Bridgeport, Connecticut

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Bridgeport, Connecticut
Flag Seal
Nickname: The Park City.
Location in Connecticut
Coordinates: 41°11′11″N 73°11′44″W / 41.18639, -73.19556
NECTA	Bridgeport-Stamford
Region	Greater Bridgeport
Incorporated (town)	1821
Incorporated (city)	1836
Government
- Type	Mayor-council
- Mayor	Bill Finch
Area
- City	19.4 sq mi (50.2 km²)
- Land	16.0 sq mi (41.4 km²)
- Water	3.4 sq mi (8.8 km²)
- Urban	465.3 sq mi (1,205 km²)
Elevation	3 ft (1 m)
Population (2006)[1]
- City	137,912
- Density	8,720.9/sq mi (3,354/km²)
- Metro	902,775
Time zone	Eastern (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code	066xx
Area code(s)	203
FIPS code	09-08000
GNIS feature ID	0205720
Website: http://www.ci.bridgeport.ct.us

Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut, and the fifth-largest city in New England. Located in Fairfield County, the city has an estimated population of 137,912^[1] and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area, which itself is considered part of the labor market area for New York City.

The city is quite marked by its attachment to its famous resident, the circus-promoter and once mayor P.T. Barnum. Barnum built three houses in the city, and housed his circus in town during winters.

Bridgeport was originally a part of the township of Stratford. The first settlement here was made in 1659. It was called Pequonnock until 1695, when its name was changed to Stratfield, due to its location between the already existing towns of Stratford and Fairfield. During the American Revolution it was a center of privateering. In 1800 the borough of Bridgeport was chartered, and in 1821 the township was incorporated. The city was not chartered until 1836.

The city was home to the Frisbie Pie Company, and therefore it has been argued that Bridgeport is the birthplace of the frisbee.^[2]

The community has two hospitals, Bridgeport Hospital and St. Vincent's Medical Center.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Early years 1.2 Abraham Lincoln's visit 1.3 Later history 2 Geography and Climate 3 Cityscape 4 Demographics 5 Education 5.1 High Schools 6 Government and politics 7 Culture 7.1 Popular culture 7.2 Performing Arts 7.2.1 Theater 7.2.2 Famous Musicians & Singing Groups 7.3 Museums, Zoos & Parks 8 Sports 9 Broadcast stations in the city 9.1 Radio 9.2 Media 9.3 Television 10 Transportation 10.1 Airports 10.2 Major highways 10.3 Railroad and ferries 10.4 Buses 11 On the National Register of Historic Places 12 Notable people, past and present 13 References 14 External links

[edit] History

Main article: History of Bridgeport, Connecticut

[edit] Early years

Bridgeport's early years were marked by a reliance on fishing and farmingeven though the farm land was rocky, much like other towns in New England. The city's location on the deep Newfield Harbor fostered a boom in shipbuilding and whaling in the mid-19th century, especially after the opening of a railroad to the city in 1840. The city rapidly industrialized in the late-19th century, and became a manufacturing center producing such goods as the famous Bridgeport milling machine, brass fittings, carriages, sewing machines, brassieres, saddles, and ammunition.

[edit] Abraham Lincoln's visit

On Saturday, March 10, 1860, Abraham Lincoln spoke in the city's Washington Hall, an auditorium at what was then the Fairfield County Courthouse (now McLevy Hall), at the corner of State and Broad streets. Not only was the largest room in the city packed, but a crowd formed outside made up of people who couldn't get in. He received a standing ovation before taking the 9:07 p.m. train that night back to Manhattan.^[3][4] A plaque now stands at the site in Bridgeport where he gave the speech. (In 2006, just across the street, in the Polka Dot Playhouse {now known as Playhouse on the Green}, President George W. Bush spoke before a small, selected group of Connecticut business people and officials about health care reform.)

[edit] Later history

By 1930, Bridgeport was a thriving industrial center with more than 500 factories and a booming immigrant population.

