Coventry is a town in Tolland
County, Connecticut, United States. The
population was 11,504 at the 2000 census. The birthplace of Capt. Nathan Hale, Coventry is
home to the Nathan Hale Homestead, which is now a museum open to the public.
Coventry was incorporated in May 1712.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area
of 99.4 km² (38.4 mi²). 97.7 km² (37.7 mi²) of it
is land and 1.7 km² (0.6 mi²) of it (1.67%) is water.
Image:Lake sep2003 1.jpg
Coventry Lake.
History
Coventry, CT was named in October 1711, the first town in the colonies to be named "Coventry" for Coventry, Warwickshire, England.
Settlement and founding
The first house in Coventry, CT was said to have been built near the shore of Lake Wangumbaug by Nathaniel Rust, a
Hartford, CT man, originally of Northampton, Massachusetts. The entire Rust family is said to have made their final move to
Coventry from Massachusetts in a group of a dozen families in 1709. Along with Nathaniel Rust, the names of some of the earliest
settlers were David Lee, Thomas Root, Samuel Gurley, Ebenezer Searl, Joseph Petty, Benjamin James and Benjamin Carpenter. Four
other settlers were also of Northampton, MA and two from Reading, MA. [1]
The land was said to have originally been given to men from Hartford by Joshua, Indian sachem. The Connecticut General Assembly, held in Hartford in 1706, appointed William Pitkin, Joseph
Tallcot, William Whiting, and Richard Lord, as a committee with full power to lay out the bounds of the town and divisions of the
land, to admit inhabitants. A 1711 revision added Nathaniel Rust to the committee and the task of
procuring a minister of the gospel. [2] The first church was established in October 1714.
To the present
The old center of the town is in South Coventry, near the intersection of
Route 31 (Main Street) and Route 275 (Stonehouse
Road). In the 19th century, there was a small industrial center including mills powered by the water from Coventry Lake Brook as
it flowed towards the Willimantic River. South Coventry Village, listed on the
National Register of Historic Places, also includes several
Victorian houses, a museum, the main branch of the public library, and the
Bidwell Tavern, a bar/restaurant established in 1822. A few doors down is the W.L Wellwood General Store, under new ownership,
has been renamed "Coventry Country Store". The general store was originally built in 1787 making it one of, if not the oldest
General Store in America (past owner claims to have not found one older). In all, the area has over 100 historical buildings on
the national register.
North Coventry's settlement is less dense, and its housing and businesses are of more recent construction. In the 18th
century, this section of the town was largely used for dairy and vegetable farming. As the United States expanded westward, many
farming families left the rocky fields of Connecticut for the more fertile land of the Ohio
River valley. Most of the farms in North Coventry were abandoned, and the land reclaimed by second-growth forest. In the
1960s and 1970s, tract housing developments were built on some of this land, mainly raised ranch or split-level houses on one
acre (4,000 m²) lots. Development slowed from the mid-1970s through the 1990s, but several new developments were constructed in
North Coventry after 1990. These tend to feature larger houses on two acre (8,000 m²) lots.
Places of interest
- Wangumbaug Lake, also known as Coventry Lake, covers 373 acres. The lake is fed by springs, and has one natural
outlet, known as Coventry Lake Brook. The brook flows towards South Coventry center and ultimately into the Willimantic River.
Patriots Park, located on Wangumbaug Lake, contains a guarded beach, playground, picnic area, lodge facilities, Community Center,
and band shell for summer concerts. It is also home of the Coventry Lake Water Ski Team and UConn Women’s Crew Team. The boat launch is run by the State of Connecticut. Occasionally,
during the winter months, the lake will freeze over and residents have the opportunity to skate or fish on the ice.
- Nathan Hale Homestead, first established around 1740 by Deacon Richard Hale (1717–1802), the present structure has
been standing since 1776 and was built to house the combined family of Deacon Hale and his second wife Abigail (Cobb) Adams. The
original house, birthplace of Nathan Hale in 1755, is said to have been on the property, just southeast of the 1776 house. The
original 450 acres of the Hale farm now make up a large portion of the Nathan Hale State Forest. Today the Hale’s family home,
located on South Street, is a museum open seasonally for tours and education programs. [3]
- The Strong-Porter Museum, circa 1730, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and serves as the Coventry
Historical Society's museum. Five rooms of the house, as well as several outbuildings, including a carpenter shop, carriage
sheds, and barn are open to the public.
- The Brick Schoolhouse, second construction completed in 1825 after original burned, it is one of the four remaining
district schoolhouses in Coventry and was used until 1954.
- Caprilands Herb Farm, c.1740 colonial farmstead, home for over 65 years to the late
famed herbalist and author, Adelma Grenier Simmons, an herbal mecca open to the public.
Visitors can enjoy one of many themed herbal and floral gardens, including the Cook's Garden, Saint's Garden, Shakespeare Garden, Medieval Garden and Bride's Garden.
- Hytone Farm, owned and operated by the Peracchio family since the early 1940s and a fully operational dairy farm since
1960, they raise all their own Holstein cows, currently have 165 young stock and use
over 350 acres of corn and grass for silage. Hytone Farm has received many Distinguished Farming awards through their years.
