Preston, Connecticut
Encyclopedia
Preston is a town
in New London County
, Connecticut
, United States
. The population was 4,688 at the 2000 census. The town includes the villages of Long Society, Preston City, and Poquetanuck
.
and north of New London
and Stonington
. Owaneco, son of the Mohegan
sachem Uncas
, gave a confirmatory deed
for the land in 1687. In October of that same year, the town was formally incorporated as Preston, named for the English city of Preston, Lancashire.
The Ecclesiastical Society of Preston was first organized in 1698, with the first meetinghouse located in present-day Preston City. At the request of residents in the northern part of Preston (now the Town of Griswold
), the North Society was established in 1716. A splinter group, the Separate Church of Preston, was established in 1747 and continued until 1817. The Preston City Baptist Church (now the Preston City Bible Church) was established in 1812.
On August 4, 1954, an Air France Lockheed L-1049C Super Constellation flying from Orly Airport
to Idlewild Airport crashed near Preston.
, the town has a total area of 31.8 square miles (82.4 km²), of which, 30.9 square miles (80 km²) of it is land and 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²) of it (2.71%) is water.
Other minor communities and geographic locations in the town are: Hallville, Happyland, and Preston Plains.
of 2000, there were 4,688 people, 1,837 households, and 1,359 families residing in the town. The population density
was 151.7 people per square mile (58.6/km²). There were 1,901 housing units at an average density of 61.5 per square mile (23.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.63% White, 0.75% African American, 0.83% Native American, 1.15% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.51% from other races
, and 1.11% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.39% of the population.
There were 1,837 households out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.9% were married couples
living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.0% were non-families. 21.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 4.95.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.4% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 28.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 100.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $54,942, and the median income for a family was $62,554. Males had a median income of $44,053 versus $28,226 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $24,752. About 1.6% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.5% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.
.
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 New London County
New London County, Connecticut
New London County is a county located in the southeastern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. As of 2010 the population was 274,055. The total area of the county is , including inland and coastal waters....
, 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 4,688 at the 2000 census. The town includes the villages of Long Society, Preston City, and Poquetanuck
Poquetanuck
Poquetanuck is a village in the town of Preston, Connecticut, located near the banks of a bay known as Poquetanuck Cove that opens to the Thames River...
.
History
In 1686, Thomas Parke, Thomas Tracy, and several others petitioned for and were granted by the Connecticut General Court authority to establish a plantation seven miles square to the east of NorwichNorwich, Connecticut
Regular steamship service between New York and Boston helped Norwich to prosper as a shipping center through the early part of the 20th century. During the Civil War, Norwich once again rallied and saw the growth of its textile, armaments, and specialty item manufacturing...
and north of New London
New London, Connecticut
New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....
and Stonington
Stonington, Connecticut
The Town of Stonington is located in New London County, Connecticut, in the state's southeastern corner. It includes the borough of Stonington, the villages of Pawcatuck, Lords Point, Wequetequock, the eastern halves of the villages of Mystic and Old Mystic...
. Owaneco, son of the Mohegan
Mohegan
The Mohegan tribe is an Algonquian-speaking tribe that lives in the eastern upper Thames River valley of Connecticut. Mohegan translates to "People of the Wolf". At the time of European contact, the Mohegan and Pequot were one people, historically living in the lower Connecticut region...
sachem Uncas
Uncas
Uncas was a sachem of the Mohegan who through his alliance with the English colonists in New England against other Indian tribes made the Mohegan the leading regional Indian tribe in lower Connecticut.-Early life and family:...
, gave a confirmatory deed
Deed
A deed is any legal instrument in writing which passes, or affirms or confirms something which passes, an interest, right, or property and that is signed, attested, delivered, and in some jurisdictions sealed...
for the land in 1687. In October of that same year, the town was formally incorporated as Preston, named for the English city of Preston, Lancashire.
The Ecclesiastical Society of Preston was first organized in 1698, with the first meetinghouse located in present-day Preston City. At the request of residents in the northern part of Preston (now the Town of Griswold
Griswold, Connecticut
Griswold is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 10,807 at the 2000 census. Griswold contains one borough, Jewett City, and also contains the villages of Doaneville,Rixtown, Glasgo, Hopeville, and Pachaug...
