Simsbury

Simsbury, Connecticut
—  Town  —
Simsbury, Connecticut Location within the state of Connecticut
Coordinates: 41°52′14″N 72°49′31″W / 41.87056°N 72.82528°W / 41.87056; -72.82528
Country	United States
State	Connecticut
NECTA	Hartford
Region	Capitol Region
Named	1670
Government
- Type	Selectman-town meeting
- First selectman	Mary Glassman
Area
- Total	34.3 sq mi (88.8 km2)
- Land	33.9 sq mi (87.8 km2)
- Water	0.4 sq mi (1.1 km2)
Elevation	233 ft (71 m)
Population (2005)
- Total	23,656
- Density	698/sq mi (269/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code	06070, 06081, 06089, 06092
Area code(s)	860
FIPS code	09-68940
GNIS feature ID	0213506
Website	http://www.simsbury-ct.gov/

Simsbury is a suburban town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 23,234 at the 2000 census. The town was incorporated as Connecticut's twenty-first town in May 1670.

Simsbury's sister city is Wittmund, Germany.

History

Please help improve this article by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page. (April 2008)

Early history

Main Street in 1921

Simsbury was settled in 1670 by a group of English settlers from Windsor, Connecticut. At the time, it was seen as a frontier settlement. After six years of living in Simsbury, the settlers returned to Windsor. After the settlers left, the Native Americans burned most of the buildings and completely destroyed the town, so that when the settlers returned in 1676, they could not find the original location of the town.

The first steel mill in the history of the United States opened in Simsbury in 1728. Granby, Connecticut was originally the northern part of Simsbury.

The first unauthorized coins minted in the American colonies, and the first in Connecticut, were struck by Dr. Samual Higley from copper mined from his own mine. The coins, including the Trader's Currency Token of the Colony of Connecticut were minted in North Simsbury, now called Granby.

Geography

Talcott Mountain ridgeline

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 34.3 square miles (88.9 km²), of which, 33.9 sq mi (87.7 km²) is land and 0.4 sq mi (1.1 km² or 1.25%) is water.

Simsbury lies in the northern end of the Farmington Valley. The east side of Simsbury is flanked by Talcott Mountain, part of the Metacomet Ridge, a mountainous traprock ridgeline that stretches from Long Island Sound to nearly the Vermont border. Notable features of the Metacomet Ridge in Simsbury include Heublein Tower, Talcott Mountain State Park, Penwood State Park, and the Tariffville Gorge of the Farmington River. The 51-mile (82 km) Metacomet Trail traverses the ridge. At the western foot of the mountain, near the Farmington River, grow the Pinchot Sycamores, two massive specimens of near champion tree status.

Principal communities

There are four census-designated places in Simsbury: Simsbury Center, Tariffville, Weatogue, and West Simsbury.

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 23,234 people, 8,527 households, and 6,591 families residing in the town. The population density was 685.7 people per square mile (264.8/km²). There were 8,739 housing units at an average density of 257.9/sq mi (99.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.3% White, 1.17% African American,, 0.09% Native American, 2.12% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.26% from other races, and 1.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.54% of the population.

There were 8,527 households out of which 41.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.1% were married couples living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.7% were non-families. 19.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the town the population was spread out with 29.5% under the age of 18, 3.6% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $82,996, and the median income for a family was $97,008 (these figures had risen to $105,152 and $120,815 respectively as of a 2007 estimate^[2]). Males had a median income of $70,519 versus $42,136 for females. The per capita income for the town was $39,710. About 1.0% of families and 2.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.6% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.

Annual events

• Talcott Mountain Music Festival, where the Hartford Symphony Orchestra performs
• Eggstock, an annual environmental awareness festival held at Flamig Farm
• St. Mary's Carnival
• Valley Collector Car ClubCar Show which is held on Iron Horse Boulevard the 2nd weekend in July
• Simsbury Airport Fly-In in September
• Simsbury Volunteer Ambulance Association's Pancake Breakfast and Open House, annual open house with food, tour of the facility, medical demos, and more
• Simsbury Volunteer Fire Company's Torchlight Parade, a parade of decorated fire apparatus the Saturday after Thanksgiving
• Home Improvement Show Simsbury Chamber of Commerce's annual event held the weekend after Labor Day. Shop local home improvement contractors and businesses in a relaxed, outdoor setting.

