Easton, Connecticut
Encyclopedia
Easton is a town
in Fairfield County
, Connecticut
, United States
. The population was 7,490 at the 2010 census. Easton contains the historic district of Aspetuck.
The town is a small rural community situated amongst Redding
, Monroe
, Trumbull
, Fairfield
, Weston
, and Newtown
.
, the town has a total area of 28.6 square miles (74.1 km²), of which 27.4 square miles (71 km²) is land and 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²), or 4.23%, is water. The city has three named sections/neighborghoods: Easton center, Aspetuck
, and Plattsville.
, and so it was not until 1845 that Easton was incorporated from Weston. Today, while close to the New York metropolitan area, Easton remains a quiet and even rural residential town. Half of the town's property is owned by the Aquarion Water Company of Connecticut, the major supplier of water in the area.
On June 1, 1968, the deaf and blind activist Helen Keller
died at the age of 87 in her Easton home, where she chose to spend her final days. Her house is still intact today and has been owned by several families since her death.
The 2009 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
was a 76 feet (23.2 m) Norway Spruce
donated from a private residence in Easton.
season, visitors can choose and cut their own tree
, or they can buy a pre-cut tree. Pre-cut trees are up to 12 feet (3.7 m) tall, while trees to select and cut may be up to 9 feet (2.7 m) tall. Maple Row Tree Farm grows eight different types of trees, including Balsam Fir
, Canaan Fir, Colorado Blue Spruce, Concolor Fir, Douglas-fir
, Eastern White Pine
, Fraser Fir
, Norway Spruce
and White Spruce
.
Silverman’s Farm is located at 451 Sport Hill Road. The farm was started in the 1920s by Ben Silverman. During the 1970s and 1980s Silverman’s became a pick your own fruit farm. In 2004 the apple cider
mill was closed due to changes in the pressing standards. Today apple cider is sold at Silverman’s Farm Market, but it is not made on the premises. Silverman’s has a petting farm which includes buffalo, llamas, sheep, pigs, goats, fallow deer
, donkeys, emu, and other animals. The farm also has tractor rides, an orchard, a farm market and a florist.
of 2000, there were 7,272 people, 2,465 households, and 2,077 families residing in the town. The population density
was 265.2 people per square mile (102.4/km²). There were 2,511 housing units at an average density of 91.6 per square mile (35.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.74% White, 0.22% African American, 0.04% Native American, 2.02% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.41% from other races
, and 0.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.76% of the population.
There were 2,465 households out of which 42.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 75.8% were married couples
living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.7% were non-families. 12.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.95 and the average family size was 3.23.
In the town the population was spread out with 28.6% under the age of 18, 3.6% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 27.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $125,557, and the median income for a family was $135,055. Males had a median income of $85,777 versus $51,528 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $53,885. About 1.9% of families and 2.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.0% of those under age 18 and 1.0% of those age 65 or over.
bridge in Easton, which carries more than 10,000 cars and trucks every day over the Mill River, has a substructure rated in critical condition by state safety inspectors. As of early August 2007, the bridge was one of 12 in the southwestern part of the state (including New Haven
) with safety inspection ratings so low they are considered to be in critical condition. The ratings for these bridges were worse than the I-35W Mississippi River bridge in Minneapolis, which collapsed during rush hour on August 1, 2007.
in Redding.
New England town
The New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. Without a direct counterpart in most other U.S. states, New England towns are conceptually similar to civil townships in other states, but are incorporated, possessing powers like cities in other...
in Fairfield County
Fairfield County, Connecticut
Fairfield County is a county located in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The county population is 916,829 according to the 2010 Census. There are currently 1,465 people per square mile in the county. It is the most populous county in the State of Connecticut and contains...
, 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 population was 7,490 at the 2010 census. Easton contains the historic district of Aspetuck.
The town is a small rural community situated amongst Redding
Redding, Connecticut
Mark Twain, a resident of the town in his old age, contributed the first books for a public library which was eventually named after him.-Government:...
, Monroe
Monroe, Connecticut
Monroe is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 19,479 at the 2010 census. The current first selectman is Steve Vavrek....
, Trumbull
Trumbull, Connecticut
Trumbull, a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut in the New England region of the United States, is bordered by the towns of Monroe, Shelton, Stratford, Bridgeport, Fairfield and Easton along Connecticut's Gold Coast. The population was 36,018 according to the 2010 census.Family Circle magazine...
, Fairfield
Fairfield, Connecticut
Fairfield is a town located in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is bordered by the towns of Bridgeport, Trumbull, Easton, Redding and Westport along the Gold Coast of Connecticut. As of the 2010 census, the town had a population of 59,404...
, Weston
Weston, Connecticut
Weston is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut. The population was 10,179 at the 2010 census. 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 to the southwest.Like many towns in...
