Thomaston, Connecticut
Encyclopedia
Thomaston is a town
in Litchfield County
, Connecticut
, United States
. The population was 7,503 at the 2000 census.
established a factory in the town. Terry brought mass production to the clock making industry, helping to reduce the cost of clocks. He introduced and patented the shelf clock in 1814, which reduced the cost of a clock form $25 to $5. His clocks were sold throughout the US. It was incorporated in its own right and under the name "Thomaston" in 1875. The name derives from Seth Thomas
, the early clockmaker, who established a factory in town in 1812. The Seth Thomas clock factory building still exists; however, the clock making industry has long since left the state and eventually the country.
, the town has a total size of 12.2 square miles (31.7 km²). 12.0 square miles (31.1 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.6 km²) of it (1.80%) is water.
The town is located at the confluence of the Naugatuck River, Northfield Brook and Black Rock Brook, and is protected by Army Corps of Engineers flood control dams on each of these watercourses. These were all constructed in the years immediately following the devastating flood of 1955 which ravaged the town as well as the state in general.
of 2000, there were 7,503 people, 2,916 households, and 2,067 families residing in the town. The population density
was 624.7 people per square mile (241.2/km²). There were 3,014 housing units at an average density of 251.0 per square mile (96.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.85% White, Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.45% of the population, 0.60% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.41% from other races
, and 0.53% from two or more races.
There were 2,916 households out of which 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.5% were married couples
living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.1% were non-families. 24.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.3% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 33.2% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 97.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $54,297, and the median income for a family was $63,682. Males had a median income of $40,795 versus $31,744 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $24,799. 4.2% of the population and 3.3% of families were below the poverty line. Of the total population, 5.8% of those under the age of 18 and 4.5% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
expressway runs along the Naugatuck River
in the eastern part of town and has three exits in Thomaston. Other state highways in the town are Route 6, Route 109, Route 222, and Route 254. Thomaston is also headquarters of the Naugatuck Railroad
, a heritage railway and short line freight operator that operates 21 miles (33.8 km) of former New Haven trackage between Waterbury and Torrington. Interchange is with Pan Am Railways
at Highland Jct.
, a school with roughly 600 students. It is also home to Black Rock Elementary School and Thomaston Center School.
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 Litchfield County
Litchfield County, Connecticut
Litchfield County is a county located in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. Litchfield County has the lowest population density of any county in Connecticut but is geographically the state's largest county. As of 2010 the population was 189,927...
, 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 7,503 at the 2000 census.
History
The town, originally part of Plymouth, Connecticut, and referred to as 'Plymouth Hollow' was first settled in the early 18th century. The town is known for clock making, which started in 1803, when Eli TerryEli Terry
Eli Terry Sr. was an inventor and clockmaker in Connecticut. He received a United States patent for a shelf clock mechanism. He introduced mass production to the art of clockmaking, which made clocks affordable for the average American citizen...
established a factory in the town. Terry brought mass production to the clock making industry, helping to reduce the cost of clocks. He introduced and patented the shelf clock in 1814, which reduced the cost of a clock form $25 to $5. His clocks were sold throughout the US. It was incorporated in its own right and under the name "Thomaston" in 1875. The name derives from Seth Thomas
Seth Thomas (clockmaker)
Seth Thomas was an American clock maker and a pioneer of mass production at his Seth Thomas Clock Company.-Biography:Thomas was born in Wolcott, Connecticut, in 1785. He started in the clock business in 1807, working for clockmaker Eli Terry...
, the early clockmaker, who established a factory in town in 1812. The Seth Thomas clock factory building still exists; however, the clock making industry has long since left the state and eventually the country.
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 size of 12.2 square miles (31.7 km²). 12.0 square miles (31.1 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.6 km²) of it (1.80%) is water.
The town is located at the confluence of the Naugatuck River, Northfield Brook and Black Rock Brook, and is protected by Army Corps of Engineers flood control dams on each of these watercourses. These were all constructed in the years immediately following the devastating flood of 1955 which ravaged the town as well as the state in general.
Adjacent Towns
- Litchfield, ConnecticutLitchfield, ConnecticutLitchfield is a town in and former county seat of Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States, and is known as an affluent summer resort. The population was 8,316 at the 2000 census. The boroughs of Bantam and Litchfield are located within the town...
- Harwinton, ConnecticutHarwinton, ConnecticutHarwinton is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 5,283 at the 2000 census. The name of the town is a portmanteau of Hartford and Windsor, which is where its settlers came from.-Geography:...
- Plymouth, ConnecticutPlymouth, ConnecticutPlymouth is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is named after Plymouth, Devon, England. The population was 11,634 at the 2000 census. The Town of Plymouth includes the villages of Terryville and Pequabuck.-Geography:...
- Waterbury, ConnecticutWaterbury, ConnecticutWaterbury is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, on the Naugatuck River, 33 miles southwest of Hartford and 77 miles northeast of New York City...