Landmarks

• The Ethel Walker School, The Master's School and Westminster School are private schools in Simsbury.
• The International Skating Center of Connecticut
• Three of the four state parks in Hartford County: Penwood State Park, Stratton Brook State Park, and Talcott Mountain State Park are in town.
• Simsbury Airport is a public use airport located in Simsbury and East Granby,
• Ensign-Bickford Industries, founded in Simsbury in 1836, is still headquartered in town.
• The Pinchot Sycamore, a large American sycamore located in town, is the largest tree in Connecticut. According to a measurement made in 1998, the tree was 26 feet around and 95 feet tall, with an average canopy diameter of 140 feet.

Notable people, past and present

Skaters

• Shizuka Arakawa (荒川 静香, born December 29, 1981) a Japanese figure skater who won the gold medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics, has trained at the International Skating Center of Connecticut in town.
• Sasha Cohen (born October 26, 1984) the reigning U.S. National Champion figure skater and silver medalist at the 2006 Olympics, trained in Simsbury with Russian coach Tatiana Tarasova, starting in the summer of 2002.
• Michelle Kwan Olympic Figure Skater, has trained at the International Skating Center of Connecticut in town.
• Ekaterina Gordeeva, winner of two Olympic gold medals (1988 and 1994), moved to Simsbury in the 1990s.
• Alexei Yagudin (born March 18, 1980, St Petersburg), 2002 Olympic champion and four time World Champion, lived and trained in Simsbury from 1998 to 2005 with Tatiana Tarasova.

Others

• Jessica Biel, actress, attended elementary school in Simsbury,CT
• Sean Burke, NHL Goalie (former Hartford Whaler)
• Robert Calderon, inventor of the slap bracelet
• Rob Dibble, former MLB player
• Justin Foley, Drummer of the bands Killswitch Engage and Blood Has Been Shed.
• Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968), worked on a tobacco farm in Simsbury during the summer of 1944 to earn money for college.^[3]
• George McLean (1857-1932), was a U.S. senator and Simsbury resident who founded the 4,200-acre McLean Game Refuge in town.
• Elisha Phelps (1779-1847), was a United States Representative from Connecticut.
• Gifford Pinchot (August 11, 1865 – October 4, 1946), first Chief of the United States Forest Service (1905–1910) and the Governor of Pennsylvania (1923–1927, 1931–1935) was born in Simsbury in 1865.
• Sigourney Weaver, actress attended Ethel Walker School in Simsbury, CT
• Jennifer Weiner, author
• Vince Cazzetta, Head Coach for the Pittsburgh Pipers won the 1968 ABA Championship. ABA Coach of the Year.

On the National Register of Historic Places

Main Street, about 1921

• Amos Eno House — Off U. S. 202 on Hopmeadow Rd. (added May 3, 1975)
• Capt. Elisha Phelps House (also known as "Phelps Tavern Museum & Homestead") — 800 Hopmeadow St., A 1771 house used as a tavern from 1786-1849 (added October 22, 1972)
• Drake Hill Road Bridge — Drake Hill Rd. at Farmington River (added August 19, 1984)
• East Weatogue Historic District — Roughly, properties on East Weatogue St. from just N of Riverside Dr. to Hartford Rd., and Folly Farm property to S (added August 19, 1990)
• Eno Memorial Hall — 754 Hopmeadow St. (added May 2, 1993)
• Heublein Tower — Talcott Mountain State Park (added July 30, 1983)
• Horace Belden School (Now the Town Hall/Police Station) and Central Grammar School — 933 Hopmeadow St. and 29 Massaco St. (added April 25, 1993)
• John Humphrey House — 115 E. Weatogue St. (added December 15, 1990)
• Massaco Forest Pavilion — Off Old Farms Rd., Stratton Brook State Park (added October 4, 1986)
• Robert and Julia Darling House — 720 Hopmeadow St. (added February 3, 1991)
• Simsbury Bank and Trust Company Building — 760-762 Hopmeadow St. (added December 20, 1986)
• Simsbury Center Historic District — Roughly, Hopmeadow St. from West St. to Massaco St. (added May 12, 1996)
• Simsbury Railroad Depot — Railroad Ave. at Station St. (added April 26, 1976)
• Simsbury Townhouse — 695 Hopmeadow St. (added May 2, 1993)
• Tariffville Historic District — Roughly bounded by Winthrop St., Main St., Mountain Rd., Laurel Hill Rd. and Elm St. (added May 2, 1993)
• Terry's Plain Historic District — Roughly bounded by Pharos, Quarry and Terry's Plain Rds. and the Farmington R. (added 1993)

Public safety

Law enforcement is provided by the Simsbury Police Department.

