Weston, Connecticut
Encyclopedia
Weston 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 Fairfield County, Connecticut
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...

. The population was 10,179 at the 2010 census. The town is served by Route 57
Route 57 (Connecticut)
Route 57 is a secondary state highway in western Connecticut serving as the "Main Street" of and connecting the towns of Westport and Weston. The road continues north through Redding to end at US 7 just after crossing into Wilton.-Route description:...

 and Route 53
Route 53 (Connecticut)
Route 53 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Connecticut, connecting the cities of Norwalk and Danbury. Most of the route has been made redundant by U.S...

, both of which run through the town center. About 19% of the town's workforce commutes to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

, about 45 miles (72.4 km) to the southwest.

Like many towns in southwestern Connecticut, Weston is among the most affluent communities in the United States. Data collected in 2008 showed that Weston had the highest median household income in Fairfield County, Connecticut
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...

, at US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....

185,377. Weston's ZIP code (06883) was identified in 2005 as the sixth most affluent area in the U.S.

Aside from a handful of stores that form the town’s center, Weston has little commercial development. Residential development is limited by two-acre zoning
Zoning
Zoning is a device of land use planning used by local governments in most developed countries. The word is derived from the practice of designating permitted uses of land based on mapped zones which separate one set of land uses from another...

. Most of Devil's Den Preserve
Devil's Den Preserve
For other places with the "Devil's Den" name, see Devil's DenThe Lucius Pond Ordway Devil's Den Preserve in Weston and Redding, Connecticut, encompassing , is the largest preserve in Fairfield County, Connecticut and one of the larger preserves in the metropolitan New York area...

, a 1746 acres (706.6 ha) nature reserve, which gets 40,000 visits a year, is located in the town.

History

In the early 18th century, Weston's first English settlers were mostly farmers living in the town of Fairfield, Connecticut
Fairfield, Connecticut
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...

, the boundaries of which extended to Weston until the late 18th century. In 1787, the North Fairfield parish was created in the area now occupied by the towns of Weston and 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....

. In 1845, North Fairfield was split into two towns, creating Westfield.

A meteor
Weston meteorite
The Weston meteorite is a meteorite which fell to earth above the town of Weston, Connecticut at approximately 6:30 in the morning on December 14, 1807. The meteor fall was widely witnessed and reported in newspaper accounts at the time...

 exploded above the town December 14, 1807. Six pieces, totaling 28 pounds (12.7 kg), were recovered and examined by scientists, who issued a report. This was the first time that people realized the nature of meteors.

Despite rocky soil, farmers in town grew apples, onions, and potatoes. Grist, cider, lumber, and fulling mills were built. The town had nine manufacturers by 1850, but two decades later only the Bradley Edge Tool Company still thrived. That factory burned down in 1911.

Unlike other nearby towns, Weston never had a railroad built through it, which stifled the development of non-agricultural businesses. Between the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

 and the Great 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's population dropped from approximately 1,000 to a low of 670, by 1930. Artists, writers, and actors from New York became attracted to the community in the 30's and began settling in it. Construction of 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...

, which arrived to the south of Weston in 1938, resulted in further population growth.

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 20.7 square miles (53.6 km²), of which 19.8 square miles (51.3 km²) is land and 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²), or 4.39%, is water.

The Saugatuck River
Saugatuck River
The Saugatuck River is a river in southwestern Connecticut in the United States. It drains part of suburban and rural Fairfield County west of Bridgeport, emptying into Long Island Sound.-Description:...

 begins to the north in 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:...

. It flows through the town and ends in 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...

 in neighboring 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....

.

Weston is bordered by Westport to the south, Wilton
Wilton, Connecticut
Wilton is a town nestled in the Norwalk River Valley in southwestern Connecticut in the United States. It is located in Fairfield County. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 18,062. In 2007, it was voted as one of CNN Money's "Best Places to Live" in the United States.Located along...

 to the west, Redding to the north, Easton to the east, and Fairfield to the southeast.

Principal communities

  • Georgetown
    Georgetown, Connecticut
    Georgetown is a village and census-designated place in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is located at the point where the towns of Wilton, Redding, Ridgefield, and Weston meet....

     (part)
  • Lyons Plains
  • Weston Center (Norfield Historic District
    Norfield Historic District
    The Norfield Historic District is a historic district in Weston, Connecticut that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991...

    )
  • Aspetuck


Other minor communities and geographic areas are Devil's Den, Norfield, Upper Parish, and Valley Forge.

