Avon, Connecticut
Encyclopedia
Avon is a town in the Farmington Valley
region of Hartford County
, Connecticut
, United States
. , the town had a population of 18,098.
Avon is a suburb
of Hartford
. Avon Old Farms School, a prestigious boarding school
, is located there. In 2005, Avon was named the third-safest town in America
by Money Magazine
. It is home to the Pine Grove School House
, which was built in 1865 and remains open today as a museum.
Avon is home to Avon High School
; as well as two elementary schools, Pine Grove Elementary and Roaring Brook Elementary; an intermediate (grades 5-6) school, Thompson Brook; and a middle school
(grades 7-8), Avon Middle School.
One of the worst traffic accidents in Connecticut history occurred at the intersection of US 44 and Route 10 at the foot of Avon Mountain. This occurred on July 29, 2005 when a runaway dump truck plowed into many stopped vehicles, causing four deaths. Governor M. Jodi Rell
has since proposed safety improvements for this road A second, nonfatal crash occurred at the same location on September 7, 2007 when a runaway truck crashed into Nassau's Furniture store http://www.rep-am.com/articles/2007/09/07/news/282910.txt. Since these accidents, a run-away truck ramp has been built to avoid future fatalities.
, the town has a total area of 23.5 square miles (60.9 km²), of which 23.1 sq m (59.9 km²) is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km² or 1.70%) is water.
The East side of Avon is flanked by Talcott Mountain
, part of the Metacomet Ridge
, a mountainous trap rock
ridgeline that stretches from Long Island Sound
to near the Vermont
border. Talcott Mountain is a popular outdoor recreation resource notable for its towering western cliff faces. The 51 miles (82.1 km) Metacomet Trail
traverses the Talcott Mountain ridge.
but was sold to the Puritans in a land charter granted by the Duke of York
in 1830. Avon was originally called Northington (the north parish) before it broke off from Farmington. According to the Avon Historical Society, Avon's independence was rooted in the need for a church that was more accessible to the growing town's population than the Congregational Church in Farmington. The town eventually commissioned someone to come north from the Yale Divinity School
to found the first church.
The library is a member of Library Connection, Inc., the cooperative regional automated circulation and online catalog database system, CONNECT, to which 33 libraries belong. Through this system, over 4 million volumes are available through interlibrary loan, the statewide reciprocal borrowing arrangement which encompasses over 160 libraries.
between Avon and West Hartford, is known for the climb of U.S. Route 44
. As the most direct path to Hartford from much of the Farmington Valley
and Litchfield County, rush hour on the mountain is notoriously dangerous. In recent years, two particular car accidents at the intersection of Route 44, Waterville Road and Nod Road have prompted the State of Connecticut to modify Route 44. Changes include the addition of a runaway truck ramp just above the Avon Old Farms Inn and the straightening and widening of the road on the western slope of the mountain. The accidents and the reconstruction of the road have been heavily covered by local media including the Hartford Courant.
Summarizing the accidents:
In July 2005, the driver of a truck lost control of his brakes and swerved to avoid traffic waiting in his lane at the stoplight. On the eastbound side of the road, the truck then collided with rush hour traffic waiting at the light. Four people, including the driver of the truck, perished in the crash.
In 2007, the driver of a truck lost control. The truck, traveling westbound on U.S. Route 44 at Route 10, crashed into the Nassau Furniture building at about 11 a.m., taking out a column that supports the roof of the building. No major injuries resulted from the crash.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 15,832 people, 6,192 households, and 4,483 families residing in the town. The population density
was 684.8 people per square mile (264.4/km²). There were 6,480 housing units at an average density of 280.3 per square mile (108.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.93% White, 0.98% African American, 0.05% Native American, 2.96% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.28% from other races
, and 0.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.57% of the population.
There were 6,192 households, out of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.8% were married couples
living together, 4.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.6% were non-families. 23.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the town, the population was spread out with 26.1% under the age of 18, 3.3% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 29.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $90,934, and the median income for a family was $109,161. Males had a median income of $76,882 versus $44,848 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $51,706. About 0.9% of families and 1.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.2% of those under age 18 and 1.9% of those age 65 or over.
Sources: Interactive Connecticut State Register & Manual and U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division
Farmington Valley
The Farmington Valley is located west of Hartford, Connecticut in Hartford and Litchfield Counties. It is defined by the Farmington River, which runs through it....
region of Hartford County
Hartford County, Connecticut
Hartford County is a county located in the north central part of the US state of Connecticut. The 2010 Census records show that the county population is at 894,014 making it the second most populated county in Connecticut....
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. , the town had a population of 18,098.
Avon is a suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of Hartford
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
. Avon Old Farms School, a prestigious boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
, is located there. In 2005, Avon was named the third-safest town in America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by Money Magazine
Money Magazine
Money Magazine is a business news and financial programme that is broadcast on Sundays at 7:00pm in Hong Kong by television channel TVB Pearl.-Producers and reporters:...
