Enfield

 

town (1990 pop. 45,532), Hartford co., N Conn., on the Connecticut River at the Mass. line; settled c.1680. The town has varied manufacturing, including filtration systems, machinery, and computers. Vegetables and tobacco are grown, and there is food and dairy processing. Enfield's long-time carpet industry was formerly the town's principal economic asset. Originally part of Massachusetts, Enfield was annexed to Connecticut in 1749. The town hall was built in 1775.

Enfield, Connecticut
Location in Connecticut
Coordinates: 41°58′30″N 72°32′58″W / 41.975, -72.54944
NECTA	Springfield MA
Region	Capitol Region
Incorporated (Massachusetts)	1683
Annexed by Connecticut	1749
Government
- Type	Council-manager
- Town manager	Matthew Coppler
- Council (at large)	Patrick L. Tallarita, Mayor Kenneth Hilinski, Deputy Mayor Patrick J. Crowley William F. Lee Cynthia Mangini Kenneth R. Nelson, Jr. William Ragno
Area
- Town	km²  ( sq mi)
- Land	km² ( sq mi)
- Water	km² ( sq mi)
Elevation	m ( ft)
Population (2005)
- Town
- Density	/km² (/sq mi)
Time zone	Eastern (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code	06082
Area code(s)	860
FIPS code	09-25990
GNIS feature ID	0212332
Website: http://www.enfield.org/

Enfield is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 45,212 at the 2000 census. It sits on the border with Longmeadow, Massachusetts to the north, Somers to the east, East Windsor and Windsor Locks to the south and the Connecticut River to the west.

History

Enfield was originally inhabited by the Pocomtuc tribe, and contained their two villages of Scitico and Nameroke. Enfield was settled in 1679 by settlers from Salem, Massachusetts. Enfield was incorporated in Massachusetts in 1683. In 1749, the town seceded and became part of Connecticut.

Jonathan Edwards preached his famous sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" in Enfield. This sermon is one of the most famous sermons ever scripted. This was part of the Great Awakening Revival that struck New England in the mid-1700s and spread throughout Western Civilization.

The modern town of Enfield was formed through the merging of Enfield, Thompsonville, and Hazardville. Hazardville was named for Colonel Augustus George Hazard (1802-1868) whose company, manufactured gun powder in a part of the town known as Powder Hollow from the 1830s to the 1910s. In fact, in the 1989 film Glory boxes of gun powder can be seen with the words Enfield, CT printed on the sides. Most of the gun powder that the Union used in the Civil War was made in Enfield, Connecticut.^{[citation needed]} Over 60 people died in explosions in Powder Hollow during the years when gun powder was manufactured there. The mill blew up several times, but was set up so that if one building blew up, the rest would not follow in a chain reaction. The ruins of these buildings and the dams are open to the public. Powder Hollow is now home to baseball fields and hiking trails.

Enfield (CT) Shaker Village

In 1793, a historic Shaker village, one of nineteen scattered from Maine to Kentucky, was established in the town. The Utopian religious sect practiced celibate, communal living, and are today renowned for their simple architecture and furniture. Membership eventually dwindled, however, and the village disbanded. The property has since been redeveloped by the Enfield Correctional Institution, still located on "Shaker Road."

• Enfield (CT) Shaker Village, Shaker Historic Trail

The presumption that Enfield was named for the town near London is incorrect. According to Dr. Frank Taylor, a noted historian of the town, Enfield was named, in a pattern similar to its neighboring towns of Springfield, Massachusetts (once Northfield) and Suffield, Connecticut (once Southfield). The neighborhood of Old Enfield in Austin, Texas is a namesake of Enfield, Connecticut, largely named by the family of Elisha M. Pease former governor of Texas who was born in Enfield, and whose great-great grandfather helped found Enfield as part of Massachusetts in the late seventeenth century.

Town Seal

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Enfield 's Town Seal is in the shape of a shield, enclosed in a double circle with a compass like border. At the very top, the year the town was named and incorporated by the Colony of Massachusetts. The town name, Enfield, is inscribed in a scroll contained within the double circles and border, under the year. The shield is under the scroll, within the circles and border.

At the top of the shield is a five-point crown, the trademark of Hallmark Cards Inc.

Directly below the crown, within the shield, is a pile of cannon balls with a keg of gunpowder on each side, representing the Hazard Powder Company, a manufacturer of gunpowder during the Civil War.

A three-bladed propeller is on either side of the powder kegs symbolizing the Crestline Boat Company, a subsidiary of the Bigelow Sanford Company.

The Bigelow Sanford Company trademark, a weaver's knot tied by a pair of hands on a pedestal, represents the nation's largest carpet manufacturing company at the time. A tobacco plant flanks each side of the trademark depicting the Tobacco Valley in which the town is located.

A star on each side of the shield, centered within the double circles and the border, stands for the Colony of Massachusetts and the Colony of Connecticut.

A bottom scroll is inscribed with the state name, Connecticut.

The Enfield Town Seal was designed in 1962 by Joseph Noa Kupau Jr. with the intention of visually documenting the town's rich history. It was officially adopted in January 1963.

Industry

Enfield is home to the U.S. headquarters of Danish plastic building toy manufacturer LEGO, which is also the town's largest employer. In June 2006, the company announced that they would be laying off over 290 employees and begin outsourcing jobs to Mexico. Hallmark Cards is the second-largest employer.

In the past, Enfield manufactured carpet and gunpowder.

The town contains several shopping centers, including Enfield Square Mall.