, and Newtown
Newtown, Connecticut
Newtown is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 27,560 at the 2010 census. Newtown was founded in 1705 and incorporated in 1711.-Government:...
.
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 28.6 square miles (74.1 km²), of which 27.4 square miles (71 km²) is land and 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²), or 4.23%, is water. The city has three named sections/neighborghoods: Easton center, Aspetuck
Aspetuck
Aspetuck is a village, which in Connecticut is an unincorporated community on the Aspetuck River, in Fairfield County, Connecticut, mostly in the town of Easton but extending also into Weston....
, and Plattsville.
History
Easton was first settled in 1757 by men from Fairfield. In 1762 a congregation called the North Fairfield Society was established, and it gradually evolved into Easton. In 1787 Weston, then including lands now defined as Easton, was incorporated from Fairfield. The area was slow to develop because of the rough hills along the Aspetuck RiverAspetuck River
The Aspetuck River is a river in the U.S. state of Connecticut. The river rises in the hills located in Huntington State Park in Bethel, with a watershed of approximately . The river flows generally southerly through Redding, Connecticut to the Aspetuck Reservoir, the Hemlock Reservoir in Easton...
, and so it was not until 1845 that Easton was incorporated from Weston. Today, while close to the New York metropolitan area, Easton remains a quiet and even rural residential town. Half of the town's property is owned by the Aquarion Water Company of Connecticut, the major supplier of water in the area.
On June 1, 1968, the deaf and blind activist Helen Keller
Helen Keller
Helen Adams Keller was an American author, political activist, and lecturer. She was the first deafblind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree....
died at the age of 87 in her Easton home, where she chose to spend her final days. Her house is still intact today and has been owned by several families since her death.
The 2009 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is a large Christmas tree placed annually in Rockefeller Center in mid-town Manhattan in New York City. The tree is erected and lit in late November or early December. In recent years, the lighting has been broadcast live nationwide on NBC's Christmas in...
was a 76 feet (23.2 m) Norway Spruce
Norway Spruce
Norway Spruce is a species of spruce native to Europe. It is also commonly referred to as the European Spruce.- Description :...
donated from a private residence in Easton.
On the National Register of Historic Places
| Historical population of Eastonhttp://www.sots.ct.gov/RegisterManual/SectionVII/SecVIITOC.htm |
|
| 1850 | 1,432 |
| 1860 | 1,350 |
| 1870 | 1,288 |
| 1880 | 1,145 |
| 1890 | 1,001 |
| 1900 | 960 |
| 1910 | 1,052 |
| 1920 | 1,017 |
| 1930 | 1,013 |
| 1940 | 1,262 |
| 1950 | 2,165 |
| 1960 | 3,404 |
| 1970 | 4,885 |
| 1980 | 5,962 |
| 1990 | 6,303 |
| 2000 | 7,272 |
| 2010 | 7,490 |
- Aspetuck Historic District — Roughly, Redding Rd. from jct. with Old Redding Rd. to Wells Hill Rd. and Old Redding Rd. N past Aspetuck R. (added September 23, 1991)
- Bradley-Hubbell HouseBradley-Hubbell HouseThe Bradley-Hubbell House is an historic house located at 535 Black Rock Turnpike in Easton, Connecticut. Built in 1816 for Aljah and Elizabeth Bradley, it is a Colonial with a traditional center-chimney plan and a few Federal-style ornaments, including oval windows in the gables, a parlor mantel,...
— 535 Black Rock Turnpike (added April 18, 2003) - Ida Tarbell HouseIda Tarbell HouseIda Tarbell House in Easton, Connecticut, is a farmhouse that was the home of muckraker journalist Ida Tarbell. She purchased the property in 1906 with proceeds from her two-volume book on the Standard Oil Company and lived in the home, which she called "Twin Oaks," until her death in 1944...
— 320 Valley Rd. (added May 19, 1993)
Working farms
Maple Row Tree Farm is located at 539 North Park Avenue. It was started in the mid 1950s. During the 1700s it was a dairy farm owned and run by the Edwards family. The farm is over 200 acres (80.9 ha) in size, and the Edwards family continues to own and operate the farm. During the ChristmasChristmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
season, visitors can choose and cut their own tree
Christmas tree
The Christmas tree is a decorated evergreen coniferous tree, real or artificial, and a tradition associated with the celebration of Christmas. The tradition of decorating an evergreen tree at Christmas started in Livonia and Germany in the 16th century...
, or they can buy a pre-cut tree. Pre-cut trees are up to 12 feet (3.7 m) tall, while trees to select and cut may be up to 9 feet (2.7 m) tall. Maple Row Tree Farm grows eight different types of trees, including Balsam Fir
Balsam Fir
The balsam fir is a North American fir, native to most of eastern and central Canada and the northeastern United States .-Growth:It is a small to medium-size evergreen tree typically tall, rarely to tall, with a narrow conic crown...