In September of 1978, Bridgeport teachers went on a 19-day strike due to deadlock contract negotiations. A court order as well as state law that made strikes illegal in Connecticut resulted in 274 teachers being arrested and jailed.^[5] Like other urban centers in Connecticut, Bridgeport fared less well during the deindustrialization of the United States in the 1970s and 1980s. Unemployment rose, crime soared, and the city became known for a large drug problem. Many former-industrial sites within the city were discovered to be heavily-polluted, leaving Bridgeport with extensive environmental costs and damage. Other sites were simply abandoned and left to burn down, leaving some areas of the city resembling ghost towns.

In the early 21st century, Bridgeport is rebounding after a loss of jobs and population, and is transitioning into a role as a center of service industries and as an outlying region of the New York metropolitan area (for example, the city itself is an oasis of relatively low-cost housing in an otherwise extremely expensive region).

In 1987, the L'Ambiance Plaza residential project, which was under construction at the time, collapsed, killing 28 construction workers.

Like other northeastern cities suffering from the effects of Post World War II industrial decline, Bridgeport has often made efforts at revitalization. One proposal called for Las Vegas developer Steve Wynn to build a large casino on the property, but for a variety of reasons, that project failed to materialize. More recently, the City of Bridgeport has taken steps to acquire the last remaining parcels in private hands. Many historic buildings are also being renovated into residential and retail units.

[edit] Geography and Climate

Bridgeport is located along Long Island Sound, at the mouth of the Pequonnock River.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 19.4 square miles (50.2 km²), of which, 16.0 square miles (41.4 km²) of it is land and 3.4 square miles (8.8 km²) of it (17.53%) is water. Bridgeport lies within the Humid Continental climate belt, with warm to occasionally hot and humid summers and cold, snowy winters. The seasonal extremes are moderated somewhat by Long Island Sound. The adjacent waters result in Bridgeport being several degrees cooler in summer and slightly milder with less snowfall in winter than locations further away from the coast. The city receives 41.7 inches (1,060 mm) of precipitation and around 25.6 inches (65 cm) of snowfall in an average year. The snowiest winter on record is 1996 where Bridgeport received 76.8 inches (195 cm).^[6]

Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Rec High °F	68	67	84	91	97	96	103	100	99	86	78	76
Norm High °F	36.9	38.8	46.9	57	67.4	76.4	81.9	80.7	73.6	63.1	52.6	42.1
Norm Low °F	22.9	24.9	32	40.7	50.6	59.6	66	65.4	57.7	46.3	37.5	28
Rec Low °F	-7	-5	4	18	31	41	49	44	36	26	16	-4
Precip (in)	3.73	2.92	4.15	3.99	4.03	3.57	3.77	3.75	3.58	3.54	3.65	3.47
Source: USTravelWeather.com [5]

[edit] Cityscape

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The harbor is formed by the estuary of the Pequonnock River and Yellow Mill Pond, an inlet. Between the estuary and the pond is a peninsula, East Bridgeport, which was once home to some of the largest manufacturing establishments (most no longer exist), and west of the harbor and the river is the main portion of the city, the wholesale section extending along the bank, the retail section farther back, and numerous factories along the line of the railway far to the West. There are two large parks, Beardsley, in the extreme northern part of the city, and Seaside, west of the harbor entrance and along the Sound; in the latter are statues of Elias Howe, who built a large sewing-machine factory here in 1863, and of P.T. Barnum, the showman, who lived in Bridgeport after 1846 and did much for the city, especially for East Bridgeport. In Seaside Park there is also a soldiers' and sailors' monument, and in the vicinity are many upscale residences. The principal buildings are: the two hospitals (St Vincent's and Bridgeport), the Protestant orphan asylum, the Barnum Institute (occupied by the Bridgeport Scientific and Historical Society), the Bridgeport Medical Society and the United States government building, which contains the post-office and the customs house.