Neighborhoods

Historical neighborhoods in Enfield are:

Enfield Historical District- Listed in the National Register of Historical Districts, the Enfield Historical District runs along Enfield Street (U.S. Route 5). Many old homes dating back to the mid-1700s were built from 1106-1492 Enfield Street. Varying styles of architecture are noted including Late Victorian, Georgian and 19th Century Revival. The Enfield Town Hall museum as well as one of the oldest Congregational Churches in America can be found here.

Hazardville - Named after General Hazard, this neighborhood encompasses a few smaller burbs, including Powder Hollow, and more recently, the center of Enfield has began to encroach on this historical area. The center of Hazardville is located between the streets of Park Street and North Street on Hazard Avenue. When walking around, you'll be surprised by the eclectic group of shops, from Gayle's Thyme Herbal Apothecary, The Cranberry Scoop Gift Shop, Smoke n' Leather, to pizza shops,and parks, a good area to live in, with a pretty low crime rate, and reputable schools nearby. ^{[neutrality disputed]}

North Thompsonville - Mostly residential and partially commercial area of Enfield with many parks and schools.

Scitico - Scitico is on the eastern end of town. Green Manor is considered part of Scitico. This is a suburb in the purest sense, with winding roads, sidewalks, parks, and cul-de-sacs.

Shaker Pines - Neighborhood mostly consists of tall pine trees towering above the quaint lakeside houses. Low crime rate and lower property values relative to most of the rest of town.

Sherwood Manor

Southwood Acres - A village contained within the town of Enfield. This neighborhood is almost entirely residential.

Thompsonville - Named after Orrin Thompson, Thompsonville is the town center of Enfield with a more urban environment. In the past few years, there has been an attempt to revitalize the downtown area.^[1] On the southbound portion of Pearl Street there are many old Victorians. There are also many boat launches onto the bordering Connecticut River. Planning has started for renovating an old building into a commuter rail station on the not yet built New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Line.

Parks and Recreation

• Connecticut River
• Hazardville Park: off Hazard Avenue, features playscapes, basketball courts, covered picnic area
• Scantic River Recreational Area: near South Maple Street Bridge, rapids for canoeing and kayaking, fishing
• Green Manor Recreational Area: off Taylor Road, features playscape, skate park
• Mark Twain Recreational Area: off South Road, features tennis courts, ball fields
• Brainard Park: off Brainard Road, features softball fields, childrens' swing sets

Enfield is also home to the Enfield Ultimate Frisbee Association (EUFA).

Demographics

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 88.6 km² (34.2 mi²). 86.5 km² (33.4 mi²) of it is land and 2.1 km² (0.8 mi²) of it (2.43%) is water.

As of the census² of 2000, there were 45,212 people, 16,418 households, and 11,394 families residing in the town. The population density was 523.0/km² (1,354.3/mi²). There were 17,043 housing units at an average density of 197.1/km² (510.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 89.74% White, 5.61% African American, 0.20% Native American, 1.34% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.57% from other races, and 1.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.74% of the population.

There were 16,418 households out of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 25.0% 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 3.04.

In the town the population was spread out with 22.6% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 34.2% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 110.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 112.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $52,810, and the median income for a family was $60,528. Males had a median income of $42,335 versus $31,082 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,967. About 2.8% of families and 4.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 5.7% 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	9,137	200	9,337	34.67%
	Republican	4,765	312	5,077	18.85%
	Unaffiliated	11,997	497	12,494	46.40%
	Minor Parties	21	0	21	0.08%
Total		25,920	1,009	26,929	100%

Education System

Elementary

The Enfield Elementary School System runs from kindergarten through grade 6.

Junior High School

The Enfield School Junior High School System runs from grade 7 through grade 8.

High school

The Enfield School Senior High School System runs from grade 9 through grade 12.

Parochial Schools

Notable Residents, Past and Present

1. Jeremiah Mervin Allen, (1833-1903), born in Enfield, noted educator, engineer, and president of the YMCA^[3]
2. Johnny April, bassist for the Alternative Metal/Hard Rock band Staind.
3. John Ashton, actor, attended Enfield High School - former resident.
4. Elijah Churchill, soldier in the American Revolutionary War and recipient of the medal later known as the Purple Heart.
5. James Dixon, United States Representative and Senator (served 1857-1869).
6. Paul Herscu, naturopathic doctor noted for his homeopathic work - resident.
7. Craig Janney, Olympian and professional ice hockey center - former resident.
8. Peter King, football columnist for Sports Illustrated and author.
9. Elisha M. Pease, politician and two term Governor of Texas (elected in 1853 and 1855).
10. Paul Robeson, singer and actor - former resident.
11. Karen Scavotto, Olympic archer - resident.
12. Bill Spanswick, baseball pitcher for the Boston Red Sox [14].
13. Nathaniel Terry, Representative from Connecticut in the 15th United States Congress (served 1817-1819).
14. The Last Goodnight, Upcoming band originally from Enfield and formerly called Renata, attended Enfield High School.

Sister cities

Enfield has two official sister cities as designated by Sister Cities International [15]:

• Jhongli City, Taiwan (ROC).
• Ronneby, Sweden.

References

1. ^ Lightman, David and Larry Smith (2007-04-14). Constituents Make A Pitch. The Hartford Courant. Retrieved on 2007-04-21.
2. ^ Registration and Party Enrollment Statistics as of October 25, 2005 (PDF). Connecticut Secretary of State. Retrieved on 2006-10-02.
3. ^ (1963) Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who. 

External links

• Town of Enfield, Connecticut Official Website
• Enfield Historical Society
• Enfield Public Schools Official Website
• Enfield School District Information
• National Register of Historical Districts, Hartford County, Connecticut
• Central Regional Tourism District
• Enfield CT Photographic Tour and History

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