On the National Register of Historic Places
- Brigham's Tavern — 12 Boston Tpke. (added April 25, 1982)
- Capron-Phillips House — 1129 Main St. (added May 27, 1982)
- Captain Nathan Hale Monument — 120 Lake St. (added February 28, 2002)
- Coventry Glass Factory Historic District — US 44 and N. River Rd. (added September
27, 1987)
- Elias Sprague House — 2187 South St. (added December 2, 1987)
- Loomis-Pomeroy House — 1747 Boston Tpk. (added May 26, 1994)
- Nathan Hale Homestead — 229 South St. (added November 22, 1970)
- Parker-Hutchinson Farm — Parker Bridge Rd. (added May 29, 1982)
- South Coventry Historic District — Roughly, Main St. and adjacent streets from Armstrong Rd. to Lake St. and Lake from
High St. to Main (added June 6, 1991)
- Strong-Porter House — 2382 South St. (added February 15, 1988)
Miscellaneous information
- The center of North Coventry is at the intersection of Main Street (CT Route 31) and U.S.
Route 44 (section officially known as the Boston Turnpike, but usually referred to simply as "Route 44"). Near this
intersection are two shopping plazas. The first contains a large Highland Park
Market. One can buy most any type of common foodstuffs here, as well as freshly baked bread in the morning. This plaza
also contains the Meadow Brook Package Store and the Coventry office of Rockville Bank. The
second plaza has a NewAlliance Bank, as well as a CVS and a Dunkin' Donuts.
- American portrait painter Benoni Irwin (1840–1896) drowned in Coventry Lake. Irwin, a
Yonkers, New York resident, had a summer home on the
shore of Coventry Lake. On the evening of August 26, 1896, Irwin lost his balance and fell
from a boat while trying to adjust the focus on his camera. He had been taking photographs of the lake at sunset. His head hit
the edge of the boat as he fell, knocking him unconscious. His body was immediately recovered. He is buried in Nathan Hale
Cemetery with his wife, Adela, and daughter, Edith.
Annual events
- CoventryFest -- with fireworks, food and live music. Held at Patriot's Park on the lake.
- June 6 -- Captain Hale's Birthday Party -- held at the Hale Homestead
- Early July -- Independence Day-- July -- fireworks over Coventry Lake
- July -- Colonial Encampment and Muster -- July -- held by the Nathan Hale Ancient Fife & Drums at the Hale
Homestead.
- October -- Haunted Hayride -- October -- Edmondson's Farm
- December--"Old-Fashioned Christmas in Coventry". Main Street first Saturday in December.
Demographics
Town of Coventry
Population by year[1] |
Census
year |
Population |
|
| 1790 |
2,130 |
| 1800 |
2,021 |
| 1810 |
1,938 |
| 1820 |
2,058 |
| 1830 |
2,119 |
| 1840 |
2,081 |
| 1850 |
1,984 |
| 1860 |
2,085 |
| 1870 |
2,057 |
| 1880 |
2,043 |
| 1890 |
1,875 |
| 1900 |
1,632 |
| 1910 |
1,606 |
| 1920 |
1,582 |
| 1930 |
1,554 |
| 1940 |
2,102 |
| 1950 |
4,043 |
| 1960 |
6,358 |
| 1970 |
8,140 |
| 1980 |
8,895 |
| 1990 |
10,063 |
| 2000 |
11,504 |
As of the census2 of 2000,
there were 11,504 people, 4,261 households, and 3,191 families residing in the town. The population density was 117.8/km² (305.0/mi²). There were 4,486 housing units at an average density of
45.9/km² (118.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.95% White, 0.57% African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.40% from other races, and 1.21% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.72% of the population.
There were 4,261 households out of which 37.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.0% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.1% were
non-families. 18.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or
older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the town the population was spread out with 27.1% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 33.7% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from
45 to 64, and 8.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 102.2 males.
For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $64,680, and the median income for a family was $72,674. Males had a median
income of $48,164 versus $36,514 for females. The per capita income for the town was
$27,143. About 2.0% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the poverty
line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.
| Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 25, 2005[2] |
| Party |
Active Voters |
Inactive Voters |
Total Voters |
Percentage |
| |
Democratic |
2,045 |
59 |
2,104 |
26.66% |
| |
Republican |
1,481 |
37 |
1,518 |
19.23% |
| |
Unaffiliated |
4,128 |
132 |
4,260 |
53.98% |
| |
Minor Parties |
9 |
1 |
10 |
0.13% |
| Total |
7,663 |
229 |
7,892 |
100% |
Education
- Coventry Grammer School, K - Grade 2
- G. H. Robertson Intermediate School, Grade 3 - Grade 5
- Capt. Nathan Hale Middle School, Grade 6 - Grade 8
- Coventry High School, Grade 9 - Grade 12
Notable people, past and present
- Jesse Root (1736–1822) was a Coventry resident who served in the Continental Congress representing Connecticut from 1778 until 1782 and sat as chief justice of the
state's Supreme Court from 1796 to 1807. Buried in Nathan Hale Cemetery.
[5]
- Nathan Hale (1755–1776), captain in the Continental
Army during the American Revolutionary War and official State Hero of
Connecticut, was born in town. Empty grave in Nathan Hale Cemetery. [6]
- Lorenzo Dow (1777–1834), an important figure in the Second Great Awakening, an eccentric, itinerant minister, was born in town.[7]
- George N. Barnard (1819–1902), photographer
who joined Mathew Brady in recording the American
Civil War, worked briefly with photographic pioneer George Eastman, and the
Eastman Kodak Company, was born in town.[8]
- Benoni Irwin (1840-1896), American portrait painter and summer resident, drowned in
Coventry Lake. Buried in Nathan Hale Cemetery.
- Adelma Grenier Simmons (1903–1997), author and one of the leading herbal figures in America in the 20th century, owned and operated Caprilands Herb Farm for over 65 years, lived in
town.
- David Hayes (born 1931), artist, American Modern Master of painted steel sculptures, lives in town.
Notes
References
- Cole, J. R., History of Tolland County, Connecticut W.W. Preston and Co., 1888
- Philips, David E., Legendary Connecticut / ISBN 1-880684-05-5 /
External links
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