Torrington, Connecticut
Encyclopedia
Torrington is the largest city in Litchfield County
Litchfield County, Connecticut
Litchfield County is a county located in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. Litchfield County has the lowest population density of any county in Connecticut but is geographically the state's largest county. As of 2010 the population was 189,927...

, 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...

 and the northwestern 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...

 region. It is also the core city of the largest micropolitan area
United States micropolitan area
United States Micropolitan Statistical Areas , as defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget, are urban areas in the United States based around a core city or town with a population of 10,000 to 49,999. The micropolitan area designation was created in 2003...

 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The city population was 36,383 according to the 2010 census.

Torrington is a former mill town, as are most other towns along the Naugatuck River Valley
Naugatuck River Valley
The Naugatuck River Valley refers to the watershed area of the Naugatuck River in the western part of Connecticut. The Naugatuck Valley straddles parts of Litchfield County, New Haven, and Fairfield counties. The Route 8 corridor and Waterbury Branch of the Metro-North railroad line run along the...

. It is currently competing with the neighboring city of Winsted
Winsted, Connecticut
Winsted is a census-designated place and an incorporated city in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is part of the town of Winchester, Connecticut. The population was 7,321 at the 2000 census.-History:...

 to recreate a pleasant Main Street
Main Street
Main Street is the metonym for a generic street name of the primary retail street of a village, town, or small city in many parts of the world...

 environment. Downtown Torrington is home to the Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts, which trains ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...

 dancers and whose Company performs in the Warner Theatre
Warner Theatre (Torrington, Connecticut)
The Warner Theatre is an Art-Deco style movie palace located at 68-82 Main Street in Torrington, Connecticut. It opened on August 19, 1931 as part of the Warner Bros. chain of movie theaters. Today it operates as a mixed-use performing arts center...

, a 1,700 seat auditorium restored in 2002 to its original 1931 glory. The theater, while originally built as a cinema
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....

 by the Warner Brothers film studio, has been reborn as a performing arts venue and arts instruction organization, and will serve as a cornerstone of the city's downtown revitalization project. Downtown Torrington also hosts the largest Lodge of Elks in New England. Elks Lodge #372 supports many community activities and events.

The daily newspaper in town is The Register Citizen, a Journal Register Company publication that serves Torrington and Winsted, in addition to most of the Northwest Corner. Charlotte Hungerford Hospital has also developed into an important health care resource for the area. In 2008, Torrington was named by Bizjournals as the number one "Dreamtown" (micropolitan statistical area) out of ten in the United States to live in.

History

Torrington, originally Wolcottville, was first settled in 1735 by Ebenezer Lyman Jr. of Durham
Durham, Connecticut
Durham is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. Durham is a former farming village on the Coginchaug River in central Connecticut. The population was 6,627 at the 2000 census. Every autumn, the town hosts the Durham Fair, the largest volunteer agricultural fair in New...

, 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...

. Its early settlers resided on the hills west of the Naugatuck River
Naugatuck River
The Naugatuck River is a river in the US state of Connecticut. It carves out the Naugatuck River Valley. The river flows from northwest Connecticut southward into the Housatonic River in Derby, Connecticut. One of the river's main uses is hydropower, which is used to power industrial plants...

 where the first school, church, store, and tavern were constructed. Later, the eastern hill known as Torringford was settled as it provided the best farmland for agricultural work. Torrington was given permission to organize a government and incorporate as 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 October of 1740.