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 10,037 people, 3,312 households, and 2,811 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 507.0 people per square mile (195.7/km²). There were 3,532 housing units at an average density of 178.4 per square mile (68.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.75% White, 0.88% African American, 0.11% Native American, 1.94% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.25% 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 0.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.05% of the population.

There were 3,312 households out of which 49.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 78.4% 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, 5.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.1% were non-families. 11.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.03 and the average family size was 3.28.

In the town the population was spread out with 33.2% under the age of 18, 2.7% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 28.9% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 96.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $146,697, and the median income for a family was $162,032. Males had a median income of $100,000 versus $55,956 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 $74,817. About 1.3% of families and 1.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.3% of those under age 18 and 1.5% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Like many other New England towns, the government of Weston consists of the Town Meeting
Town meeting
A town meeting is a form of direct democratic rule, used primarily in portions of the United States since the 17th century, in which most or all the members of a community come together to legislate policy and budgets for local government....

, and elective and appointive boards. First among the elective boards is the Board of Selectmen
Board of selectmen
The board of selectmen is commonly the executive arm of the government of New England towns in the United States. The board typically consists of three or five members, with or without staggered terms.-History:...

. Gayle Weinstein is the First Selectman. By charter, the First Selectman is the Chief Executive and Administrative Officer of the town. The town's legislative powers are divided between the Board of Selectmen and the Town Meeting. Among other elective boards are the Board of Education, the Board of Finance, the Planning and Zoning Commission, and the Board of Police Commissioners.

Budget and taxes

For the fiscal year of 2011-2012, the Town of Weston’s net budget was $61,544,303. That year, about 73 percent of the town’s net budget was spent on the Weston Public Schools. Weston raised taxes on the basis of property value. With real estate assessed at 70 percent of market value, the mill rate evolved as follows:
Fiscal year Mill rate
2004–2005 19.66*
2005–2006 21.41*
2005–2007 22.09*
2007–2008 22.71*
2008–2009 23.35*
2009–2010 23.61
2010–2011 23.86
2011–2012 23.94


To show the evolution of the mill rate, the table's asterisked numbers have been adjusted to account for the revaluation of 2008-2009. The revaluation added 2.92 percent to Weston's grand list of properties.

On the National Register of Historic Places

  • Bradley Edge Tool Company Historic District
    Bradley Edge Tool Company Historic District
    The Bradley Edge Tool Company Historic District is a linear historic district along Lyons Plain Road in Weston, Connecticut. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. It then included 30 contributing buildings, including 19 houses built during 1820-1925, and one...

     — Roughly, Lyons Plains Road, north and south of the junction with White Birch Road (added December 22, 1995)
  • Kettle Creek Historic District
    Kettle Creek Historic District
    The Kettle Creek Historic District is a historic district that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.In 1995, it included 10 contributing buildings....

     — Roughly, Weston and Old Weston Roads, north of Broad Street (added December 22, 1995)
  • Norfield Historic District
    Norfield Historic District
    The Norfield Historic District is a historic district in Weston, Connecticut that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991...

     — Roughly, at the junction of Weston and Norfield Rds. northeast to Hedgerow Common (added August 31, 1991)

Education

There are four public schools in the Weston Public Schools district, all located on School Road:
  • Weston High School — grades 9-12, with about 800 students. Weston High School (WHS) seniors in the class of 2006 had the highest average SAT scores in the state, and many WHS students go on to attend selective colleges and universities. The class of 2008 had the highest CAPT scores in the state in 2006. Recently the high school underwent a significant building expansion, which included construction of a new science department and new playing fields. The high school auditorium was also updated in 2008.
  • Weston Middle School (WMS) — grades 6-8, with about 600 students.
  • Weston Intermediate School (WIS) — grades 3-5, with about 600 students. The school opened in September 2005 as the town’s newest school.
  • Hurlbutt Elementary School (HES) — pre-kindergarten-grade 2, with about 600 students


The Connecticut State Department of Education has ranked the Weston schools in District Reference Group
Education Reference Group
Connecticut school districts are grouped into Education Reference Groups , also known as "District Reference Groups" based on the characteristics of their student’s families...

 A (formerly the Educational Reference Group A), the nine most affluent and low-need-for-extra-assistance districts among the 162 school districts in Connecticut.

Several pre-schools in town are run by various churches, including Emmanuel Nursery School and Norfield Nursery School.