. It is home to the Pine Grove School House
Pine Grove School House
The Pine Grove School House is a one room schoolhouse in the town of Avon, Connecticut, in the United States. It was built in 1865 and was originally named Schoolhouse # 7 as it was the school in the 7th town district at the time...
, which was built in 1865 and remains open today as a museum.
Avon is home to Avon High School
Avon High School (Connecticut)
Avon High School is a high school in Avon, Connecticut, United States serving grades 9–12. As one of the 5 schools in the Avon Public School system, its only feeder school is Avon Middle School. The student population is about 1200, but projections see huge increases for future enrollment. ...
; as well as two elementary schools, Pine Grove Elementary and Roaring Brook Elementary; an intermediate (grades 5-6) school, Thompson Brook; and a middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
(grades 7-8), Avon Middle School.
One of the worst traffic accidents in Connecticut history occurred at the intersection of US 44 and Route 10 at the foot of Avon Mountain. This occurred on July 29, 2005 when a runaway dump truck plowed into many stopped vehicles, causing four deaths. Governor M. Jodi Rell
M. Jodi Rell
Mary Jodi Rell is a Republican politician and was the 87th Governor of the U.S. state of Connecticut from 2004 until 2011. She was the Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut under Governor John G. Rowland, who resigned during a corruption investigation. Rell is Connecticut's second female Governor,...
has since proposed safety improvements for this road A second, nonfatal crash occurred at the same location on September 7, 2007 when a runaway truck crashed into Nassau's Furniture store http://www.rep-am.com/articles/2007/09/07/news/282910.txt. Since these accidents, a run-away truck ramp has been built to avoid future fatalities.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited 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 23.5 square miles (60.9 km²), of which 23.1 sq m (59.9 km²) is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km² or 1.70%) is water.
The East side of Avon is flanked by Talcott Mountain
Talcott Mountain
Talcott Montain of central Connecticut, with a high point of , is a long trap rock mountain ridge located west of the city of Hartford. The ridge, a prominent landscape feature, forms a continuous line of exposed western cliffs visible across the Farmington River valley from Farmington to Simsbury...
, part of the Metacomet Ridge
Metacomet Ridge
The Metacomet Ridge, Metacomet Ridge Mountains, or Metacomet Range of southern New England, United States, is a narrow and steep fault-block mountain ridge known for its extensive cliff faces, scenic vistas, microclimate ecosystems, and communities of plants considered rare or endangered...
, a mountainous trap rock
Trap rock
Trap rock is a form of igneous rock that tends to form polygonal vertical fractures, most typically hexagonal, but also four to eight sided. The fracture pattern forms when magma of suitable chemical composition intrudes as a sill or extrudes as a thick lava flow, and slowly cools.Because of the...
ridgeline that stretches from 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...
to near the Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
border. Talcott Mountain is a popular outdoor recreation resource notable for its towering western cliff faces. The 51 miles (82.1 km) Metacomet Trail
Metacomet Trail
The Metacomet Trail is a Blue-Blazed hiking trail that traverses the Metacomet Ridge of central Connecticut and is a part of the newly designated New England National Scenic Trail. Despite being easily accessible and close to large population centers, the trail is considered remarkably rugged and...
traverses the Talcott Mountain ridge.
History
Avon was settled in 1645 and was originally a part of FarmingtonFarmington, Connecticut
Farmington is a town located in Hartford County in the Farmington Valley area of central Connecticut in the United States. The population was 25,340 at the 2010 census. It is home to the world headquarters of several large corporations including Carrier Corporation, Otis Elevator Company, and Carvel...
but was sold to the Puritans in a land charter granted by the Duke of York
Duke of York
The Duke of York is a title of nobility in the British peerage. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, usually been given to the second son of the British monarch. The title has been created a remarkable eleven times, eight as "Duke of York" and three as the double-barreled "Duke of York and...
in 1830. Avon was originally called Northington (the north parish) before it broke off from Farmington. According to the Avon Historical Society, Avon's independence was rooted in the need for a church that was more accessible to the growing town's population than the Congregational Church in Farmington. The town eventually commissioned someone to come north from the Yale Divinity School
Yale Divinity School
Yale Divinity School is a professional school at Yale University, in New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. preparing students for ordained or lay ministry, or for the academy...
to found the first church.
Public library
The Avon Free Public Library can be traced back to 1791 when Rev. Rufus Hawley started collecting money from residents to purchase books for a community library. In 1798, Samuel Bishop, a prominent citizen, began offering library services within his home with a collection of 111 titles.The library is a member of Library Connection, Inc., the cooperative regional automated circulation and online catalog database system, CONNECT, to which 33 libraries belong. Through this system, over 4 million volumes are available through interlibrary loan, the statewide reciprocal borrowing arrangement which encompasses over 160 libraries.