- Watertown, ConnecticutWatertown, ConnecticutWatertown is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 21,661 at the 2000 census. The zip code for Watertown is 06795. It is a suburb of Waterbury. It borders the towns of Woodbury, Middlebury, Litchfield, Plymouth, Bethlehem, and Thomaston.-Founding History:More...
- Morris, ConnecticutMorris, ConnecticutMorris is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 2,301 at the 2000 census. The town consists of rolling hill country surrounding Bantam Lake, the largest natural lake in the State, covering about .-History:...
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 7,503 people, 2,916 households, and 2,067 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 624.7 people per square mile (241.2/km²). There were 3,014 housing units at an average density of 251.0 per square mile (96.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.85% White, Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.45% of the population, 0.60% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.02% 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 0.53% from two or more races.
There were 2,916 households out of which 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.5% 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, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.1% were non-families. 24.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.3% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 33.2% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 97.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $54,297, and the median income for a family was $63,682. Males had a median income of $40,795 versus $31,744 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 $24,799. 4.2% of the population and 3.3% of families were below the poverty line. Of the total population, 5.8% of those under the age of 18 and 4.5% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Transportation
The Route 8Route 8 (Connecticut)
Route 8 is the portion of the multistate New England Route 8 within the state of Connecticut. It is a state highway running north–south from Bridgeport, through Waterbury, all the way to the Massachusetts state line where it continues as Route 8...
expressway runs along the Naugatuck River
Naugatuck River
The Naugatuck River is a river in the US state of Connecticut. It carves out the Naugatuck River Valley. The river flows from northwest Connecticut southward into the Housatonic River in Derby, Connecticut. One of the river's main uses is hydropower, which is used to power industrial plants...
in the eastern part of town and has three exits in Thomaston. Other state highways in the town are Route 6, Route 109, Route 222, and Route 254. Thomaston is also headquarters of the Naugatuck Railroad
Naugatuck Railroad
The Naugatuck Railroad was a railroad that ran through south central Connecticut from 1849 to 1887. In the latter year the line was leased by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad and was wholly owned by the New Haven by 1906. At its greatest extent the Naugatuck ran from Bridgeport north...
, a heritage railway and short line freight operator that operates 21 miles (33.8 km) of former New Haven trackage between Waterbury and Torrington. Interchange is with Pan Am Railways
Pan Am Railways
Pan Am Railways, Inc. , known as Guilford Rail System before March 2006, is a holding company that owns and operates Class II regional railroads covering northern New England from Mattawamkeag, Maine to Rotterdam Junction, New York...
at Highland Jct.
Schools
Thomaston is home to Thomaston High SchoolThomaston High School
Thomaston High School is a public school for grades 7 through 12 in Thomaston, Connecticut. The school has an enrollment of about 600 students.-Accomplishments:...
, a school with roughly 600 students. It is also home to Black Rock Elementary School and Thomaston Center School.
Landmarks
- Thomaston Opera HouseThomaston Opera HouseThe Thomaston Opera House in Thomaston, Connecticut was built in 1883. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.It has been restored....
- Hose and Hook and Ladder Truck BuildingHose and Hook and Ladder Truck BuildingThe Hose and Hook and Ladder Truck Building is located in Thomaston, Connecticut. The firehouse was built in 1882 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 4, 1982....
- Railroad Museum of New EnglandRailroad Museum of New EnglandThe Railroad Museum of New England operates the Naugatuck Railroad between Waterville, CT and Thomaston, CT. The Railroad Museum of New England name and trademark was adopted in 1987, as a result of reassessing the...
- Trinity Church (Thomaston, Connecticut)Trinity Church (Thomaston, Connecticut)Trinity Church is a historic church on Main Street in Thomaston, Connecticut.It was built in 1871 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984....
Notable people, past and present
- Michael J. McGivney(1852–1890), Roman Catholic priest and founder of the Knights of ColumbusKnights of ColumbusThe Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded in the United States in 1882, it is named in honor of Christopher Columbus....
died in Thomaston. - Grattan O'ConnellGrattan O'ConnellJohn Grattan O'Connell was a professional football player in the early National Football League for the Hartford Blues and the Providence Steam Roller. Prior to his professional career, he played at the football at the college level, while attending Boston College. While in college, he started...
(1902–??), born in Thomaston, early professional football player. - Thomas James Reeves (1895–1941), born in Thomaston, was a US Navy radioman killed during the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. In 1943, the destroyer escort USS Reeves (DE-156)USS Reeves (DE-156)USS Reeves was a of the United States Navy, named in honor of Warrant Officer Thomas J. Reeves , who was killed in action, while serving aboard the battleship during the attack on Pearl Harbor...
was named in his honor. - Seth ThomasSeth Thomas (clockmaker)Seth Thomas was an American clock maker and a pioneer of mass production at his Seth Thomas Clock Company.-Biography:Thomas was born in Wolcott, Connecticut, in 1785. He started in the clock business in 1807, working for clockmaker Eli Terry...
(1785–1859), was a famous 19th century American clock maker and pioneer of mass production. The town is named after him.