The fast moving waters of the Naugatuck River
Naugatuck River
The Naugatuck River is a river in the US state of Connecticut. It carves out the Naugatuck River Valley. The river flows from northwest Connecticut southward into the Housatonic River in Derby, Connecticut. One of the river's main uses is hydropower, which is used to power industrial plants...

 were utilized as waterpower for early 19th century industries. Industrial growth skyrocketed in 1813 when Frederick Wolcott constructed a woolen mill. The mill attracted a large workforce and created a demand for goods, services, and housing.
Israel Coe and Erastus Hodges began the construction of two brass mills on the Naugatuck River in 1834. This event sparked the beginning of the brass industry in Torrington, which would later spread throughout the entire Naugatuck Valley. In 1849, the Naugatuck Valley railroad was completed which connected Torrington with other population centers, ending its isolation and stimulating further industrial growth. Soon, Torrington was producing a variety of metal products including needles, brass, hardware, bicycles, and tacks. Torrington's growing industrial plants attracted English, Irish, and German immigrants throughout the 19th and early 20th century. Between 1880 and 1920, Torrington's population exploded from 3,000 to 22,000 as immigration from southern and eastern Europe increased. During this period, immigrants included Poles, Czechs, Slovaks, Italians and Lebanese. Torrington was chartered as a city in 1923.

In 1955, a massive flood destroyed much of the downtown
Downtown
Downtown is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's core or central business district ....

 area and property in the region when Hurricane Connie
Hurricane Connie
Hurricane Connie was the first in a series of hurricanes to strike North Carolina during the 1955 Atlantic hurricane season. Connie struck as a Category 1, causing major flooding and inflicting extensive damage to the Outer Banks and inland to Raleigh....

 and Hurricane Diane
Hurricane Diane
Hurricane Diane was one of three hurricanes to hit North Carolina during the 1955 Atlantic hurricane season, striking an area that had been hit by Hurricane Connie five days earlier...

 caused local rivers to overflow.
Torrington is the birthplace of abolitionist John Brown
John Brown (abolitionist)
John Brown was an American revolutionary abolitionist, who in the 1850s advocated and practiced armed insurrection as a means to abolish slavery in the United States. He led the Pottawatomie Massacre during which five men were killed, in 1856 in Bleeding Kansas, and made his name in the...

.

Geography

Historical
population of
Torrington
http://www.sots.state.ct.us/RegisterManual/regman.htm
1756 250
1774 845
1782 1,077
1790
1800 1,417
1810 1,586
1820 1,449
1830 1,651
1840 1,707
1850 1,916
1860 2,278
1870 2,893
1880 3,327
1890 6,048
1900 12,453
1910 16,840
1920 22,055
1930 26,040
1940 26,988
1950 27,820
1960 30,045
1970 31,952
1980 30,987
1990 33,687
2000 35,202
2002 35,655
(est.)http://www.census.gov/popest/archives/2000s/vintage_2002/SUB-EST2002/SUB-EST2002-04-09.pdf


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 city has a total area of 40.4 square miles (104.6 km²). Approximately 39.8 square miles (103.1 km²) of it is land and 1.5 km² (0.6 sq mi or 1.41%) of it is water.

The eastern and western sides of the city, at its borders, are at the tops of peaks, while the downtown and central sections of the city are in the Naugatuck River Valley
Naugatuck River Valley
The Naugatuck River Valley refers to the watershed area of the Naugatuck River in the western part of Connecticut. The Naugatuck Valley straddles parts of Litchfield County, New Haven, and Fairfield counties. The Route 8 corridor and Waterbury Branch of the Metro-North railroad line run along the...

. This provides some interesting views from the higher locations, with the city lights as a backdrop below. Due to the lack of suitable highways and bypass routes in an East/West direction, crossing the city requires driving down into the valley and back up the other side.

Principal communities

  • Burrville
  • Drakeville
  • Newfield
  • Torringford
    Torringford
    Torringford Street Historic District is a historic district in the city of Torrington, Connecticut, located on the eastern edge of the city. The district includes properties along Torringford Street , the main thoroughfare of the Torringford section of the city.It was listed on the National...

  • Downtown Torrington
  • West Torrington
  • Wrightville

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 35,202 people, 14,743 households, and 9,125 families residing in the city. 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 884.7 people per square mile (341.6/km²). There were 16,147 housing units at an average density of 405.8 per square mile (156.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.03% White, 2.15% Black or African American
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...