), the North Society was established in 1716. A splinter group, the Separate Church of Preston, was established in 1747 and continued until 1817. The Preston City Baptist Church (now the Preston City Bible Church) was established in 1812.
On August 4, 1954, an Air France Lockheed L-1049C Super Constellation flying from Orly Airport
Orly Airport
Paris-Orly Airport is an airport located partially in Orly and partially in Villeneuve-le-Roi, south of Paris, France. It has flights to cities in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Caribbean, North America and Southeast Asia. Prior to the construction of Charles de Gaulle Airport, Orly was...
to Idlewild Airport crashed near Preston.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 31.8 square miles (82.4 km²), of which, 30.9 square miles (80 km²) of it is land and 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²) of it (2.71%) is water.
Principal communities
There were three distinct settlements in the town when it was first established:- Long Society
- Preston CityPreston City, ConnecticutPreston City is a village and the original town center of the town of Preston, Connecticut. The core of the village around the junction of Old Northwest Road and Route 164 is designated as the Preston City Historic District, a historic district that is listed on the National Register of Historic...
- PoquetanuckPoquetanuckPoquetanuck is a village in the town of Preston, Connecticut, located near the banks of a bay known as Poquetanuck Cove that opens to the Thames River...
Other minor communities and geographic locations in the town are: Hallville, Happyland, and Preston Plains.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 4,688 people, 1,837 households, and 1,359 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 151.7 people per square mile (58.6/km²). There were 1,901 housing units at an average density of 61.5 per square mile (23.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.63% White, 0.75% African American, 0.83% Native American, 1.15% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.51% 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 1.39% of the population.
There were 1,837 households out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.9% 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, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.0% were non-families. 21.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 4.95.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.4% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 28.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 100.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $54,942, and the median income for a family was $62,554. Males had a median income of $44,053 versus $28,226 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 $24,752. About 1.6% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.5% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.
Education
According to the Preston Historical Society, "Schools were built in “districts” to serve the local children, until two central schools, one on Poquetanuck and one in Preston City were built between 1938 and 1940." Currently, public education in Preston is administered by Preston Public Schools, which operates the Preston Veterans' Memorial School (Pre-K to Grade 5) and the Preston Plains Middle School (Grades 6-8). For high school, students go to multiple school districts of surrounding towns, including the Norwich Free AcademyNorwich Free Academy
The Norwich Free Academy founded in 1854 and in operation since 1856, is a high school located in the city of Norwich, Connecticut. The Academy serves as the primary high school for Norwich and the surrounding towns of Canterbury, Bozrah, Voluntown, Sprague, Lisbon, Franklin, Preston andseveral...
.
Notable locations
- Norwich State Hospital, ConnecticutNorwich State Hospital, ConnecticutThe Norwich State Hospital, originally established as Norwich State Hospital for the Insane, is located in Preston, Connecticut and Norwich, Connecticut...
is in Preston. - Strawberry ParkStrawberry parkStrawberry Park is a campground located in Preston, Connecticut. The campsite offers water, electricity, wireless internet access, and cable TV connection. Sewer and electrical connections are available as well as log cabin and rv rentals.-External links:*...
is located within Preston.
On the National Register of Historic Places
- Hallville Mill Historic DistrictHallville Mill Historic DistrictHallville Mill Historic District is a historic district in the town of Preston, Connecticut, that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. Contributing properties in the district are 23 buildings, two other contributing structures, and one other contributing site over a area...
— Hallville Road, Hall's Mill Road, and Route 2ARoute 2A (Connecticut)Route 2A is a state highway in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is a mostly expressway alternate route of Route 2 that bypasses the downtown area of the city of Norwich and serves as the main access road to the Mohegan Sun casino....
on Hallville Pond (added September 22, 1996) - Long Society MeetinghouseLong Society MeetinghouseLong Society Meetinghouse is a historic meetinghouse in the village of Long Society in the town of Preston, Connecticut. It is one of only about a dozen surviving colonial "broad side" meeting houses, and is last example surviving in Connecticut....
— built in 1819 on the site of an earlier meetinghouse and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. - Poquetanuck Village Historic District — Roughly along Main Street between Route 117 and Middle Road and along School House and Cider Mill Road (added September 22, 1996)
- Preston City Historic DistrictPreston City Historic DistrictPreston City Historic District is a historic district that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It includes the center of the village of Preston City in the town of Preston, Connecticut. The district is located along Old Shetucket and Amos Roads, which, prior to the 1930s, were...
