Willington, Connecticut
Encyclopedia
Willington is a town
in Tolland County
, Connecticut
, United States
. The population was 5,959 at the 2000 census.
The Willimantic River
borders the town on the west. Willington is about 25 miles northeast of Hartford
on Interstate 84
, which also provides a connection to Boston, via the Massachusetts Turnpike
. Providence, RI
is accessible via U.S. Route 44
. Larger communities nearby include Coventry
, Manchester
, Stafford
, Tolland
, and Willimantic
. The University of Connecticut
is located in adjacent Mansfield
. The new public library (formerly located within Hall Memorial middle school) has been completed and opened as of fall 2006.
Willington was incorporated in May, 1727.
, the town has a total area of 33.5 square miles (86.8 km²), of which, 33.3 square miles (86.2 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) of it (0.63%) is water.
. Troop 82 is a member of the Nipmuck District of the Connecticut Rivers Council
.
of 2000, there were 5,959 people, 2,353 households, and 1,437 families residing in the town. The population density
was 179.1 people per square mile (69.2/km²). There were 2,429 housing units at an average density of 73.0 per square mile (28.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.06% White, 0.97% African American, 0.12% Native American, 3.02% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.62% from other races
, and 1.12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.81% of the population.
There were 2,353 households out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% were married couples
living together, 6.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.9% were non-families. 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the town the population was spread out with 20.9% under the age of 18, 19.4% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 7.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 100.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $51,690, and the median income for a family was $70,684. Males had a median income of $41,250 versus $36,310 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $27,062. About 2.9% of families and 13.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.0% of those under age 18 and 3.1% of those age 65 or over.
All residents are zoned to:
High school-aged residents attend E. O. Smith High School of the Regional School District 19.
Prior to the community's affiliation with Regional School District 19, Willington offered its high school-aged students a choice attending one of the four institutions. Numbers varied from year to year, having the undesired effect of breaking up classes and bussing them distances of up to 15 miles. The four available choices as of 1989 were:
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 Tolland County
Tolland County, Connecticut
Tolland County is a county located in the northeastern part of Connecticut. As of 2010, the population was 152,691.Counties in Connecticut have no governmental function: all legal power is vested in the state, city, and town governments...
, 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 5,959 at the 2000 census.
The Willimantic River
Willimantic River
The Willimantic River is a tributary of the Shetucket River, approximately 25 mi long in northeastern Connecticut in the New England region of the United States....
borders the town on the west. Willington is about 25 miles northeast 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...
on Interstate 84
Interstate 84 in Connecticut
Interstate 84 is an East–West Interstate highway across the state of Connecticut into Danbury, Waterbury, Hartford and Union.-Route description:...
, which also provides a connection to Boston, via the Massachusetts Turnpike
Massachusetts Turnpike
The Massachusetts Turnpike is the easternmost stretch of Interstate 90. The Turnpike begins at the western border of Massachusetts in West Stockbridge connecting with the Berkshire Connector portion of the New York State Thruway...
. Providence, RI
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
is accessible via U.S. Route 44
U.S. Route 44 in Connecticut
U.S. Route 44 is an east–west U.S. Highway running from Salisbury to Putnam.-Route description:From the New York state line at Salisbury to the Rhode Island state line at Putnam, US 44 runs for a total of in Connecticut. Most of US 44 is known in the state as the Jonathan Trumbull Highway...
. Larger communities nearby include Coventry
Coventry, Connecticut
Coventry is a town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 11,504 at the 2000 census. The birthplace of Captain Nathan Hale, Coventry is home to the Nathan Hale Homestead, which is now a museum open to the public....
, Manchester
Manchester, Connecticut
Manchester is a township and city in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 58,241.- History :...
, Stafford
Stafford, Connecticut
Stafford is a town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States, settled in 1719. The population was 11,307 at the 2000 census.-History:The Colonial Town of Stafford began as a rural agricultural community...
, Tolland
Tolland, Connecticut
Tolland is a town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 13,146 at the 2000 census.Tolland was named in May, 1715, and incorporated in May, 1722. According to some, the town derives its name from being a toll station on the old road between Boston and New York. ...
, and Willimantic
Willimantic, Connecticut
Willimantic is a census-designated place and former city located in the town of Windham in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The population was estimated at 15,823 at the 2000 census. It is home to Eastern Connecticut State University, as well as the Windham Textile and History Museum....