, 0.20% Native American, 1.83% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.31% 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 1.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.30% of the population.

There were 14,743 households out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.7% 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, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.1% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.0% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $41,841, and the median income for a family was $54,375. Males had a median income of $37,702 versus $28,418 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 was $21,406. About 4.5% of families and 7.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.4% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.

Downtown redevelopment

Torrington is planning to revitalize its downtown area in an effort to attract residents and visitors to the city's shopping and cultural opportunities. These redevelopment plans are still in discussion and are not yet completed.

The following ideas have been discussed:

Coe Memorial Park restoration

The historic restoration and renovation to downtown Coe Memorial Park
Coe Memorial Park
Coe Memorial Park is located in Torrington, Connecticut.Torrington’s original town common was in what is now a rural area off Union Drive; no evidence of it remains. Today, Coe Memorial Park, located just south of the Naugatuck River, functions as the town green. It was gifted to the Town of...

 were completed in the beginning of 2004. The Coe Memorial Park Subcommittee and the City of Torrington, worked closely with Ferrero Hixon Associates, to restore the Park to a Victorian walking park, much as it was when it was first gifted to the Town in 1906. These renovations included new sidewalks and paths, and the relocation of memorials and monuments. In 2005, award winning horticulturist, Gwenythe B. Harvey, owner of the firm The Garden Goddess, LLC, was hired to redefine, design and upgrade existing garden areas. Coe Memorial Park's Botanical Gardens has since become a well-known tourist destination.

Retail expansion

Torrington hopes to attract a wide variety of merchants into its downtown setting. Empty and abandoned buildings would be converted into a mix of retail, office, and residential space. A potential plan discusses the possibility of a national clothing retailer or bookstore chain constructing a location at the top of Water Street on the site of the Kelley Bus Company. This plan has come under fire by some because it involves the demolition of the former Torrington railroad station, which is considered by many to be historical. Despite this, The former Torrington railroad station, was demolished, as a safety hazard, in 2011. The Torrington fire department noted that the roof was in such disrepair, and no funds were available to fix it, saving the station, was not an option. A Big Y supermarket and a Lowe's Home improvement store opened in the summer of 2009 on Winsted road.

Accessibility

A parking garage is slated to be constructed in the heart of downtown on either Main Street or Water Street. The municipal parking lot next to the Torrington Library would also serve as a downtown parking area. Because the downtown redevelopment project emphasizes pedestrian access, brick sidewalks lined with trees, benches, and bike racks would be constructed along Main Street.

Roads and traffic

To relieve congestion, the city plans to convert the Main Street/Water Street/East Main Street downtown intersection into a "+" shape, rather than its current criticized setup. The city expects to convert Main Street into a one-way road with parking lining one side of the street. The neighboring Prospect Street would also be converted into a one-way road with traffic flowing in the opposite direction. Most of the roads are in medium to poor condition and filled with pot holes.

East end development

The east end of the city known as Torringford, along U.S. Route 202
U.S. Route 202
U.S. Route 202 is a highway stretching from Delaware to Maine, also passing through the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire....

, has been undergoing a period of non-stop, rapid expansion since 1996. Led by the development of multiple shopping centers at that time, the once empty farm land has become home to many chains that are new to the city. The first to open was the Torrington Fair shopping complex on the corner of Route 202 & 183; containing a Walmart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...

, Price Chopper, Petco
PETCO
PETCO is a chain of retail stores that offers pet supplies and services such as grooming and dog training. Founded in 1965 and incorporated in Delaware, it is headquartered in San Diego, California...

, McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...