[edit] Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1840	3,294		—
1850	6,080		84.6%
1860	12,106		99.1%
1870	18,969		56.7%
1880	27,643		45.7%
1890	48,866		76.8%
1900	70,996		45.3%
1910	102,054		43.7%
1920	143,555		40.7%
1930	146,716		2.2%
1940	147,121		0.3%
1950	158,709		7.9%
1960	156,748		−1.2%
1970	156,542		−0.1%
1980	142,546		−8.9%
1990	141,686		−0.6%
2000	139,529		−1.5%
Est. 2006	137,912	[7]	−1.2%
Population 1840 - 1970[8]

As of the census^[9] of 2000, there were 139,529 people, 50,307 households, and 32,749 families residing in the city. The population density was 8,720.9 people per square mile (3,367.0/km²). There were 54,367 housing units at an average density of 3,398.1/sq mi (1,312.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 45.02% White, 30.76% African American, 0.48% Native American, 3.25% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 14.81% from other races, and 5.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 31.88% of the population. The largest ancestries include: Italian (8.6%), Irish (5.1%), Portuguese (2.9%), Polish (2.8%), and German (2.4%).[6]

There were 50,307 households out of which 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.0% were married couples living together, 24.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.9% were non-families. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.34.

In the city the population was spread out with 28.4% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $34,658, and the median income for a family was $39,571. Males had a median income of $32,430 versus $26,966 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,306. About 16.2% of families and 18.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.8% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those age 65 or over.

Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 25, 2005[10]
Party		Active Voters	Inactive Voters	Total Voters	Percentage
	Democratic	33,374	2,855	36,229	58.23%
	Republican	5,069	468	5,537	8.90%
	Unaffiliated	18,538	1,887	20,425	32.83%
	Minor Parties	27	3	30	0.05%
Total		57,008	5,213	62,221	100%

[edit] Education

Main article: Education in Bridgeport, Connecticut

Bridgeport is home to the University of Bridgeport and Housatonic Community College.

The city's public school system has 30 elementary schools, three comprehensive high schools, two alternative programs and an interdistrict vocational aquaculture school. The system has about 23,000 students, making the Bridgeport Public Schools the second largest school system in Connecticut. The school system employs a professional staff of more than 1,700.

The city has started a large school renovation and construction program, with plans for new schools and modernization of existing buildings.

[edit] High Schools

• Bassick High School, home to the Business Magnet
• Central High School established in 1876, home to Central Magnet, largest of the high schools
• Warren Harding High School which is home to the International Baccalaureate Program (IBO) as well as the Health Magnet Program in association with nearby Bridgeport Hospital plus St. Vincent’s Medical Center on the north side of Bridgeport and the Bridgeport Manor.

• Bridgeport Regional Vocational Aquaculture School (BRVAS) is located near historic Captain's Cove and is open to students from surrounding towns. It is one of the first schools in the country specializing in marine and aquaculture curriculum.
• Bullard Havens Technical High School is a vocational high school. (State School)
• Kolbe Cathedral High School: Bridgeport's sole Catholic high school
• The Bridge Academy: Bridgeport's sole Charter High School

Bridgeport is also home to several Catholic schools. They are St. Ambrose, the largest of all the Catholic schools, St. Raphaels, St. Augustine, St. Andrews, St. Peters, and St. Ann.

[edit] Government and politics

Bridgeport is notable for having had a Socialist mayor for 24 years; Jasper McLevy served as mayor from 1933 to 1957. Its more recent mayors, including Joseph Ganim, have been plagued with corruption scandals, reflecting a similar pattern found in other urban centers in Connecticut. In June 2006, Mayor John M. Fabrizi admitted that he had used cocaine since taking office, but had not used cocaine for over a year.

Its status as a struggling post-industrial city marked by poverty is well-known within Connecticut, and stands out markedly from its Gold Coast neighbors.

[edit] Culture

[edit] Popular culture

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

• The city was mentioned at the beginning of Mark Twain's novel, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court:

‘At the end of an hour we saw a far-away town sleeping in a valley by a winding river; and beyond it on a hill, a vast gray fortress, with towers and turrets, the first I had ever seen out of a picture.

‘“Bridgeport?” said I, pointing.

‘“Camelot,” said he.’

• Bridgeport is mentioned occasionally on shows focusing on guns and ammunitions from the late-19h to the mid-20th centuries.