Fire protection is provided by the Simsbury Volunteer Fire Company. The Fire Company has 6 stations located throughout the town and a dispatch center housed at the Main Station. The Fire Company has seven engines, two aerials, two rescues, a tanker, two marine units, a hazmat unit, a brush truck, a special command vehicle and several utility vehicles. In addition to fire suppression and vehicle extrication the Fire Company provides high-angle, confined space and ice rescue services, and is a member of the Capital Region HazMat Response Team.

Emergency medical services is provided by the Simsbury Volunteer Ambulance Association. The Association has a primary ambulance staffed twenty-four hours a day by volunteer EMTs. There is a secondary ambulance that can be staffed by off-duty personnel for calls when the primary ambulance is out. SVAA also has a paramedic response unit staffed around the clock by a career paramedic, providing the residents of Simsbury with the highest level of emergency medical care. The organization has 8 paramedics and 43 active EMTs. In addition to being the primary EMS responder in town, SVAA also does stand-bys at public events and holds first aid/CPR courses throughout the year, as well as an annual EMT-Basic course.

Simsbury Public Library

Simsbury Public Library

The Simsbury Public Library serves more than 800 residents daily and offers many programs and services including homebound delivery, public computers, a museum pass program, a Business Resource Center, and 24/7 reference assistance. The library can trace its history back to 1872 as the Town’s Social and Literary Club. In 1890 the town built a library as part of the Town’s center and it operated until the present library was constructed nearby in 1985. Ground breaking ceremonies for a renovated and expanded library were held in early May 2007.^{[citation needed]} In the year ending June 30, 2006, the library maintained a collection of 163,000 print, audio, and video items, offered the contents of 40 databases, circulated 436,000 items, answered 57,000 requests for information, and offered 756 programs to the various constituencies that the Library serves.^[4]

In the last five years, the Simsbury Public Library has ranked among the top five of Connecticut’s Public Libraries according to Hennen’s American Public Library Ratings. In 2002, it ranked among the top 100 in the country (out of 9,000).^[5] In 2008 the Simsbury Public Library expanded with a new addition.

Schools

Public high schools

• Simsbury High School (Students: 1,457; Location: 34 FARMS VILLAGE RD.; Grades: 09 - 12)

Private high schools

• Westminster School (Students: 353; Location: 995 HOPMEADOW STREET; Grades: 9 - 12)
• Ethel Walker School (Students: 185; Location: 230 BUSHY HILL ROAD; Grades: 7 - 12; Girls only)
• The Master's School (Students: 400; Location: 36 WESTLEDGE ROAD; Grades PK - 12)

Public primary/middle schools

• Central School (Students: 479; Location: 29 MASSACO ST.; Grades: PK - 06)
• Latimer Lane School (Students: 623; Location: 33 MOUNTAIN VIEW RD.; Grades: 01 - 06)
• Squadron Line School (Students: 849; Location: 44 SQUADRON LINE RD.; Grades: KG - 06)
• Tariffville School (Students: 280; Location: 42 WINTHROP ST.; Grades: 01 - 06)
• Tootin' Hills School (Students: 537; Location: 25 NIMROD RD.; Grades: KG - 06)
• Henry James Memorial School (Students: 798; Location: 155 FIRETOWN RD.; Grades: 07 - 08)

& Homebound (Location: 933 HOPMEADOW STREET; Grades: PK - 12)

Private primary/middle schools

• St. Mary's School (Students: 264; Location: 946 HOPMEADOW STREET; Grades: K - 8)
• The Cobb School Montessori (Students: 145; Location: 112 SAND HILL RD; Grades: PK - 5)

References

External links

Connecticut portal

• Simsbury Public Library's Website
• Town of Simsbury
• Simsbury Community Television
• Simsbury Volunteer Fire Company
• Simsbury Volunteer Ambulance Association
• Simsbury Connecticut's Community Website
• Simsbury local e-bulletin board
• Central Regional Tourism District

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