, and Sears Hardware (which closed due to competition from The Home Depot
The Home Depot
The Home Depot is an American retailer of home improvement and construction products and services.The Home Depot operates 2,248 big-box format stores across the United States , Canada , Mexico and China, with a 12-store chain...

 in neighboring New Hartford; the space was then home to a Circuit City, but closed a little more than a year after opening; leaving the space currently vacant). A new Stop & Shop supermarket has opened across Route 183 from the Torrington Fair complex, located behind the existing Applebee's
Applebee's
Applebee’s International, Inc., is an American company which develops, franchises, and operates the Applebee's Neighborhood Grill and Bar restaurant chain. As of September 2011, there were 2,010 restaurants operating system-wide in the United States, one U.S. territory and 14 other countries...

/People's United Bank
People's United Bank
People's United Bank, a diversified financial services company with over $22 billion in assets, provides consumer and commercial banking services through a network of subsidiary banks with approximately 300 branches in Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maine and New York...

/Moscarillo's Garden Shoppe development. A new Taco Bell is slated to open across the street in the fall of 2010. Other projects that have all ready been completed are the opening of a new Walgreens
Walgreens
Walgreen Co. , doing business as Walgreens , is the largest drugstore chain in the United States of America. As of August 31st, the company operates 8,210 locations across all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1901, and has since expanded...

 drug store, Scrubby's Car Wash, and the relocation of a Union Savings Bank branch. Also completed is another shopping complex next door to the Torrington Fair complex which contains Target
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...

, Famous Footwear
Famous Footwear
Famous Footwear is a nationwide chain of retail stores in the United States dealing in branded footwear, generally at prices discounted from manufacturer's suggested prices. Established in 1960 as a single store, "Famous" is regarded as both a forerunner and champion of the trend towards the...

, Bed Bath & Beyond
Bed Bath & Beyond
Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. was formed in 1971 and today operates a chain of domestic merchandise retail stores across United States, Puerto Rico and Canada. They feature mostly medium-ranged, but also a limited selection of high quality, domestic merchandise: items for the bedroom, bathroom, kitchen,...

, Sleepy's
Sleepy's
Sleepy’s LLC is an American retailing company and mattress store chain founded in 1931 in Brooklyn, New York, United States. As of 2009, Sleepy's had over 700 stores and five distribution centers in 11 states in the Northeast and Middle Atlantic, with over 2,900 employees.- Business operations...

, GameStop, and Panera Bread
Panera Bread
Panera Bread is a chain of bakery–café quick casual restaurants in the United States and Canada that sells breads, sandwiches, soups, salads, and other bakery items. Its headquarters are in Sunset Hills, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis.-Corporate history:In 1993, Au Bon Pain Co...

.

City financial report (2004)

The City of Torrington typically collects 100% of taxes owed through the use of private tax collectors.

The 2004 General Fund budgetary fund balance was $5.8 million. The City has bonded debt outstanding of $36.8 million for governmental activities and $4.2 million for business type (WPCA). All current outstanding bonded debt will be retired by the year 2021 (current estimate).

Torrington's bond rating is A1.

In 2004, total revenue was $88,444,157: Property Taxes (64.40%), Board of Education Grants (23.44%), Federal & State Grants (7.06%), General Government (3.67%), Public Safety (0.64%), Public Works (0.53%), Invest Income (0.26%), and Recreation (0.01%).

Total expenditures and encumbrances were $88,679,873: Board of Education (53.41%), Public Safety (12.97%), Pension & Miscellaneous (10.58%), Public Works (8.34%), Debt Services (7.69%), General Government (3.49%), Public Health & Social Services (1.99%), Operating Transfers Out (0.85%), Recreation (0.40%), Second Part Budget (0.29%).

Crime and law enforcement

The number of violent crimes recorded by the FBI in 2003 was 139. The number of homicides was 0. The violent crime rate was 3.9 per 1,000 people.