• The Song "157 Riverside Avenue" by REO Speedwagon gets its title from the Bridgeport address of the recording studio where the band recorded their first album.

• Comedian Fred Allen once said, "Everywhere outside New York City is Bridgeport, Connecticut."

[edit] Performing Arts

Bridgeport has been the three-time home to Gathering of the Vibes, a weekend long arts, music and camping festival featuring some of the best names in festival talent. In 1999, 2000 and again in 2007, thousands of people have come from all over the world to camp in Seaside Park and enjoy such talent as Buddy Guy, Bob Weir and Ratdog, Bridgeport's own The Alternate Routes, Deep Banana Blackout, Les Claypool, Assembly of Dust, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, and Los Lobos.

Bridgeport is also the home of the Black Rock Art Center, a multi-cultural center that presents performing artists from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and the Americas both at the Art Center and also in a Summer Sounds of the World concert series. The series has featured such legendary artists as blues musician James Cotton, Grammy-award winner Eddie Palmieri, the Cambodian Angora Dance Company, salsa master Larry Harlow, and folk artists Richie Havens and Odetta. The Art Center features a world music series, a cabaret series, the Black Rock Blues Festival, in addition to cinema, gallery, and educational programs.

[edit] Theater

• Klein Memorial Auditorium
• Arena at Harbor Yard
• Downtown Cabaret Theatre
• Playhouse on the Green theater with plays and varied musical events

[edit] Famous Musicians & Singing Groups

• God's Generation Bridgeport is the home of Montee Entertainment Group Gospel Recording Artists Junior Fountain & God's Generation.
• James "JJ" Hairston & Youthful Praise Bridgeport is also the home of Artemis Gospel National Recording Artists James "JJ" Hairston & Youthful Praise.

Bridgeport Coast Guard was telephoned by John McClain (Bruce Willis) in the movie Die Hard With a Vengeance.

[edit] Museums, Zoos & Parks

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As befits his in-town legend, the Barnum Museum is headquartered in Bridgeport. The city is also home to the Discovery Museum and Planetarium, which emphasizes exhibits on science, as well as the Housatonic Museum of Art, located at Housatonic Community College, which has the largest collection of art of any two-year college in the country, thanks to a sizable grant from Burt Chernow.

The Beardsley Zoo is also located in Bridgeport, and is the only zoological center in the entire state of Connecticut.

The Park City also has these parks:

• 40 Acres Park that runs between Park and Madison Avenues in the North End
• Alice Street Lot located on Alice Street
• Baldwin Plaza on Broad Street known for trailing mostly
• Beardsley Park located on Noble Avenue where Harding High School plays Baseball and Softball games just like other recreational baseball leagues such as North End Babe Ruth & Park City Babe Ruth, picnic areas are also visible
• Beechwood Park on Madison Avenue incorporating Kennedy Stadium as well
• Ellsworth Park on Ellsworth Street
• Fairchild Memorial Park located on Trumbull Road
• Glenwood Park where tennis courts are abundant
• Wonderland of Ice which is a recreational center for ice skating also on Glenwood Avenue
• James Brown Park (Waterview Park) located on Waterview Avenue
• Johnson Oak Park on Logan Street
• Lafayette Park located on Oak Street
• Longfellow Park on St. Stephens Road
• Longfellow Playground on Wordin Avenue
• Manila Street Playground on Manila Street
• Newfield/Jessup Park located on Newfield Avenue has a playground,
• Pleasure Beach, located within the proximity of Seaview Avenue
• Puglio Park on Madison Avenue consecutive to the North End Library
• Rogers Elton Park on Frenchtown Road
• Seaside Park, probably the largest park within the city of Bridgeport with abundance of baseball/softball fields, fishing areas, picnic areas, playgrounds, soccer fields and swimming stretching from Park Avenue all the way to the Bridgeport Port Jefferson Ferry
• Saint Mary's-By-the-Sea located on Grovers Avenue
• Success Park on Granfield Street
• Svihra Park on Ezra Street
• Upchurch Park on Hallett Street
• Veterans Memorial Park on Park Avenue
• Washington Park located on East Washington Avenue
• Waterfront Park located on Water Street primarily for baseball usage
• Went Field Park on Wordin Avenue
• West Side 2 Park located on Bostwick Avenue

