Essex is a town in Middlesex
County, Connecticut, United States. The
population was 6,505 at the 2000 census. It is made up of three villages: Essex, Centerbrook, and Ivoryton.
History
The Great Attack
Essex is one of the few American towns which was ever attacked by a foreign power; this occurred on April 8, 1814, and the economic losses were among the largest sustained by the
United States during the War of 1812. Twenty eight vessels, with a total value estimated to
be close to $200,000 (at a time when a very large two story home in Essex would have been worth no more than $1,000), were
destroyed by the British.[1] One historian has called it the "Pearl Harbor" of that
war.[2]
On that date, approximately 136 British marines and sailors under the command of Richard Coote[1] or Richard
Coot[2] rowed six boats from four British
warships anchored in Long Island Sound, six miles up the Connecticut River, past the unmanned fort in Old
Saybrook, arriving at the boat launch at the foot of Main Street in Essex close to 4 A.M.
The boats were armed with swivel guns loaded with grapeshot, the officers armed with swords and pistols, the marines armed with "Brown
Bess" muskets, and the sailors armed with torches and
axes; they responded to the single cannon fired by the town's
surprised defenders with a massive volley, neither side incurring any casualties. They quickly
commandeered the town, eliciting a promise of no resistance from the Essex militia in return for
promising not to harm the townspeople or burn their homes, while a messenger rode to Fort
Trumbull in New London for help. A dubious local myth states that Coot did not burn
the town as a favor to a local merchant who met him with a secret Masonic handshake.[2]
The British marched to the Bushnell Tavern (now the Griswold
Inn), then seized the town's stores of rope (each ship of that time requiring eight miles of
rope) and, according to the April 19, 1814 Hartford Courant, "$100,000 or upwards" worth of rum (acquired from
the East Indies in trade for beef and wood from Connecticut).[2]
Their main targets, however, were the newly constructed privateers in the harbor, ready or nearly ready for sail, which they burned. Within six hours their mission was accomplished, and
the British went downstream with two captured ships in tow, including the "Black
Prince", a vessel that may well have primarily inspired the raid.[1] Stranded in the river by low tide, they were forced to wait at the
extreme range of the shots of the volunteers from the nearby town of Killingworth who lined
the riverbanks; two marines were killed and the captured ships had to be destroyed, but the rest of the men escaped safely when
the tide turned.[1],[2]
At the time of the raid, Essex (then known as Pettipague)[2] had been a major center of shipping
and shipbuilding, but was suffering under a blockade by
the British; as a result, the privateers were being constructed. Captain Richard Hayden, a
prominent shipbuilder, had advertised his "Black Prince" in a New York City newspaper as "a 315 ton sharp schooner that would make an
ideal privateer." This may have caught the attention of the British, who then investigated Essex and launched the successful
raid.[1] Perhaps as a consequence of the
practical, but somewhat less than heroic, response of the town to the raid, shortly afterwards the name of the town was changed
to Essex.[2]
On the second Saturday of each May since 1964, the "Sailing Masters of 1812" of Essex
commemorate the "Burning of the Ships" with a fife and drum parade down Main Street and ceremony at the steamboat dock, wearing the United States naval uniform of that period; by tradition, this event is
unpublicized.[1],[2] The Connecticut River Museum, situated at the
site where Coot landed, now hosts an exhibit portraying the raid, featuring a large diorama by
Russell Joseph Buckingham, a musket ball believed to have
been fired then and a plank from the ship "Osage", burned by the British. Plans are to expand the celebration of "the town's
worst day in history" in future years, according to the museum's executive director, Jerry
Roberts.[2]
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area
of 30.6 km² (11.8 mi²). 26.8 km² (10.4 mi²) of it
is land and 3.8 km² (1.5 mi²) of it (12.35%) is water.
The town is made up of three villages: Essex (zip code 06426), Centerbrook (06409) and
Ivoryton (06442). The local public school, Essex Elementary School, educates around 560
students for grades K-6.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000,
there were 6,505 people, 2,811 households, and 1,776 families residing in the town. The population density was 242.4/km² (627.6/mi²). There were 2,977 housing units at an average density of
110.9/km² (287.2/mi²). There were 2,811 households out of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6%
were married couples living together, 5.2% had a female householder with no husband present,
and 36.8% were non-families. 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.3% had someone living alone who was 65
years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the town the population was spread out with 21.9% under the age of 18, 3.6% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 27.7% from
45 to 64, and 19.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 89.6 males.
For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $66,746, and the median income for a family was $88,888. Males had a median
income of $54,053 versus $38,276 for females. The per capita income for the town was
$42,806. About 0.5% of families and 2.8% of the population were below the poverty
line, including 1.0% of those under age 18 and 3.5% of those age 65 or over.
| Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 25, 2005[3] |
| Party |
Active Voters |
Inactive Voters |
Total Voters |
Percentage |
| |
Republican |
1,381 |
52 |
1,433 |
30.17% |
| |
Democratic |
1,156 |
37 |
1,193 |
25.12% |
| |
Unaffiliated |
2,013 |
105 |
2,118 |
44.60% |
| |
Minor Parties |
5 |
0 |
5 |
0.11% |
| Total |
4,555 |
194 |
4,749 |
100% |
Town layout
Government
The Essex Town Hall is located on the corner of Main Street and Grove Street in Essex.