In 1985, Torrington's Police Department lost a major lawsuit filed by Tracey Thurman, after Thurman (nee Motuzick) was nearly killed in 1983 by her estranged husband Charles "Buck" Thurman. The abuse, attempted murder and lawsuit was later depicted in a 1989 made-for-TV movie A Cry for Help: The Tracey Thurman Story
A Cry for Help: The Tracey Thurman Story
A Cry for Help: The Tracey Thurman Story is a 1989 NBC TV-movie based on the 1984 case Thurman v. City of Torrington. The film stars Nancy McKeon as Tracey; Dale Midkiff as Buck; and Bruce Weitz as Tracey's lawyer, Burton Weinstein.- References :...

, starring Nancy McKeon
Nancy McKeon
Nancy Justine McKeon is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Jo Polniaczek on the NBC sitcom The Facts of Life.-Early life & career:...

.

Transportation

Three primary state highways meet in downtown Torrington: Route 8
Route 8 (Connecticut)
Route 8 is the portion of the multistate New England Route 8 within the state of Connecticut. It is a state highway running north–south from Bridgeport, through Waterbury, all the way to the Massachusetts state line where it continues as Route 8...

, Route 4
Route 4 (Connecticut)
Route 4 is an east–west primary state highway connecting rural Litchfield County to the Greater Hartford area of the U.S. state of Connecticut...

, and Route 202. Other major roads include Route 183 and Route 272. The city is served by buses of the Northwestern Connecticut Transit District.

Sports Teams/Events

Baseball

The new and improved Torrington Titans
Torrington Titans
The Torrington Titans are a collegiate summer baseball team playing in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League of New England. They played their inaugural season in the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League, a collegiate summer baseball league...

 will now be playing in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League
Futures Collegiate Baseball League
The Futures Collegiate Baseball League is a 6 team collegiate summer baseball league. The Futures League was co-developed by the New York-Penn League's Lowell Spinners owner Drew Weber, Weber formally developed and owned the New Hampshire Fisher Cats Double A Affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays...

 of New England. They played their inaugural season in the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League, a collegiate summer baseball league. After leading the ACBL in attendance in 2010, the team was sold to the Carminucci Sports Group (CSG), which transferred their affiliation to the Futures League. CSG owns both the Brockton Rox
Brockton Rox
The Brockton Rox were a professional baseball team based in Brockton, Massachusetts, in the United States. The Rox were a member of the Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. From the 2002 season to 2011, the Rox played their home...

 of the professional Can-Am League
Can-Am League
Can-Am League is the nickname of two baseball leagues:* Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball , a modern independent league.* Canadian-American League , a class C circuit league....

, and fellow Futures League affiliate the Martha's Vineyard Sharks
Martha's Vineyard Sharks
The Martha's Vineyard Sharks are a collegiate summer baseball team based on Martha's Vineyard, that is set to play in 2011 in the announced Futures Collegiate Baseball League of New England...

. The Titans play their home games at Fuessenich Park in downtown Torrington, CT.

The Titans' field manager is Gregg Hunt. Hunt is the New England Collegiate Baseball League
New England Collegiate Baseball League
The New England Collegiate Baseball League is a 12-team collegiate summer baseball league founded in 1993 and sanctioned by the NCAA and Major League Baseball. Each NECBL team plays an eight-week, 42-game schedule during June and July, with a playoff in early August...

's all-time winningest field manager. Hunt began his tenure as manager of the Torrington Twisters and continued with the Titans. He is the longest tenured manager in all of New England summer collegiate baseball. Hunt has coached four first round draft picks, including the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...

' Stephen Strasburg
Stephen Strasburg
Stephen James Strasburg is a right-handed pitcher for the Washington Nationals, who selected him with the first pick in the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft...

.

In 2009, an organization called Our Baseball Haven, introduced a unique concept and proposal through which a collegiate baseball team could once again call Torrington its home. The concept, called "crowdsourcing" was supported by some five hundred individuals and the Peekskill (NY) Robins of the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League (ACBL) were moved to Torrington and their name changed to the Torrington Titans
Torrington Titans
The Torrington Titans are a collegiate summer baseball team playing in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League of New England. They played their inaugural season in the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League, a collegiate summer baseball league...

