Weston, Connecticut

Weston, Connecticut
—  Town  —
The Onion Barn, where community bulletins are posted
Seal
Location in Fairfield County, Connecticut
Coordinates:
Country	United States
State	Connecticut
NECTA	Bridgeport-Stamford
Region	South Western Region
Incorporated	1787
Split	1845
Government
• Type	Selectman-town meeting
• First selectman	Gayle M. Weinstein
• Town administrator	Tom Landry
Area
• Total	20.7 sq mi (53.6 km2)
• Land	19.8 sq mi (51.3 km2)
• Water	0.9 sq mi (2.4 km2)
Elevation	315 ft (96 m)
Population (2010)[1]
• Total	10,179
• Density	491.7/sq mi (189.9/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code	06883
Area code(s)	203, 475
FIPS code	09-83430
GNIS feature ID	0213531
Website	http://www.weston-ct.com/

Weston is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut. The population was 10,179 at the 2010 census.^[1] The town is served by Route 57 and Route 53, both of which run through the town center. About 19% of the town's workforce commutes to New York City, about 45 miles (72 km) to the southwest.^[2]

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, at US$185,377.^[3] Weston's ZIP code (06883) was identified in 2005 as the sixth most affluent area in the U.S.^[4]

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.^[5] Most of Devil's Den Preserve, a 1,746-acre (707 ha) nature reserve, which gets 40,000 visits a year, is located in the town.

Contents 1 History 2 Geography 2.1 Principal communities 3 Demographics 4 Government 5 Budget and taxes 6 On the National Register of Historic Places 7 Education 8 Parks 9 Notable residents 10 References 11 External links

History

In the early 18th century, Weston's first English settlers were mostly farmers living in the town of Fairfield, Connecticut, 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. In 1845, North Fairfield was split into two towns, creating Westfield.^[6]

A meteor exploded above the town December 14, 1807.^[7] Six pieces, totaling 28 pounds (13 kg), were recovered and examined by scientists, who issued a report. This was the first time that people realized the nature of meteors.^[8][9]

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.^[10]

Unlike other nearby towns, Weston never had a railroad built through it, which stifled the development of non-agricultural businesses. Between the Civil War and the Great Depression, 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, which arrived to the south of Weston in 1938, resulted in further population growth.^[10]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 20.7 square miles (54 km²), of which 19.8 square miles (51 km²) is land and 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²), or 4.39%, is water.

The Saugatuck River begins to the north in Redding. It flows through the town and ends in Long Island Sound in neighboring Westport.

Weston is bordered by Westport to the south, Wilton to the west, Redding to the north, Easton to the east, and Fairfield to the southeast.

Principal communities

• Georgetown (part)
• Lyons Plains
• Weston Center (Norfield Historic District)
• Aspetuck

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

Demographics

As of the census^[11] of 2000, there were 10,037 people, 3,312 households, and 2,811 families residing in the town. The population density 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, 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 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 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, and elective and appointive boards. First among the elective boards is the Board of Selectmen. 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.^[12]

Budget and taxes

For the fiscal year of 2011-2012, the Town of Weston’s net budget was $61,544,303.^[13] 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.^[14]

On the National Register of Historic Places

• Bradley Edge Tool Company Historic District — Roughly, Lyons Plains Road, north and south of the junction with White Birch Road (added December 22, 1995)
• Kettle Creek Historic District — Roughly, Weston and Old Weston Roads, north of Broad Street (added December 22, 1995)
• Norfield Historic District — 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,^[15] 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.^[16] 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 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.^[17]

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,^[18] including:

• Devil’s Den Preserve, with a wide variety of flora and fauna, and with a 20-mile (32 km) trail system that connects with the extended 70-mile (110 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;^[19]
• Morehouse Farm Park, with eight, partially overlapping ball fields;^[20]
• Sixteen preserves of the Aspetuck Land Trust, for a total of 645 acres (2.61 km²), scattered all around town;^[21]
• Katherine Ordway Preserve, with 62 acres (250,000 m²) of woodland, three miles (5 km) of trails and an arboretum;^[22]
• Keene Park, with 6 acres (24,000 m²), along the each branch of the Saugatuck River;^[22]
• Open land around the Saugatuck Reservoir, with trails and opportunities for fishing.^[23]

Notable residents

Historical population of Weston[1][24]
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 (1904–1983), choreographer and influential figure in ballet^[10]
• Paul Cadmus (1904–1999), painter^[25]
• Frank Converse (born 1938), actor^[10]
• Rodney Dangerfield (1921–2004), comedian^[6]
• Bette Davis (1908–1989), actress^[6]
• Jose Feliciano (born 1945), singer and songwriter^[26]
• Seth Grahame-Smith (born 1976), author, film and television producer, grew up in town
• John Marshall Harlan II (1899–1971), Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, summered in Weston, buried in Weston's Emmanuel churchyard^[27]
• Mariette Hartley (born 1940), actress, native of Weston^[28]
• Evan Hunter (1926–2005), author who wrote under the pen name "Ed McBain"^[29]
• Erica Jong (born 1942), author^[6]
• Eartha Kitt (1927–2008), entertainer, moved to town in 2002^[30]
• Lawrence Langner (1890–1962), playwright, author, and producer. Lived on what is now called Langner Lane.^[31]
• Eva Le Gallienne (1899–1991), actress ^[10]
• Brent Musburger (born 1939), sportscaster^[6]
• James Naughton (born 1945), actor^[32]
• Katherine Ordway (1899–1979), 3M heiress, philanthropist, supporter of land conservation, funded the purchase of part of Devil's Den^[33]
• Christopher Plummer (born 1929), actor^[34]
• Paul Rand (1914–1996), graphic designer^[35]
• Robert Redford (born 1936), actor, had a home in town^[36]
• Fritz Reiner (1888–1963), conductor of the New York Philharmonic, the Metropolitan Opera, and other notable orchestras. Lived on Davis Hill beginning in 1938.^[37]
• Keith Richards (born 1943), musician, member of The Rolling Stones ^[38]
• John Seigenthaler, Jr. (born 1955), former NBC News weekend anchor.^[39]
• James Thurber (1894–1961), writer^[10]

References

External links

• Town of Weston official website
• School district

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Municipalities and communities of Fairfield County, Connecticut, USA Cities Bridgeport Danbury Norwalk Shelton Stamford Towns Bethel Brookfield Darien Easton Fairfield Greenwich Monroe New Canaan New Fairfield Newtown Redding Ridgefield Sherman Stratford Trumbull Weston Westport Wilton Borough Newtown Other communities Aspetuck Botsford Black Rock Branchville Byram Cannondale Compo Cos Cob Cranbury East Norwalk Georgetown Glenbrook Glenville Greenfield Hill Greens Farms Hattertown Hawleyville Huntington Center Long Hill Long Ridge Lordship Mianus Nichols Old Greenwich Riverside Round Hill Rowayton Sandy Hook Silvermine South Norwalk Southport Stepney Springdale