www.woodstockacademy.org/alumni/brochure.pdf#search=%22Woodstock%20Academy%20Pomfret%22.

Two private schools, the Pomfret School
Pomfret School
Pomfret School is an independent coeducational boarding and day school in Pomfret, Connecticut, United States for grades 9 through 12 plus a post-graduate year. Pomfret School was founded in 1894, on the principles of intellectual rigor and the development of character...

 and the The Rectory School
The Rectory School
The Rectory School is an independent, coeducational, junior boarding and day school in Pomfret, Connecticut, USA. The school was founded by Rev. Frank H. Bigelow in 1920...

, are also located in Pomfret.

Historic sites

A 380 acres (1.5 km²) portion of the town, along Pomfret Street, is listed as a historic district
Historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries, historic districts receive legal protection from development....

 on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

. The Pomfret Street Historic District
Pomfret Street Historic District
Pomfret Street Historic District is a historic district roughly along Pomfret Street , from Bradley Road to Woodstock Road in Pomfret, Connecticut, United States....

 comprises properties along Route 169
Route 169 (Connecticut)
Route 169 is a state highway in the U.S. states of Connecticut and Massachusetts. It begins in the city of Norwich and runs through Northeastern Connecticut, continuing across the state line into Southbridge, Massachusetts. The route ends in Charlton after another nine miles...

, from Bradley Road to Woodstock Road. The district was added to the National Register in 1998.

Other properties listed on the National Register in the town are:
  • Brayton Grist Mill
    Brayton Grist Mill
    Brayton Grist Mill is an historic grist mill on US 44 in Pomfret, Connecticut. The mill was built in 1890 and added to the National Historic Register in 1986....

     — US 44 (added 1986)
  • Gwyn Careg
    Gwyn Careg
    Gwyn Careg is an historic site in the Abington section of Pomfret, Connecticut.The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994....

     US 44 (added 1994)
  • Israel Putnam Wolf Den
    Israel Putnam Wolf Den
    Israel Putnam Wolf Den is an historic site off Wolf Den Road in Pomfret, Connecticut. At this location in 1742, Israel Putnam shot and killed Connecticut's last known wolf. The site is maintained as a state park and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.-References:...

     — Off Wolf Den Road (added 1985)
  • Pomfret Town House
    Pomfret Town House
    Pomfret Town House is an historic meetinghouse on Town House Road in Pomfret, Connecticut.The meetinghouse was built in 1841 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989....

     — Town House Road (added 1989)

Notable people, past and present

  • Jim Calhoun
    Jim Calhoun
    James A. Calhoun is the head coach of the University of Connecticut's men's basketball team. His teams have won three national championships , played in four Final Fours , won the 1988 NIT championship, and have won seven Big East tournament championships...

     (b. 1942), head coach of the University of Connecticut's men's basketball team, lives in the town.
  • Rivers Cuomo
    Rivers Cuomo
    Rivers Cuomo is an American musician, best known as the lead singer, lead guitarist, and principal songwriter of the alternative rock band Weezer. Raised in an Ashram in Connecticut, Cuomo moved to Los Angeles at age 19, where he participated in a number of rock bands before founding Weezer in 1992...

     (b.1970), lead singer, guitarist and songwriter of Weezer, lived in the town in Swami Satchidananda
    Swami Satchidananda
    Swami Satchidananda , born as C. K. Ramaswamy Gounder, was an Indian religious teacher, spiritual master and yoga adept, who gained fame and following in the West during his time in New York. He was the author of many philosophical and spiritual books, including a popular illustrative book on Hatha...

    's ashram as a child.
  • Ernest Flagg
    Ernest Flagg
    Ernest Flagg was a noted American architect in the Beaux-Arts style. He was also an advocate for urban reform and architecture's social responsibility.-Biography:...