[edit] Sports

Club	League	Venue	Established	Championships
Bridgeport Bluefish	ALPB, Baseball	The Ballpark at Harbor Yard	1998	1
Bridgeport Sound Tigers	AHL, Ice hockey	Arena at Harbor Yard	2001	0

The recently-built Arena at Harbor Yard serves as the city's sports and hospitality center. Seating 10,000, the Arena serves as the home rink of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers AHL hockey team, as well as the home court of the Fairfield University's basketball team.

The Ballpark at Harbor Yard serves as a minor-league baseball stadium, and was built in 1998 to serve as the homefield of the Bridgeport Bluefish. It is located downtown on a former brownfield site. It is visually prominent to commuters on I-95 or on passing trains.

Kennedy Stadium serves as a community sports facility. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, it was the home of an Atlantic Coast Football League minor league football team, the Bridgeport Jets, a New York Jets farm team also known locally as the Hi-Ho Jets due to their sponsorship by the (Hi-Ho) D'Addario construction company.

Fairfield University is located in the neighboring town of Fairfield, and many of the athletic teams play on campus. Only the men's and women's basketball teams play in Bridgeport.

[edit] Broadcast stations in the city

[edit] Radio

• WCUM-AM 1450; 1,000 watts (formerly WDGS-AM, and before that, WNAB-AM) Spanish Format station better known as Radio Cumbre.

• WDJZ-AM 1530; 5,000 watts (daytime only) Gospel Radio that serves the African American and Caribbean communities in the Bridgeport Metro area.

• WICC-AM 600; 1,000 watts (daytime), 500 watts (nighttime) -- WICC began broadcasting on November 21 1926, when a previous radio station, WCWS, was given a new name, WICC. The last three letters standing for Industrial Capitol of Connecticut. The Bridgeport Broadcasting Company Inc. was the new station's owner. Back then, the station was powered at 500 watts. From 1951 to 1956 one of the station's radio hosts was Bob Crane, who later went on to play Col. Robert Hogan on the Hogan's Heroes television comedy series.^[11] WICC's transmitter is located on Pleasure Beach, an island located between downtown Bridgeport and Long Island Sound.

• WEBE-FM 107.9; 50,000 watts. WEBE 108 is "Connecticut's Best Music Variety" owned and operated by Cumulus Media. Licensed to Westport, CT, with studios and transmitter in Bridgeport.

• WEZN-FM 99.9; 27,500 watts. From the station's web site: "Your local guide to southern Connecticut information and family fun." owned by Cox Radio, Inc.

• WPKN-FM 89.5; 10,000 watts; From the station's web site: "WPKN is somewhat inscrutable. We break all of the rules, and we observe few, if any, of the conventions. We have no format whatsoever, we permit our programmers to do whatever they will, and we don't accept funding from the sources which might restrict our freedoms. We are totally accountable to our listeners in that we publish our budget to everyone on our mailing list, and we also invite you to our monthly staff meetings and, in particular, the June meeting at which we discuss the budget. (...) WPKN's programming can be heard on two frequencies: 89.5 FM from our transmitter at Trumbull, CT and 88.7 FM (formally known as WPKM) at Montauk on Long Island. If you're driving eastward and you start to lose the 89.5 signal, you can tune over to 88.7 and continue to hear us until about Exit 6 on I-95 in Rhode Island."^[12]

Due to Bridgeport's close proximity to Long Island Sound, many AM stations from New York are received clearly day and night in the market. These include WMCA, WFAN, WOR, WABC, WNYC, WCBS, WEPN, and WQEW.^[13]

[edit] Media

• Elsolnews.com, a community Spanish Language Weekly Newspaper covering news and events.

