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Farmington is a town located in Hartford County in central Connecticut. The population was 23,641 at the 2000 census. It is home to Carrier Corporation, Otis Elevator Company, and Carvel. An affluent suburb of Hartford, Farmington was listed as one of the "preppiest" places in the United States in the 1980s best-seller The Official Preppy Handbook.

History

Seventeenth and Eighteenth centuries

Farmington was originally inhabited by the Tunxis Indian tribe. In 1640 a white settlement was established by residents of Hartford, making it the oldest inland settlement West of the Connecticut River and one of the oldest communities in the state. They found the area ideal for settling because of its rich soil, location along the floodplain of the Farmington River, and valley geography.

The town and river were given their present names in 1645, which is considered the incorporation year of the town. The boundaries were later enlarged several times, making the town by far the largest in the Connecticut Colony. It has been called the "mother of towns" because its area has been divided to produce nine central Connecticut communities. Farmington's northwest corner, Unionville, was once home to many factories harnessing the water power of the Farmington River.

Located in the picturesque Farmington Valley, Farmington is steeped in history. Main Street, in the historic village section, is lined with colonial estates, some dating back to the 17th century. At one point, during the Revolutionary War, George Washington passed through Farmington calling it, "the village of pretty houses."

Nineteenth century

Many Farmington residents were firm abolitionists and were active in aiding escaped slaves. Several homes in the town were safe houses on the underground railroad, in fact the town was such a hub that it became known as "Grand Central Station" among escaped slaves and their "guides."

Furthermore, Farmington played an important role in the famous Amistad slaveship trial. In 1841, 38 Mendi Africans and Cinque, the leader of the Amistad revolt, were housed and educated in Farmington, because the U.S. government refused to provide for their return to Africa following the trial. The Mendi were educated in English and Christianity while funds were raised by residents for their return to Africa.

The Farmington Canal, a minor canal connecting New Haven with Northampton, Massachusetts, passed through the Farmington on the eastern bank of the river and was operated intermittently between 1828 and 1848. While never a commercial success, the canal's right of way and towpath was eventually used for a railroad, portions of which were used even up to the 1990s. Much of the towpath and the railroad bed has now been converted to a cycling and running trail running from New Haven to Northamption, Massachusetts.

On the National Register of Historic Places

• Austin F. Williams Carriagehouse and House — 127 Main Street (added September 5, 1998)
• Farmington Historic District — Porter and Mountain Rds., Main and Garden Sts., Hatter's and Hillstead Lanes, and Farmington Ave. (added April 17, 1972)
• First Church of Christ — 75 Main St. (added June 15, 1975)
• Gen. George Cowles House — 130 Main St. (added June 11, 1982)
• Gridley-Parsons-Staples Homestead — 1554 Farmington Ave. (added August 30, 1981)
• Hill-Stead — 35 Mountain Rd. (added August 17, 1991)
• Pequabuck Bridge — Meadow Rd. at Pequabuck River (added August 19, 1984)
• Shade Swamp Shelter — US 6 E of New Britain Ave. (added October 4, 1986)
• Stanley-Whitman House — 37 High St. (added November 15, 1966)
• West End Library — 15 School St. (added May 25, 2000)
• The Timothy F. Leavitt residence — 3 Deepwood Rd. Farmington, CT (added July 8th 1684)

Important institutions in town

Just above the village, off Mountain Road, lies the Hill-Stead museum. The estate, completed in 1901 and designed by Theodate Pope Riddle, one of the first woman American architects, and is known for its colonial revival architecture. Now a museum, its 19 rooms hold a nationally-recognized collection of Impressionist paintings by such masters as Manet, Monet, Whistler, Degas and Cassatt. It is also the sight of the annual Sunken Garden Poetry Festival and is a National Historic Landmark.

Miss Porter's School, an exclusive college preparatory school for girls, is in Farmington. The school, whose buildings occupy much of the village center, is a significant historic and cultural institution in its own right. Founded in 1843 by educational reformer Sarah Porter, Miss Porter’s has long been one of the most selective preparatory schools for girls in the country. Famous alumni include Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Lilly Pulitzer and members of the Bush, Vanderbilt, and Rockefeller families.

The town is also home to the University of Connecticut Health Center, where over 4,000 people work. The Health Center also houses John Dempsey Hospital. The hospital provides the only full-service emergency department in the Farmington Valley and a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), one of only two in Connecticut.

Development issues

Many residents have repeatedly fought proposals by the state to widen Route 4, a main thoroughfare linking northwestern Connecticut to I-84, fearing that such a move would compromise the character and integrity of the town. Farmington's real estate values are among the highest in the region.

Education

Students have access to public schools that are consistently ranked among the best in the nation, in 2005 Farmington High School was the highest ranked public school in Connecticut according to Newsweek.

Students at Farmington Highs School are also some of the most clever and cunning of those in the Hartford metropolitan area. Students are notorious for their manipulations of family members, law enforcement and maybe most famously neighbors. Farmington students are also known for their large parties that often include alcoholic beverages.

Notable people

The rap artist 50 Cent purchased a home in Farmington in 2004. At 56,000 square feet (5,200 m²), it is estimated to be the largest private residence in Connecticut. The move was highlighted in a New York Times article which poked fun at the idea of a rap star living in Farmington's "madras midst", describing Farmington as, "a town where bling is restricted to a strand of pearls and the rim-spinning Escalade is trumped by the scratched Mercedes with a faded beach sticker." The mansion formerly belonged to heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson but was originally built by one of the brokers of the now defunct Colonial Realty company and financed by illegal funding.

Suzy Whaley, the first female golfer to qualify for a PGA event, resides in the posh Devonwood subdivision. New England Patriots football player Tebucky Jones also maintains a home in Farmington.

Oliver Wolcott, second secretary of the U.S. Treasury Department and signer of the Declaration of Independence died in town.

Historical populations

Sources: Interactive Connecticut State Register & Manual and U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 74.5 km² (28.8 mi²). 72.7 km² (28.1 mi²) of it is land and 1.9 km² (0.7 mi²) of it (2.50%) is water.

Farmington borders the towns of Avon, Burlington, Canton, Newington, West Hartford, and Plainville, and the cities of New Britain and Bristol.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 23,641 people, 9,496 households, and 6,333 families residing in the town. The population density was 325.3/km² (842.6/mi²). There were 9,854 housing units at an average density of 135.6/km² (351.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 92.91% White, 1.55% African American, 0.12% Native American, 3.72% Asian, 0.59% from other races, and 1.11% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.19% of the population.

There were 9,496 households out of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.3% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.3% were non-families. 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the town, the population was spread out with 24.4% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 90.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $67,073, and the median income for a family was $85,396. Males had a median income of $57,113 versus $39,156 for females. The per capita income for the town was $39,102. About 2.8% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Interstate 84 passes through the eastern edge of the town. The sprawling Westfarms mall is also located on this end of town. The mall houses anchor stores Nordstrom, Filene's, Lord and Taylor, and Macy's as well as a host of other retailers and restaurants. Farmington has recently passed a House Parties Law, which allows Police or Parents to legally walk into a private residence if they feel that there is suspicous beahvior and there is some need for intervention

See also

• Farmington High School
• Farmington Canal

References

1. "Registration and Party Enrollment Statistics as of October 25, 2005" (PDF). Connecticut Secretary of State. Retrieved 2006-10-02.

External links

• Town of Farmington
• Farmington Connecticut's Community Website
• New York Times - Village of Pretty Houses
• Central Regional Tourism District
• Farmington Chamber of Commerce

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