Parks

The landscape of Weston is characterized by open spaces. Almost one quarter of the town is permanently devoted to open space use, including:
  • Devil’s Den Preserve, with a wide variety of flora and fauna, and with a 20 miles (32.2 km) trail system that connects with the extended 70 miles (112.7 km) Saugatuck Valley Trails System;
  • Bisceglie Park, with baseball fields, a swimming hole, a two-mile (3 km) jogging trail and fitness stations, along the west branch of the Saugatuck River;
  • Morehouse Farm Park, with eight, partially overlapping ball fields;
  • Sixteen preserves of the Aspetuck Land Trust, for a total of 645 acres (2.6 km²), scattered all around town;
  • Katherine Ordway Preserve, with 62 acres (250,905.3 m²) of woodland, three miles (5 km) of trails and an arboretum;
  • Keene Park, with 6 acres (24,281.2 m²), along the each branch of the Saugatuck River;
  • Open land around the Saugatuck Reservoir, with trails and opportunities for fishing.


Notable residents

Historical
population of
Weston
1790 2,469
1800 2,680
1810 2,618
1820 2,767
1830 2,997
1840 2,561
1850 1,056
1860 1,117
1870 1,054
1880 918
1890 772
1900 840
1910 831
1920 703
1930 670
1940 1,053
1950 1,988
1960 4,039
1970 7,417
1980 8,284
1990 8,648
2000 10,037
2010 10,179

  • George Balanchine
    George Balanchine
    George Balanchine , born Giorgi Balanchivadze in Saint Petersburg, Russia, to a Georgian father and a Russian mother, was one of the 20th century's most famous choreographers, a developer of ballet in the United States, co-founder and balletmaster of New York City Ballet...

     (1904–1983), choreographer and influential figure in ballet
  • Paul Cadmus
    Paul Cadmus
    Paul Cadmus was an American artist. He is best known for his paintings and drawings of nude male figures. His works combined elements of eroticism and social critique to produce a style often called magic realism...

     (1904–1999), painter
  • Frank Converse
    Frank Converse
    Frank Converse is an American actor. In 1962, he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in drama at Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...

     (born 1938), actor
  • Rodney Dangerfield
    Rodney Dangerfield
    Rodney Dangerfield , was an American comedian, and actor, known for the catchphrases "I don't get no respect!," "No respect, no respect at all... that's the story of my life" or "I get no respect, I tell ya" and his monologues on that theme...

     (1921–2004), comedian
  • Bette Davis
    Bette Davis
    Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis was an American actress of film, television and theater. Noted for her willingness to play unsympathetic characters, she was highly regarded for her performances in a range of film genres, from contemporary crime melodramas to historical and period films and occasional...

     (1908–1989), actress
  • Jose Feliciano
    José Feliciano
    José Feliciano is a Puerto Rican singer, virtuoso guitarist and composer known for many international hits including the 1970 holiday single "Feliz Navidad".-Childhood:...

     (born 1945), singer and songwriter
  • Seth Grahame-Smith
    Seth Grahame-Smith
    Seth Grahame-Smith is an American best-selling author, screenwriter, and producer of film and television. He is best known as the author of The New York Times best-selling novels Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter, both of which are being adapted as feature films...

     (born 1976), author, film and television producer, grew up in town
  • John Marshall Harlan II
    John Marshall Harlan II
    John Marshall Harlan was an American jurist who served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court from 1955 to 1971. His namesake was his grandfather John Marshall Harlan, another associate justice who served from 1877 to 1911.Harlan was a student at Upper Canada College and Appleby College and...

     (1899–1971), Associate Justice of the Supreme Court
    Supreme Court of the United States
    The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...

    , summered in Weston, buried in Weston's Emmanuel churchyard
  • Mariette Hartley
    Mariette Hartley
    Mary Loretta "Mariette" Hartley is an American character actress.-Personal life:Hartley was born in Weston, Connecticut, the daughter of Mary Ickes “Polly” , a manager and saleswoman, and Paul Hembree Hartley, an account executive. Her maternal grandfather was psychologist John B...

     (born 1940), actress, native of Weston
  • Evan Hunter
    Evan Hunter
    Evan Hunter was an American author and screenwriter. Born Salvatore Albert Lombino, he legally adopted the name Evan Hunter in 1952...

     (1926–2005), author who wrote under the pen name "Ed McBain"
  • Erica Jong
    Erica Jong
    Erica Jong is an American author and teacher best known for her fiction and poetry.-Career:A 1963 graduate of Barnard College, and with an M.A...