v • d • e Radio stations in the Bridgeport, Connecticut market (Arbitron #122) (R&R info) By FM frequency 89.5 · 91.1 · 92.3 · 92.5 · 93.1 · 93.7 · 95.5 · 95.1 · 95.9 · 96.3 · 96.7 · 97.1 · 97.9 · 98.5 · 98.7 · 99.1 · 99.9 · 100.3 · 101.1 · 101.3 · 101.9 · 102.3 · 103.5 · 104.1 · 104.3 · 105.1 · 106.1 · 107.5 · 106.9 · 102.9 · 105.9 · 106.7 · 107.9 · By AM frequency 600 · 660 · 690 · 710 · 770 · 880 · 930 · 960 · 1290 · 1050 · 1010 · 1100 · 1260 · 1340 · 1360 · 1370 · 1440 · 1450 · 1500 · 1530 · By callsign WABC · WADS · WALK · WAXQ · WBAB · WBLI · WBLS · WBON · WCBS (AM) · WCBS-FM · WCCC · WCCC-FM · WCTZ · WCUM · WDJZ · WDRC · WEBE · WELI · WEPN · WEZN · WFAN · WFIF · WFNY · WFOX · WHCN · WHLI · WHTZ · WICC · WINS · WKCI-FM · WKTU · WLTW · WOR · WPAT · WPAT-FM · WPKN · WPLJ · WPLR · WQCD · WQHT · WQXR · WRKI · WRKS · WSHU-FM · WSHU (AM) · WSKQ · WURH · WWPR · WWPR-FM · WWYZ · WXRK · WYBC · WZMX · bold stations are local to Bridgeport, most others are from New York Connecticut Radio Markets: Bridgeport • Danbury • Hartford-New Britain-Middletown • New Haven • New London • Norwalk-Stamford See also: List of radio stations in Connecticut NYC Metro Markets : Long Island · Newburgh-Middletown · Poughkeepsie · Middlesex-Somerset-Union · Monmouth-Ocean · Morristown · Bridgeport · Danbury · New Haven · Stamford-Norwalk

[edit] Television

• WEDW channel 49; one of the Connecticut Public Television stations, broadcasts from Bridgeport and can be seen in Hartford.

[edit] Transportation

[edit] Airports

Nearby Sikorsky Memorial Airport once provided regional flights to major hub cities such as Logan International Airport in Boston and Baltimore-Washington International Airport; however, service to the airport declined in the 1990s, and US Airways Express became the last airline to suspend operations at the airport in November 1999. Tweed New Haven Regional Airport is the closest facility providing scheduled air service. The closest international airports are La Guardia and John F. Kennedy in New York City, Newark in Newark, New Jersey, Stewart in Newburgh, New York and Bradley in Windsor Locks, CT.

[edit] Major highways

Bridgeport is at the intersection of many major highways which have contributed greatly to its industrial past. Interstate 95, the Merritt Parkway, Route 8 and Route 25, and U.S. Route 1 (The Boston Post Road) all run through the city, with the intersection of Route 8/Route 25 and Interstate 95 located downtown.

[edit] Railroad and ferries

The city is connected to nearby New York City by both Amtrak and Metro-North commuter trains. Many residents commute to New York jobs on these trains, and the city to some extent is developing as an outpost of New York-based workers seeking cheaper rents and larger living spaces. Connecting service is also available to Waterbury via Metro-North, and New Haven via Amtrak and Metro-North.

A ferry service runs from Bridgeport across Long Island Sound to Port Jefferson, New York; the three vessels "Grand Republic", "P.T. Barnum" and "Park City" transport both automobiles and passengers.

[edit] Buses

The Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority (GBTA) provides bus service to Bridgeport and its immediate suburbs. Route 2 the Coastal Link goes west to Norwalk and east to Westfield's Connecticut Post Mall in Milford, from where Connecticut Transit can bring passengers to the New Haven Green. Greyhound and Peter Pan Bus Lines both offer intercity bus service to points throughout the Northeast and points beyond.