. The University of Connecticut
University of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
is located in adjacent Mansfield
Mansfield, Connecticut
Mansfield is a town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 20,720 at the 2000 census.Mansfield was incorporated in October 1702 from the Town of Windham, in Hartford County. When Windham County was formed on 12 May 1726, Mansfield then became part of that county...
. The new public library (formerly located within Hall Memorial middle school) has been completed and opened as of fall 2006.
Willington was incorporated in May, 1727.
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 33.5 square miles (86.8 km²), of which, 33.3 square miles (86.2 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) of it (0.63%) is water.
Famous residents, past and present
- Orrin HoltOrrin HoltOrrin Holt was a United States Representative from Connecticut. He was born in Willington, Connecticut. He received a limited schooling and engaged in agricultural pursuits. He was a member of the Connecticut State House of Representatives 1830-1832...
(1792–1855), US Congressman was born and died in town. - Jared SparksJared SparksJared Sparks was an American historian, educator, and Unitarian minister. He served as President of Harvard University from 1849 to 1853.-Biography:...
(1792–1855), historian, Unitarian minister and President of Harvard UniversityHarvard UniversityHarvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. A street named in his honor extends from the town green to Moose Meadow Road. - Justus VintonJustus VintonJustus H. Vinton was an American Baptist missionary who labored for 25 years in Burma preaching the gospel amongst the Karen people. He had boundless energy and was pre-eminently a man of revival power and was most adored, respected and venerated by the natives as well as the British civil and...
(1806–1858), a Baptist missionary to Burma, was born in town.
Civic associations
Willington is home to Troop 82 of the Boy Scouts of AmericaBoy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
. Troop 82 is a member of the Nipmuck District of the Connecticut Rivers Council
Connecticut Rivers Council
The camp is located in the scenic New England Town of Ashford, Connecticut. Originally opened as Camp Ashford on June 28, 1964, today the reservation occupies of land and a man-made lake named Goss Pond. The camp is located on the farm once owned by Lt. Col. Thomas Knowlton, hero of the Battle of...
.
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 5,959 people, 2,353 households, and 1,437 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 179.1 people per square mile (69.2/km²). There were 2,429 housing units at an average density of 73.0 per square mile (28.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.06% White, 0.97% African American, 0.12% Native American, 3.02% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.62% 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 1.12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.81% of the population.
There were 2,353 households out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% 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, 6.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.9% were non-families. 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the town the population was spread out with 20.9% under the age of 18, 19.4% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 7.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 100.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $51,690, and the median income for a family was $70,684. Males had a median income of $41,250 versus $36,310 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 $27,062. About 2.9% of families and 13.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.0% of those under age 18 and 3.1% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Elementary and middle school-aged residents attend schools in the Willington School District.All residents are zoned to:
- Center Elementary School (Kindergarten through 3)
- Hall Memorial SchoolHall Memorial SchoolHall Memorial School is located at 111 River Road in Willington, Connecticut. It serves only the town of Willington, grades 4 through 8. The school is fairly small, servicing about 320 students.- History :...
(Grades 4 through 8)
High school-aged residents attend E. O. Smith High School of the Regional School District 19.
Prior to the community's affiliation with Regional School District 19, Willington offered its high school-aged students a choice attending one of the four institutions. Numbers varied from year to year, having the undesired effect of breaking up classes and bussing them distances of up to 15 miles. The four available choices as of 1989 were:
- Bolton High SchoolBolton High School (Connecticut)Bolton High School is a public high school located at 72 Brandy Street, Bolton, Connecticut. Bolton participates in the North Central Connecticut Conference for athletics, and competes as a Class "S" school. Bolton High School accepted students from nearby Willington, Connecticut, until that...
in Bolton, ConnecticutBolton, ConnecticutBolton is a town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 5,017 at the 2000 census. Bolton was incorporated in October 1720 and is governed by town meeting.-History:... - E. O. Smith High School in Mansfield, ConnecticutMansfield, ConnecticutMansfield is a town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 20,720 at the 2000 census.Mansfield was incorporated in October 1702 from the Town of Windham, in Hartford County. When Windham County was formed on 12 May 1726, Mansfield then became part of that county...
(Vocational Agriculture Curriculum Only) - Windham High School in Windham, ConnecticutWindham, ConnecticutWindham is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. It contains the city of Willimantic and the villages of Windham Center, North Windham, and South Windham. The city of Willimantic was consolidated with the town in 1983...
- Windham Technical High School in Windham, Connecticut.