. The Titans capped their successful 2010 inaugural season by winning the Kaiser Division.

The Torrington Twisters were a member of the New England Collegiate Baseball League
New England Collegiate Baseball League
The New England Collegiate Baseball League is a 12-team collegiate summer baseball league founded in 1993 and sanctioned by the NCAA and Major League Baseball. Each NECBL team plays an eight-week, 42-game schedule during June and July, with a playoff in early August...

 (NECBL) from 1997-2008. Torrington twice played host to the league All-Star Game (1998, 2008) and generally placed high in their division each season. The organization shipped out in the middle of the night to Massachusetts in 2008 leaving bitter feelings by the community with both the NECBL and the ownership group.

A professional baseball team once located in the city was known as the Torrington Braves, and were a member of the Colonial League. After just one season, 1950, they dispanded.

Running

The Torrington Road Race is a five-mile (8 km) run, which coincides with Donor's Week in August. Starting at Coe Memorial Park, the course extends to the farther reaches of the valley, including Riverside Avenue, Migeon Avenue, Prospect Street and others. The race, which started in 1972, primarily includes runners from around Connecticut and has also attracted some runners each year from Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

On the National Register of Historic Places

  • Downtown Torrington Historic District
    Downtown Torrington Historic District
    The Downtown Torrington Historic District is a historic district in Torrington, Connecticut that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988...

    —Roughly bounded by Church and Alvord Sts., Center Cemetery, Willow St., E. Main St., Litchfield St., and Prospect St. (added 1988)
  • Fyler-Hotchkiss Estate
    Fyler-Hotchkiss Estate
    The Fyler-Hotchkiss Estate, also known as the Torrington Historical Society or the Hotchkiss-Fyler House Museum is a property with two houses and a carriage house in Torrington, Connecticut...

    —192 Main St. (added 1987)
  • James Alldis House
    James Alldis House
    The James Alldis House is a Queen Anne style house in Torrington, Connecticut which is significant for it being a fine, well-preserved example of Queen Anne architecture, and also locally for its association with the largest industry in Torrington, the needle manufacturing plant which became the...

    —355 Prospect St. (added 1982)

  • Migeon Avenue Historic District
    Migeon Avenue Historic District
    Migeon Avenue Historic District is a historic district in Torrington, Connecticut that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.In 2002, it included nine contributing buildings and one other contributing site....

    —Roughly along Migeon Ave. and parts of Forest St. (added 2002)
  • Paugnut Forest Administration Building—385 Burr Mountain Rd. (added 1986)
  • Skee's Diner
    Skee's Diner
    Skee's Diner, in Torrington, Connecticut, is a barrel-roofed diner, prominently located at Main and Elm. It has operated as Jude's Place and by other names....

    —589 Main St. (added 2002)
  • South School
    South School (Torrington, Connecticut)
    The South School of Torrington, Connecticut is a Beaux Arts architecture building from 1915, designed by Wilson Potter. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986....

    —362 S. Main St. (added 1986)
  • Torringford Street Historic District—Torringford St. from Main St. N to W. Hill Rd. (added 1991)
  • Torrington Fire Department Headquarters
    Torrington Fire Department Headquarters
    The Torrington Fire Department Headquarters is located in Torrington, Connecticut. The firehouse was built in 1901 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 31, 1987....

    —117 Water St. (added 1987)
  • Villa Friuli
    Villa Friuli
    Villa Friuli, also known as DeMichiel House, was built in 1915. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.It has a four-bay facade. Outbuildings are included in the NRHP listing....

    —58 High St. (added 1991)
  • Warner Theatre
    Warner Theatre (Torrington, Connecticut)
    The Warner Theatre is an Art-Deco style movie palace located at 68-82 Main Street in Torrington, Connecticut. It opened on August 19, 1931 as part of the Warner Bros. chain of movie theaters. Today it operates as a mixed-use performing arts center...