     (1857–1947), designer of the Singer Building
    Singer Building
    The Singer Building or Singer Tower at Liberty Street and Broadway in Manhattan, was a 47-story office building completed in 1908 as the headquarters of the Singer Manufacturing Company. It was demolished in 1968 and is now the site of 1 Liberty Plaza....

     designed the main buildings of the Pomfret School
    Pomfret School
    Pomfret School is an independent coeducational boarding and day school in Pomfret, Connecticut, United States for grades 9 through 12 plus a post-graduate year. Pomfret School was founded in 1894, on the principles of intellectual rigor and the development of character...

     Campus.
  • Nathan Goodell
    Nathan Goodell
    -Biography:Goodell was born on August 8, 1798 in Pomfret, Connecticut. He was the eleventh of twelve children born to Richard and Marcia Goodell. Goodell would move to Jefferson County, New York and marry Hannah Mosely Weeks, the daughter of a Swedenborgian clergyman. They would have two children....

     (1798–1883), Mayor of Green Bay, Wisconsin
    Green Bay, Wisconsin
    Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...

    .
  • Bertram Goodhue
    Bertram Goodhue
    Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue was a American architect celebrated for his work in neo-gothic design. He also designed notable typefaces, including Cheltenham and Merrymount for the Merrymount Press.-Early career:...

     (1869–1924), an architect renowned for his work in the neo-gothic style and the designer of notable typefaces, was born in town.
  • Robert Hillyer
    Robert Hillyer
    Robert Silliman Hillyer was an American poet.-Life:He was born in East Orange, New Jersey. He attended Kent School in Kent, Connecticut and graduated from Harvard in 1917, after which he went to France and volunteered with the S.S.U. 60 of the Norton-Harjes Ambulance Corps serving the Allied...

     (1895–1961), poet, novelist, and critic, lived in the town.
  • Asa Lyon
    Asa Lyon
    Asa Lyon was a United States Representative from Vermont. He was born in Pomfret, Connecticut. He attended the common schools and was graduated from Dartmouth College in 1790. He was a divinity student with the Rev. Charles Backus at Somers, Connecticut and was ordained the pastor of the...

     (1763–1841) a United States Representative from Vermont was born in town.
  • Louise Chandler Moulton
    Louise Chandler Moulton
    Louise Chandler Moulton was an American poet, story-writer and critic.-Biography:She was born in 1835, the daughter of Lucius L. Chandler, in Pomfret, Connecticut....

     (1835–1908), poet, story-writer, and critic, was born in town.
  • Israel Putnam
    Israel Putnam
    Israel Putnam was an American army general and Freemason who fought with distinction at the Battle of Bunker Hill during the American Revolutionary War...

     (1718–1790), a Major General serving George Washington, lived in the town.
  • Swami Satchidananda
    Swami Satchidananda
    Swami Satchidananda , born as C. K. Ramaswamy Gounder, was an Indian religious teacher, spiritual master and yoga adept, who gained fame and following in the West during his time in New York. He was the author of many philosophical and spiritual books, including a popular illustrative book on Hatha...

     (1914–2002), Indian religious figure, lived in the town.
  • Liev Schreiber
    Liev Schreiber
    Isaac Liev Schreiber , commonly known as Liev Schreiber, is an American actor, producer, director, and screenwriter. He became known during the late 1990s and early 2000s, having initially appeared in several independent films, and later mainstream Hollywood films, including the Scream trilogy of...

     (b. 1967), Tony award
    Tony Award
    The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...

     winning actor, lived in the town.
  • Solomon Spaulding (1761–1816), is believe to have authored the Manuscript Story while staying at the Post Road Tavern in the town.
  • James Abbott McNeill Whistler (1834–1903), a painter and printmaker, lived in the town.
  • Renée Zellweger
    Renée Zellweger
    Renée Kathleen Zellweger is an American actress and producer. Zellweger first gained widespread attention for her role in the film Jerry Maguire , and subsequently received two nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her roles as Bridget Jones in the comedy Bridget Jones's Diary ...

     (b. 1969), Academy Award-winning actress, lives in the town.

See also

  • Abington Congregational Church

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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