[edit] On the National Register of Historic Places

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• BERKSHIRE NO. 7 — Bridgeport Harbor (added 1978)
• Barnum Museum — 805 Main St. (added December 7, 1972)
• Barnum/Palliser Historic District — Roughly bounded by Myrtle and Park Aves., Atlantic and Austin Sts. (both sides) (added 1982)
• Bassickville Historic District — 20-122 Bassick, 667-777 Howard, and 1521-1523 Fairview Aves., and 50-1380 State St. (added October 8, 1987)
• Beardsley Park — 1875 Noble Ave. (added April 18, 1999)
• Bikur Cholim Synagogue — 1545 Iranistan Ave. (added December 27, 1995)
• Black Rock Gardens Historic District — Bounded by Fairfield St., Brewster St. and Nash Ln., including Rowsley and Haddon Sts. (added October 26, 1990)
• Black Rock Historic District — Roughly bounded by Black Rock Harbor, Grovers Ave., Beacon and Prescott Sts. (added April 15, 1979)
• Bridgeport City Hall — 202 State St. (added October 19, 1977)
• Bridgeport Downtown North Historic District — Roughly bounded by Congress, Water, Fairfield Ave., Elm, Golden Hill & Chapel Sts. (added December 2, 1987)
• Bridgeport Downtown South Historic District — Roughly bounded by Elm, Cannon, Main, Gilbert, and Broad Sts. (added October 3, 1987)
• Connecticut Railway and Lighting Company Car Barn — 55 Congress St. (added 1987)
• David Perry House — 531 Lafayette St. (added April 22, 1984)
• Deacon's Point Historic District — Roughly bounded by Seaview Ave. and Williston, Bunnell and Deacon Sts. (added September 21, 1992)
• Division Street Historic District — Roughly bounded by State St., Iranistan, Black Rock and West Aves. (added July 3, 1982)
• ELMER S. DAILEY — Bridgeport Harbor (added 1978)
• Eagle's Nest — 282-284 Logan St. (added April 5, 1979)
• East Bridgeport Historic District — Roughly bounded by RR tracks, Beach, Arctic, and Knowlton Sts. (added May 25, 1979)
• East Main Street Historic District — Bounded by Walters and Nichols Sts. from 371-377, 741-747, 388-394 and to 744 East Main Sts. (added March 21, 1985)
• Ein Jacob (Ayn Yacob) Synagogue — 746 (aka 748) Connecticut Ave. (added December 27, 1995)
• Fairfield County Courthouse — 172 Golden Hill St. (added February 21, 1982)
• Fairfield County Jail — 1106 North Ave. (added May 18, 1985)
• First Baptist Church — 126 Washington Ave. (added March 22, 1990)
• Gateway Village Historic District — Roughly bounded by Waterman St., Connecticut Ave. and Alanson Ave. (added October 26, 1990)
• Golden Hill Historic District — Roughly bounded by Congress St., Lyon Terr., Elm, and Harrison Sts. (added October 3, 1987)
• Hotel Beach — 140 Fairfield Ave. (added 1978)
• Lakeview Village Historic District — Roughly bounded by Essex St., Boston Ave., Colony St., Plymouth St. and Asylum St. (added October 26, 1990)
• Maplewood School — 434 Maplewood Ave. (added March 21, 1990)
• Marina Park Historic District — Marína Park, Park and Waldemere Aves. (added May 27, 1982)
• Mary and Eliza Freeman Houses — 352-4 and 358-60 Main St. (added March 22, 1999)
• Nathaniel Wheeler Memorial Fountain — Park and Fairfield Aves. (added May 4, 1985)
• PRISCILLA DAILEY — Bridgeport Harbor (added 1978)
• Palace and Majestic Theaters — 1315-1357 Main St. (added 1979)
• Park Apartments — 59 Rennell St. (added October 26, 1990)
• Penfield Reef Lighthouse — Long Island Sound off Shoal Point (added October 27, 1990)
• Pequonnock River Railroad Bridge — AMTRAK Right-of-way at Pequonnock River (added July 12, 1987)
• Peyton Randolph Bishop House — 135 Washington Ave. (added September 25, 1987)
• Railroad Avenue Industrial District — Roughly bounded by State and Cherry Sts., Fairfield and Wordin Aves. (added October 30, 1985)
• Remington City Historic District — Roughly, Bond, Dover, and Remington Sts. and Palisade Ave., between Stewart and Tudor Sts. (added October 26, 1990)
• Remington Village Historic District — Roughly, Willow and East Aves. between Boston and Barnum Aves. (added October 26, 1990)
• Seaside Institute — 299 Lafayette Ave. (added July 14, 1982)
• Seaside Park — Long Island Sound (added August 1, 1982)
• Seaside Village Historic District — E. side of Iranistan Ave. between South St. and Burnham St. (added October 26, 1990)
• St. John's Episcapal Church — 768 Fairfield Ave. (added September 2, 1984)
• Sterling Block-Bishop Arcade — 993-1005 Main St. (added 1978)
• Sterling Hill Historic District — Roughly bounded by Pequonnock St., Harral Ave., James St. and Washington Ave. (added May 2, 1992)
• Stratfield Historic District — CT 59 and U.S. 1 (added July 23, 1980)
• Tongue Point Lighthouse — W side of Bridgeport Harbor at Tongue Point (added June 29, 1990)
• US Post Office-Bridgeport Main — 120 Middle St. (added April 17, 1986)
• United Congregational Church — 877 Park Ave. (added August 19, 1984)
• United Illuminating Company Building — 1115-1119 Broad St. (added March 21, 1985)
• West End Congregation-Achavath Achim Synagogue — 725 Hancock Ave. (added June 11, 1995)
• William D. Bishop Cottage Development Historic District — Cottage Pl. and Atlantic, Broad, Main and Whiting Sts. (added July 28, 1982)
• Wilmot Apartments Historic District — Jct. of Connecticut and Wilmot Aves. (added October 26, 1990)