     (born 1942), author
  • Eartha Kitt
    Eartha Kitt
    Eartha Mae Kitt was an American singer, actress, and cabaret star. She was perhaps best known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 hit recordings of "C'est Si Bon" and the enduring Christmas novelty smash "Santa Baby." Orson Welles once called her the "most exciting woman in the...

     (1927–2008), entertainer, moved to town in 2002
  • Lawrence Langner
    Lawrence Langner
    Lawrence Langner the Great was a playwright, author, and producer.Born near Swansea, South Wales and working most of his life in the United States, he started his career as one of the founders of the Washington Square Players troupe in 1914.In 1919 he founded the Theatre Guild, where he supervised...

     (1890–1962), playwright, author, and producer. Lived on what is now called Langner Lane.
  • Eva Le Gallienne
    Eva Le Gallienne
    Eva Le Gallienne was a well-known actress, producer, and director, during the first half of the 20th century.-Early life and early career:...

     (1899–1991), actress
  • Brent Musburger
    Brent Musburger
    Brent Woody Musburger is an American sportscaster for the ESPN and ABC television networks. Formerly with CBS Sports and one of the original members of their legendary program The NFL Today, Musburger has covered NASCAR, NBA, MLB, NCAA football and basketball games. Musburger has also served as a...

     (born 1939), sportscaster
  • James Naughton
    James Naughton
    James Naughton is an American director, theater, film and television actor.-Early life:Naughton was born in Middletown, Connecticut, the son of Rosemary and Joseph Naughton, both of whom were teachers He is the brother of actor David Naughton.-Career:Naughton graduated from Brown University and...

     (born 1945), actor
  • Katherine Ordway (1899–1979), 3M
    3M
    3M Company , formerly known as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation based in Maplewood, Minnesota, United States....

     heiress, philanthropist, supporter of land conservation, funded the purchase of part of Devil's Den
  • Christopher Plummer
    Christopher Plummer
    Arthur Christopher Orne Plummer, CC is a Canadian theatre, film and television actor. He made his film debut in 1957's Stage Struck, and notable early film performances include Night of the Generals, The Return of the Pink Panther and The Man Who Would Be King.In a career that spans over five...

     (born 1929), actor
  • Paul Rand
    Paul Rand
    Paul Rand Paul Rand Paul Rand (born Peretz Rosenbaum, (August 15, 1914 — November 26, 1996) was an American graphic designer, best known for his corporate logo designs, including the logos for IBM, UPS, Enron, Westinghouse, ABC, and Steve Jobs’ NeXT...

     (1914–1996), graphic designer
  • Robert Redford
    Robert Redford
    Charles Robert Redford, Jr. , better known as Robert Redford, is an American actor, film director, producer, businessman, environmentalist, philanthropist, and founder of the Sundance Film Festival. He has received two Oscars: one in 1981 for directing Ordinary People, and one for Lifetime...

     (born 1936), actor, had a home in town
  • Fritz Reiner
    Fritz Reiner
    Frederick Martin “Fritz” Reiner was a prominent conductor of opera and symphonic music in the twentieth century.-Biography:...

     (1888–1963), conductor of the New York Philharmonic
    New York Philharmonic
    The New York Philharmonic is a symphony orchestra based in New York City in the United States. It is one of the American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five"...

    , the Metropolitan Opera
    Metropolitan Opera
    The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...

    , and other notable orchestras. Lived on Davis Hill beginning in 1938.
  • Keith Richards
    Keith Richards
    Keith Richards is an English musician, songwriter, and founding member of the Rolling Stones. Rolling Stone magazine said Richards had created "rock's greatest single body of riffs", and placed him as the "10th greatest guitarist of all time." Fourteen songs written by Richards and songwriting...

     (born 1943), musician, member of The Rolling Stones
    The Rolling Stones
    The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...

  • John Seigenthaler, Jr.
    John Seigenthaler, Jr.
    John Michael Seigenthaler is an American former news anchor and correspondent who worked for both NBC and MSNBC. He is the son of the newspaper journalist John Lawrence Seigenthaler. He is best known for his 8-year tenure as weekend anchor of NBC Nightly News...

     (born 1955), former NBC News weekend anchor.
  • James Thurber
    James Thurber
    James Grover Thurber was an American author, cartoonist and celebrated wit. Thurber was best known for his cartoons and short stories published in The New Yorker magazine.-Life:...

    (1894–1961), writer

External links

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