Notable locations
- Avon Congregational ChurchAvon Congregational ChurchAvon Congregational Church is a Congregational Church building at the junction of U.S. 202 and U.S. 44 in Avon, Connecticut.It was designed by architect David Hoadley and was built in 1819...
built in 1819 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
Properties owned by the Avon Historical Society
- Derrin House – 18th-century farmhouse
- Living MuseumLiving museumA living museum is a type of museum, in which historical events showing the life in ancient times are performed, especially in ethnographic or historical views, or processes for producing a commercial product in terms of technical and technological developments are shown, especially the craft...
– former schoolhouse - Pine Grove School HousePine Grove School HouseThe Pine Grove School House is a one room schoolhouse in the town of Avon, Connecticut, in the United States. It was built in 1865 and was originally named Schoolhouse # 7 as it was the school in the 7th town district at the time...
– former schoolhouse
Avon Mountain traffic accidents
Avon Mountain, the section of Talcott MountainTalcott Mountain
Talcott Montain of central Connecticut, with a high point of , is a long trap rock mountain ridge located west of the city of Hartford. The ridge, a prominent landscape feature, forms a continuous line of exposed western cliffs visible across the Farmington River valley from Farmington to Simsbury...
between Avon and West Hartford, is known for the climb of U.S. Route 44
U.S. Route 44
U.S. Route 44 is an east–west United States highway that runs for 237 miles through four states in the Northeastern region of the United States. The western terminus is at U.S. Route 209 and New York State Route 55 in Kerhonkson, a hamlet in the Hudson Valley region of New York...
. As the most direct path to Hartford from much of the Farmington Valley
Farmington Valley
The Farmington Valley is located west of Hartford, Connecticut in Hartford and Litchfield Counties. It is defined by the Farmington River, which runs through it....
and Litchfield County, rush hour on the mountain is notoriously dangerous. In recent years, two particular car accidents at the intersection of Route 44, Waterville Road and Nod Road have prompted the State of Connecticut to modify Route 44. Changes include the addition of a runaway truck ramp just above the Avon Old Farms Inn and the straightening and widening of the road on the western slope of the mountain. The accidents and the reconstruction of the road have been heavily covered by local media including the Hartford Courant.
Summarizing the accidents:
In July 2005, the driver of a truck lost control of his brakes and swerved to avoid traffic waiting in his lane at the stoplight. On the eastbound side of the road, the truck then collided with rush hour traffic waiting at the light. Four people, including the driver of the truck, perished in the crash.
In 2007, the driver of a truck lost control. The truck, traveling westbound on U.S. Route 44 at Route 10, crashed into the Nassau Furniture building at about 11 a.m., taking out a column that supports the roof of the building. No major injuries resulted from the crash.
Demographics
As of 2010 Avon had a population of 18,098. The racial composition of the population was 89.8% white, 1.5% black or African American, 6.3% Asian, 0.7% from other races and 1.7% from two or more races. 3.4% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.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 15,832 people, 6,192 households, and 4,483 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 684.8 people per square mile (264.4/km²). There were 6,480 housing units at an average density of 280.3 per square mile (108.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.93% White, 0.98% African American, 0.05% Native American, 2.96% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.28% 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 0.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.57% of the population.
There were 6,192 households, out of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.8% 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, 4.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.6% were non-families. 23.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the town, the population was spread out with 26.1% under the age of 18, 3.3% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 29.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $90,934, and the median income for a family was $109,161. Males had a median income of $76,882 versus $44,848 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 $51,706. About 0.9% of families and 1.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.2% of those under age 18 and 1.9% of those age 65 or over.
| Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 25, 2005 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Active Voters | Inactive Voters | Total Voters | Percentage |
Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
3,956 | 187 | 4,143 | 35.11% |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
2,655 | 100 | 2,755 | 23.35% |
Unaffiliated | 4,639 | 251 | 4,890 | 41.44% |
Minor Parties | 10 | 1 | 11 | 0.09% | |
| Total | 11,260 | 539 | 11,799 | 100% | |||||||||||||||||||||
Historical populations
| 1830 | 1,025 |
| 1840 | 1,001 |
| 1850 | 995 |
| 1860 | 1,059 |
| 1870 | 987 |
| 1880 | 1,057 |
| 1890 | 1,182 |
| 1900 | 1,302 |
| 1910 | 1,337 |
| 1920 | 1,534 |
| 1930 | 1,738 |
| 1940 | 2,258 |
| 1950 | 3,171 |
| 1960 | 5,273 |
| 1970 | 8,352 |
| 1980 | 11,201 |
| 1990 | 13,937 |
| 2000 | 15,832 |
| 2010 | 18,098 |
Sources: Interactive Connecticut State Register & Manual and U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division