| Coventry, Connecticut | |||
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| — Town — | |||
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| Location in Tolland County, Connecticut | |||
| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | United States | ||
| State | Connecticut | ||
| NECTA | Hartford | ||
| Region | Windham Region | ||
| Incorporated | 1712 | ||
| Government | |||
| • Type | Council-manager | ||
| • Town manager | John A. Elsesser | ||
| • Town council | Julia A. Blanchard, Chm. Phyllis P. Chicoine Thomas V. Pope Brendan R. Putman Donald A. Scussel Elizabeth A. Woolf William J. Zenko |
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| Area | |||
| • Total | 38.4 sq mi (99.5 km2) | ||
| • Land | 37.7 sq mi (97.7 km2) | ||
| • Water | 0.6 sq mi (1.7 km2) | ||
| Elevation | 656 ft (200 m) | ||
| Population (2000) | |||
| • Total | 11,504 | ||
| • Density | 305.0/sq mi (117.8/km2) | ||
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | ||
| ZIP code | 06238 | ||
| Area code(s) | 860 | ||
| FIPS code | 09-17800 | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 0213413 | ||
| Website | http://www.coventryct.org/ | ||
Coventry is a town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 11,504 at the 2000 census. The birthplace of Captain Nathan Hale, Coventry is home to the Nathan Hale Homestead, which is now a museum open to the public.
Coventry was incorporated in May 1712.
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According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 38.4 square miles (99 km2) of which 37.7 square miles (98 km2) is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km2) (1.67%) is water.
Coventry was named in October 1711, the first town in the colonies to be named "Coventry" for Coventry in the West Midlands, United Kingdom.
The first house in Coventry was said to have been built near the shore of Lake Wangumbaug by Nathaniel Rust, a Hartford, Connecticut, man, originally from Northampton, Massachusetts. The entire Rust family is said to have made their final move to Coventry from Massachusetts in a group of a dozen families in 1709. Along with Nathaniel Rust, the names of some of the earliest settlers were David Lee, Thomas Root, Samuel Gurley, Ebenezer Searl, Joseph Petty, Benjamin James and Benjamin Carpenter. Four other settlers were also from Northampton and two from Reading.[1]
The land was said to have originally been given to men from Hartford by Joshua, Indian sachem. The Connecticut General Assembly, held in Hartford in 1706, appointed William Pitkin, Joseph Tallcot, William Whiting and Richard Lord, as a committee with full power to lay out the bounds of the town and divisions of the land, to admit inhabitants. A 1711 revision added Nathaniel Rust to the committee and the task of procuring a minister of the gospel.[2] The first church was established in October 1714.
The old center of the town is in South Coventry, near the intersection of Main Street (Route 31) and Stonehouse Road (Route 275). In the 19th century, there was a small industrial center including mills powered by the water from Coventry Lake Brook as it flowed towards the Willimantic River. South Coventry Village, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, also includes several Victorian houses, a museum, the main branch of the public library and the Bidwell Tavern, a bar/restaurant established in 1822. The Bidwell used to keep Coventry's town records in the "vault" area behind the bar, as well as hosting town meetings.[3] A few doors away is the W.L Wellwood General Store, which under new ownership has been renamed "Coventry Country Store". The general store was originally built in 1787 making it one of, if not the oldest General Store in America (a past owner claimed to have not found an older store). In all, the area has over 100 historical buildings on the national register.
North Coventry's settlement is less dense, and its housing and businesses are of more recent construction. In the 18th century, this section of the town was largely used for dairy and vegetable farming. As the United States expanded westward, many farming families left the rocky fields of Connecticut for the more fertile land of the Ohio River valley. Most of the farms in North Coventry were abandoned, and the land reclaimed by second-growth forest. In the 1960s and 1970s, tract housing developments were built on some of this land, mainly raised ranch or split-level houses on one acre (4,000 m²) lots. Development slowed from the mid-1970s through the 1990s, but several new developments were constructed in North Coventry after 1990. These tend to feature larger houses on two acre (8,000 m²) lots.
Memorial Day-Memorial Day Parade—Capt. Nathan Hale is recognized along with members of the Armed Forces
| Town of Coventry Population by year[5] |
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| Census year |
Population | |
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| 1790 | 2,130 | |
| 1800 | 2,021 | |
| 1810 | 1,938 | |
| 1820 | 2,058 | |
| 1830 | 2,119 | |
| 1840 | 2,081 | |
| 1850 | 1,984 | |
| 1860 | 2,085 | |
| 1870 | 2,057 | |
| 1880 | 2,043 | |
| 1890 | 1,875 | |
| 1900 | 1,632 | |
| 1910 | 1,606 | |
| 1920 | 1,582 | |
| 1930 | 1,554 | |
| 1940 | 2,102 | |
| 1950 | 4,043 | |
| 1960 | 6,358 | |
| 1970 | 8,140 | |
| 1980 | 8,895 | |
| 1990 | 10,063 | |
| 2000 | 11,504 | |
At the 2000 census[6], there were 11,504 people, 4,261 households and 3,191 families residing in the town. The population density was 305.0 per square mile (117.8/km²). There were 4,486 housing units at an average density of 118.9 per square mile (45.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.95% White, 0.57% African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.40% from other races, and 1.21% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.72% of the population.
There were 4,261 households which 37.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.0% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.1% were non-families. 18.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.09.
27.1% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 33.7% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 102.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.8 males.
The median household income was $64,680, and the median family income was $72,674. Males had a median income of $48,164 versus $36,514 for females. The per capita income for the town was $27,143. About 2.0% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.
| Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 25, 2005[7] | |||||
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| Party | Active voters | Inactive voters | Total voters | Percentage | |
| Democratic | 2,045 | 59 | 2,104 | 26.66% | |
| Republican | 1,481 | 37 | 1,518 | 19.23% | |
| Unaffiliated | 4,128 | 132 | 4,260 | 53.98% | |
| Minor Parties | 9 | 1 | 10 | 0.13% | |
| Total | 7,663 | 229 | 7,892 | 100% | |
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