, Canaan Fir, Colorado Blue Spruce, Concolor Fir, Douglas-fir
Douglas-fir
Douglas-fir is one of the English common names for evergreen coniferous trees of the genus Pseudotsuga in the family Pinaceae. Other common names include Douglas tree, and Oregon pine. There are five species, two in western North America, one in Mexico, and two in eastern Asia...
, Eastern White Pine
Eastern White Pine
Pinus strobus, commonly known as the eastern white pine, is a large pine native to eastern North America, occurring from Newfoundland west to Minnesota and southeastern Manitoba, and south along the Appalachian Mountains to the northern edge of Georgia.It is occasionally known as simply white pine,...
, Fraser Fir
Fraser Fir
Abies fraseri is a species of fir native to the mountains of the eastern United States. It is closely related to Abies balsamea , of which it has occasionally been treated as a subspecies or a variety Abies fraseri (Fraser fir) is a species of fir native to the mountains of the eastern United...
, Norway Spruce
Norway Spruce
Norway Spruce is a species of spruce native to Europe. It is also commonly referred to as the European Spruce.- Description :...
and White Spruce
White Spruce
Picea glauca is a species of spruce native to boreal forests in the north of North America, from central Alaska east to Newfoundland, and south to northern Montana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, upstate New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine; there is also an isolated population in the...
.
Silverman’s Farm is located at 451 Sport Hill Road. The farm was started in the 1920s by Ben Silverman. During the 1970s and 1980s Silverman’s became a pick your own fruit farm. In 2004 the apple cider
Apple cider
Apple cider is the name used in the United States and parts of Canada for an unfiltered, unsweetened, non-alcoholic beverage made from apples...
mill was closed due to changes in the pressing standards. Today apple cider is sold at Silverman’s Farm Market, but it is not made on the premises. Silverman’s has a petting farm which includes buffalo, llamas, sheep, pigs, goats, fallow deer
Fallow Deer
The Fallow Deer is a ruminant mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. This common species is native to western Eurasia, but has been introduced widely elsewhere. It often includes the rarer Persian Fallow Deer as a subspecies , while others treat it as an entirely different species The Fallow...
, donkeys, emu, and other animals. The farm also has tractor rides, an orchard, a farm market and a florist.
Emergency medical services
Easton Volunteer EMS is located at 448 Sport Hill Road and offers the EMT-B certification course. The agency was established in 1946 and currently has two ambulances and a staff of two officers, two career techs and twenty nine volunteers.Fire department
The town of Easton is protected 24/7, 365, by the 8 professional firefighters of the Easton Fire Department(EFD). Founded in 1921, the Easton Fire Department is a combination professional/volunteer fire department that operates out of 1 Fire Station, located at 1 Center Rd. in the center of town, and also operate a fire apparatus fleet of 3 Engines, 1 Attack Engine, 1 Haz-Mat. Unit, 1 Brush Unit, and a Command Vehicle. The Easton Fire Department responds to approximately 100 emergency calls annually.Police department
The Easton Police Department (EPD) is located at 700 Morehouse Road. The department includes a K9 unit, D.A.R.E and an animal control unit. The Easton Police Explorer Post 2001 is an affiliated with the department. Easton Police are also first responders for all EMS calls in town. They are all certified MRT’s and can provide oxygen, perform basic first aid, and defibrillation.Demographics
As of the censusCensus
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 7,272 people, 2,465 households, and 2,077 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 265.2 people per square mile (102.4/km²). There were 2,511 housing units at an average density of 91.6 per square mile (35.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.74% White, 0.22% African American, 0.04% Native American, 2.02% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.41% 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 0.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.76% of the population.
There were 2,465 households out of which 42.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 75.8% 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, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.7% were non-families. 12.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.95 and the average family size was 3.23.
In the town the population was spread out with 28.6% under the age of 18, 3.6% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 27.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $125,557, and the median income for a family was $135,055. Males had a median income of $85,777 versus $51,528 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 $53,885. About 1.9% of families and 2.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.0% of those under age 18 and 1.0% 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... |
1,797 | 68 | 1,865 | 35.08% |
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... |
1,011 | 37 | 1,048 | 19.71% |
Unaffiliated | 2,307 | 87 | 2,394 | 45.03% |
Minor Parties | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0.17% | |
| Total | 5,124 | 192 | 5,316 | 100% | |||||||||||||||||||||
Bridge problems
The Route 59Connecticut Route 59
Route 59 is a north–south state highway in Connecticut, running from Bridgeport to Monroe. Between Bridgeport and Easton, Route 59 used to be the Stratfield and Weston Turnpike, which operated from 1797 to 1886...
bridge in Easton, which carries more than 10,000 cars and trucks every day over the Mill River, has a substructure rated in critical condition by state safety inspectors. As of early August 2007, the bridge was one of 12 in the southwestern part of the state (including New Haven
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
) with safety inspection ratings so low they are considered to be in critical condition. The ratings for these bridges were worse than the I-35W Mississippi River bridge in Minneapolis, which collapsed during rush hour on August 1, 2007.