Police/Fire/EMS
-Essex Police Department (Unionized) is attached to the rear of the town hall (Essex has a resident state trooper as
well as 5 constables). The town pays the Connecticut State Police for a state trooper to supervise the constables. The First
Selectman is considered the Chief of Police.[1]
-Essex Fire Engine Co. 1 has two fire houses: the central fire house on the corner of Route 153 and Route 154 and the
sub-station in Ivoryton on Summit Street. The Fire Department is the designated PSA holder for first responding to medical
emergencies. The annual budget for Essex Fire is noted to be about $250,000 plus donations from the public.
Chief: Paul Fazzino
Deputy Chief: Ronald Senn
Assistant Chief: Andrew Kressley
2nd Assistant Chief: Steven Olsen
Elections for these positions are annual and voted by the department at an annual meeting. The department uses a point system,
(i.e. 1 point for each call, or a training) The department is limited by its' charter with the town to 60 Members. Members are
eligible to receive a tax abatement from the town for earning a minimum of 150 points. The tax abatement is limited to 1 per
household, so families with more than one member are not eligible to receive more than one tax abatement. The Fire Department
responds to about 1000 calls each year, mostly medical first response calls, and fire alarms.[2]
-Essex Ambulance Association, Inc. is separate from the town receiving funding for workers compensation insurance only.
The ambulance is made up of volunteers ranging from MRT to EMT certification levels and responds to over 800 calls each year.
Members receive an unknown incentive for going on a call since no tax abatement is received. Essex Ambulance has 32 volunteer
members. According to [3] they were established
in 1976. Elections for chief's are held each year.
Chief: Judy Reynolds
Deputy Chief: Michelle Connelly
The ambulance gets their funding through billing and donations. They have 2 ambulances made by Horton. The ambulance receives
an intercept paramedic when needed through Middlesex Hospital.
Libraries
There are two libraries in Essex: one next to the Town Hall and one in the center of Ivoryton. A resident can obtain a single
card for both libraries. The library by the Town Hall was recently rebuilt and very much a center of the community.
Churches
Essex is home to eight active churches. There are two Episcopal churches: one on Main Street in Ivoryton and the other on Main
Street in downtown Essex. There are three Congregational Churches: one on Main Street in Ivoryton, one on Main Street in
Centerbrook, and one on Main Street in Essex. There is one Baptist Church and one Catholic Church; they are located next to each
other on Prospect Street. The one Lutheran Church sits on Main Street in Centerbrook. There is a building which once housed a
Methodist Church on the corner of Prospect Street and Main Street, but it is no longer in use.
Education
Essex, like the other two towns in the "tri-town area" (Deep River and
Chester), is a member of Regional School District #4. Essex Elementary School is located in
Centerbrook and serves students in grades K-6 (around 560 kids). John Winthrop Junior High School and Valley Regional High
School, which are both on Warsaw Street in Deep River, serve students for grades 7-8 and 9-12, respectively.
Culture and attractions
The town of Essex sponsors an annual Groundhog Day parade. A large papier mache groundhog named "Essex Ed" is carried through
town with revelers making noise in order to rouse him from his slumber and bring an end to winter. The town also sponsors a
"Loser's Day Parade," which celebrates the 1814 event of having 29 ships burned in Essex harbor during a raid by British
marines.[4] Every spring there is a Shad
Bake sponsored by the Essex Rotary Club.
There are two major inns in Essex: the Copper Beach Inn,[5] in Ivoryton, which has fourteen rooms and a restaurant, and the Griswold Inn,[6] in downtown Essex, which has thirty rooms and a
restaurant.
The Essex Art Association Gallery at 10 North Main St. was founded in 1946 by a group of avante garde artists. It is open 1-5
PM daily during the summer months. It is housed in a historic schoolhouse. Artists are invited to take part in the six shows held
each season.
The Essex Steam Train is one of the most famous and popular Essex attractions. The
main station is located in Centerbrook, with other stations in Deep River, Chester, and
Haddam. The regular train ride goes from Essex to Deep River and then the Becky Thatcher Riverboat takes the passengers up to the
Haddam area. The Essex Clipper Dinner Train goes from Essex all the way up to Haddam.
The Connecticut River Museum, located at the end of Main Street and right on the Connecticut
River, is home to numerous river artifacts and is home to the Connecticut River Eagle Festival each year.
List of National Historic Sites in Essex
- Benjamin Bushnell Farm, added May 10, 1990
- Centerbrook Congregational Church, added February 12, 1987
- Christeen (oyster sloop), added December 4, 1991
- Hill's Academy, added August 23, 1985
- Pratt House, added August 23, 1985
- Steamboat Dock Site, added April 1, 1982
References
- ^ a b c d e f
- ^ a b c d e f g h i
- ^ Registration and
Party Enrollment Statistics as of October 25, 2005 (PDF). Connecticut Secretary of State. Retrieved on 2006-10-02.
External links
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