— Amos and Old Shetucket Roads, Northwest Corner Road, and Route 164 (added August 31, 1987)
Notable residents
- Nathan BelcherNathan BelcherNathan Belcher was a United States Representative from Connecticut. He was born in Preston, Connecticut. He completed academic studies and was graduated from Amherst College in 1832. Later, he studied law at the Cambridge Law School before being admitted to the bar in 1836...
(1813–1891), lawyer, Connecticut state Senator, and US Congressman was born in Preston. - Jonathan BrewsterJonathan BrewsterElder Jonathan Brewster was an early American settler, the son and eldest child of elder William Brewster and his wife, Mary. Brewster had two younger sisters, Patience and Fear, and two younger brothers, Love and Wrestling along with an unnamed brother who died young.-Life:Brewster was born in...
(1593–1659), is buried in Preston - Isaac E. CraryIsaac E. CraryIsaac Edwin Crary was the first elected U.S. Representative from the state of Michigan.Crary was born in Preston, Connecticut, where he attended the public schools and graduated from Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut, in its first class in 1827...
(1804–1854), the first elected US Congressman from the state of Michigan was born in Preston. - William Howard DoaneWilliam Howard DoaneWilliam Howard Doane was an industrialist who composed Christian hymn tunes. He held patents on wood-working machinery and in 1861 became President of J. A. Fay and Company. In religious work he headed the Ohio Baptist Convention Ministers Aid Society for the Midwest...
(1831–1915), composer - Beriah GreenBeriah GreenBeriah Green, Jr. was an American reformer and noted abolitionist.Greene was born in Preston, Connecticut. He graduated from Middlebury College, Vt., in 1819, and then studied for the ministry at Andover Theological Seminary but his religious beliefs did not agree with any denominational creed.In...
(1795–1874), abolitionist and author, was born in Preston. - Clarence Ellis HarbisonClarence Ellis HarbisonClarence Ellis Harbison was an animal psychologist.-Biography:He was born in 1885 in Schenectady, New York. Previously divorced and widowed, he married Mary Louise Jorjorian in 1951 and had a son, Michael Harbison, in 1953. He died on October 1, 1960 in Preston, Connecticut.-References:...
(1885–1960), animal psychologist lived his later life and died in Preston. - John Haskell HewittJohn Haskell HewittJohn Haskell Hewitt was an American classical scholar and educator, notable for serving as acting president of Williams College from 1901 to 1902....
(1835–1920), classical scholar and professor, was born in Preston. - George D. PrenticeGeorge D. PrenticeGeorge Dennison Prentice was the editor of the Louisville Journal, which he built into a major newspaper in Louisville, Kentucky. He attracted readers by satire as well as exaggerated reporting and support of the Know-Nothing Party in the 1850s. His writing was said to contribute to rabid...
(1802–1870), controversial newspaper editor, was born in town. - Henry Brewster Stanton (1805–1887), abolitionist, social reformer and husband of Elizabeth Cady StantonElizabeth Cady StantonElizabeth Cady Stanton was an American social activist, abolitionist, and leading figure of the early woman's movement...
was born in town. - George A. StarkweatherGeorge A. StarkweatherGeorge Anson Starkweather was a United States Representative from New York, his eldest son being John Converse Starkweather...
(1794–1879), US Congressman for New York was born in Preston. - Henry H. StarkweatherHenry H. StarkweatherHenry Howard Starkweather was born in Preston, Connecticut on April 29, 1826, and died on Jan 28, 1876 while serving in office as a member of the United States Congress....
(1826–1876), postmaster and US Congressman was born in Preston. - Joseph StewardJoseph StewardJoseph Steward was a prominent American artist.-Early years:Joseph Steward was born on July 6, 1753. He was the son of Joseph and Jane Steward of Upton, Massachusetts. Stewart went to Dartmouth College, graduating in 1780....
(1753–1822), artist, studied and lived in Preston.
External links
- Town government Web site
- http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFFacts?_event=&geo_id=06000US0901162150&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US09%7C05000US09011%7C06000US0901162150&_street=&_county=Preston&_cityTown=Preston&_state=&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=060&_submenuId=factsheet_1&ds_name=null&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null®=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry=&show_2003_tab=&redirect=YUS Census Bureau Factsheet: Preston CT]