Notable residents, past and present
- Anne BaxterAnne BaxterAnne Baxter was an American actress known for her performances in films such as The Magnificent Ambersons , The Razor's Edge , All About Eve and The Ten Commandments .-Early life:...
, a weekend resident. - Phoebe BrandPhoebe BrandPhoebe Brand was an American actress, who was blacklisted along with her husband, Morris Carnovsky, in the McCarthy era.-Early life:...
, blacklisted actress, married to Morris CarnovskyMorris CarnovskyMorris Carnovsky was an American stage and film actor born in St. Louis, Missouri. He worked briefly in the Yiddish theatre before attending Washington University in St. Louis...
, Group Theatre (New York). - Elise BroachElise BroachElise Broach is an author from Easton, Connecticut. Among Broach's publications are the acclaimed novels Shakespeare's Secret, Desert Crossing and Masterpiece...
, children's book author, is a current resident. - Morris CarnovskyMorris CarnovskyMorris Carnovsky was an American stage and film actor born in St. Louis, Missouri. He worked briefly in the Yiddish theatre before attending Washington University in St. Louis...
, blacklisted actor, Group Theatre (New York). - Hume CronynHume CronynHume Blake Cronyn, OC was a Canadian actor of stage and screen, who enjoyed a long career, often appearing professionally alongside his second wife, Jessica Tandy.-Early life:...
, actor and husband of Jessica Tandy - Edna FerberEdna FerberEdna Ferber was an American novelist, short story writer and playwright. Her novels were especially popular and included the Pulitzer Prize-winning So Big , Show Boat , and Giant .-Early years:Ferber was born August 15, 1885, in Kalamazoo, Michigan,...
, playwright and novelist, was a weekend resident. - Eileen FultonEileen FultonEileen Fulton is an American actress.Fulton is known for her role as Lisa Grimaldi on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns, a role that she played almost continuously for 50 years from May 18, 1960 until the show's cancellation on September 17, 2010.-As the...
was a resident. - Helen KellerHelen KellerHelen Adams Keller was an American author, political activist, and lecturer. She was the first deafblind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree....
, blind, deaf author, lived in town. The town middle school is named for her. - Dan RatherDan RatherDaniel Irvin "Dan" Rather, Jr. is an American journalist and the former news anchor for the CBS Evening News. He is now managing editor and anchor of the television news magazine Dan Rather Reports on the cable channel HDNet. Rather was anchor of the CBS Evening News for 24 years, from March 9,...
, former CBS News anchor, has been a weekend resident. - Igor SikorskyIgor SikorskyIgor Sikorsky , born Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky was a Russian American pioneer of aviation in both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft...
(1889–1972), aviation pioneer and helicopterHelicopterA helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
inventor. - Jessica TandyJessica TandyJessie Alice "Jessica" Tandy was an English-American stage and film actress.She first appeared on the London stage in 1926 at the age of 16, playing, among others, Katherine opposite Laurence Olivier's Henry V, and Cordelia opposite John Gielgud's King Lear. She also worked in British films...
, actress (wife of Hume Cronyn) - Ida M. TarbellIda M. TarbellIda Minerva Tarbell was an American teacher, author and journalist. She was known as one of the leading "muckrakers" of the progressive era, work known in modern times as "investigative journalism". She wrote many notable magazine series and biographies...
,'Muckraker', about whom Weinberg encapsulates: "How ...[she] brought down the world's greatest tycoon [John D. Rockefeller] and broke up the Standard Oil monopoly." - Johnny WinterJohnny WinterJohn Dawson "Johnny" Winter III is an American blues guitarist, singer, and producer. Best known for his late 1960s and 1970s high-energy blues-rock albums and live performances, Winter also produced three Grammy Award-winning albums for blues legend Muddy Waters...
, blues guitarist, is a current resident.
School systems
Easton has three schools, Samuel Staples Elementary school, for children in grades from kindergarten to 5th grade, Helen Keller Middle School, for children in grades 6 through 8, and the private school, Easton Country Day (formerly Phoenix Academy). High school students attend Joel Barlow High SchoolJoel Barlow High School
Joel Barlow High School is a high school in Redding, Fairfield County, Connecticut. The school serves Redding and Easton students....
in Redding.
External links
- Town of Easton official website
- http://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/08/realestate/08LIVI.html?ei=5070&en=5d05577227a66484&ex=1156996800&pagewanted=print"Living in: Easton, Conn.: A Town of Homes and Country Roads," by Eleanor Charles, an article in the Real Estate section of The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, July 8, 2001]