For an extensive list of places elsewhere in Connecticut on the register, see List of Registered Historic Places in Fairfield County, Connecticut.

[edit] Notable people, past and present

For further information, see People of Bridgeport, Connecticut

Perhaps Bridgeport's most famous resident from the past is P.T. Barnum, the circus promoter who also served as mayor of the city. A brief summary, mentioning some of the Bridgeporters who achieved fame far outside the city would include actors Robert Mitchum, Brian Dennehy, Bob Crane, and John Ratzenberger, actor/comedian Kevin Nealon and the actor and comedian Richard Belzer who once worked as a reporter for The Connecticut Post. Musicians either from, or residing in Bridgeport include composers Joseph Celli and Jin Hi Kim. Other notable Bridgeporters include Henry A. Mucci, who led the raid that rescued survivors of the Bataan Death March in World War II. NBA players Charles Smith, John Bagley and Chris Smith and baseball players George "Kiddo" Davis, who had 7 hits in the 1933 World Series, helping the New York Giants win the championship, and Jim O'Rourke, the first player to be credited with a hit and single in a professional baseball game. Before relocating to Fairfield, Grammy Award winner John Mayer grew up in Bridgeport while his father, Dr. Richard Mayer, was the principal at Bridgeport's Central High School.

Antonio Pappano, Music Director of the Royal Opera in Covent Garden, London, spent much of his childhood in Bridgeport and graduated from Central High School.

Cartoonists Al Capp, who created Lil Abner, and Walt Kelly, who created Pogo, attended Bridgeport High Schools in the 1920s.

Musician John Mayer was born in Bridgeport, along with R&B singer Lumidee.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official City of Bridgeport Website*
• Bridgeport Public Schools
• Bridgeport History Links
• Bridgeport History in Postcards
• Bridgeport Trivia Test
• Coastal Fairfield County Convention & Visitor Bureau
• Bridgeport CT Area Business Directory
• Bridgeport Ferry Bridgeport to Port Jefferson (Long Island) NY
• [7]

• Bridgeport, Connecticut is at coordinates 41°11′11″N 73°11′46″W / 41.18631, -73.19620 (Bridgeport, Connecticut)Coordinates: 41°11′11″N 73°11′46″W / 41.18631, -73.19620 (Bridgeport, Connecticut)

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