    —68-82 Main St. (added 1984)
  • Warrenton Woolen Mill
    Warrenton Woolen Mill
    The Warrenton Woolen Mill was built in 1908 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. The site includes eight contributing buildings. The mill operated for 140 years, from 1844 to 1984. This building complex was built in 1908....

    —839 Main St. (added 1987)
  • Water Street Historic District
    Water Street Historic District (Torrington, Connecticut)
    Water Street Historic District is a historic district in the city of Torrington, Connecticut, located near the center of the city.The district includes industrial and commercial buildings, constructed between 1885 and the 1920's, along two blocks of Water Street...

    —Roughly along Water St., from Church St. to Prospect St. (added 2003)

Notable residents

  • Abolitionist John Brown
    John Brown (abolitionist)
    John Brown was an American revolutionary abolitionist, who in the 1850s advocated and practiced armed insurrection as a means to abolish slavery in the United States. He led the Pottawatomie Massacre during which five men were killed, in 1856 in Bleeding Kansas, and made his name in the...

     was born in Torrington in 1800.
  • Frank Fixaris
    Frank Fixaris
    Frank Fixaris was an American sportscaster, anchor, and reporter, spending the majority of his career at WGME-TV in Portland, Maine. He also co-hosted a morning radio show on WJAB after his television run.Fixaris attended college in Boston, Massachusetts and graduated from Emerson College in 1956...

     (1934–2006), Maine
    Maine
    Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...

     sportscaster
    Sportscaster
    In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...

    , was born in Torrington and grew up at 600 Prospect St.
  • Karl Swenson
    Karl Swenson
    Karl Swenson was an American theatre, radio, film, and television actor.-Biography:Born in Brooklyn, New York of Swedish parentage, Swenson made several appearances with Pierre-Luc Michaud on Broadway in the 1930s and 40s, including the title role in Arthur Miller's first production, The Man Who...

     (1908–1978) was an actor who died in Torrington.
  • Dick Ebersol
    Dick Ebersol
    Duncan "Dick" Ebersol is an American television executive and a senior adviser for . He had previously been the chairman of NBC Sports, producing large scale television events such as the Olympic Games and National Football League broadcasts....

    , chairman of NBC Universal Sports, was born in Torrington.
  • Carl Clinton Van Doren
    Carl Clinton Van Doren
    Carl Clinton Van Doren was a U.S. critic and Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer. He was the brother of Mark Van Doren and the uncle of Charles Van Doren.-Life and career:...

     (1885–1950) a critic, Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer and brother of Mark Van Doren
    Mark Van Doren
    Mark Van Doren was an American poet, writer and a critic, apart from being a scholar and a professor of English at Columbia University for nearly 40 years, where he inspired a generation of influential writers and thinkers including Thomas Merton, Robert Lax, John Berryman, and Beat Generation...

     lived in Torrington.
  • Mark Van Doren
    Mark Van Doren
    Mark Van Doren was an American poet, writer and a critic, apart from being a scholar and a professor of English at Columbia University for nearly 40 years, where he inspired a generation of influential writers and thinkers including Thomas Merton, Robert Lax, John Berryman, and Beat Generation...

     (1894–1972), a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, critic, and brother of Carl Clinton Van Doren, lived in Torrington.
  • W. G. Curtis
    W. G. Curtis
    W. G. Curtis was a farmer and politician in the U.S. state of Wyoming in the late 19th century. He is credited with founding the town of Torrington, Wyoming. The first post office was built in 1889 on the western part of Curtis's farm, approximately a mile from the current town...

    , a homesteader and politician, lived in Torrington and later named the town of Torrington
    Torrington, Wyoming
    Torrington is a city in and the county seat of Goshen County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 5,776 at the 2000 census. Torrington is the home of Eastern Wyoming College....

    , Wyoming
    Wyoming
    Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...

     after his former residence
  • Tracey Thurman, a victim of domestic violence that caught national attention in 1982.

External links

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