Cornwall, Connecticut facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cornwall
Town
Town of Cornwall
West Cornwall covered bridge
Flag Seal
Litchfield County and Connecticut  Northwest Hills Planning Region and Connecticut
Country	United States
U.S. state	Connecticut
County	Litchfield
Region	Northwest Hills
Incorporated (city)	May 1740
Government
• Type	Selectman-town meeting
Area
• Total	46.3 sq mi (120.0 km2)
• Land	46.1 sq mi (119.3 km2)
• Water	0.3 sq mi (0.7 km2)
Elevation	709 ft (216 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,567
• Density	33.821/sq mi (13.058/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	06754, 06796
Area code(s)	860/959
FIPS code	09-17240
GNIS feature ID	0213412

Cornwall is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 1,567 at the 2020 census. The town is part of the Northwest Hills Planning Region.

History

Cornwall was incorporated in May 1740, and was named after Cornwall, England.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 46.3 square miles (120 km²), of which, 46.0 square miles (119 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km²) of it (0.54%) is water. The town is located on the east bank of the Housatonic River and also contains a major portion of the Mohawk State Forest.

Principal communities

• Cornwall Bridge (has its own post office)
• Cornwall Village (has its own post office)
• Cornwall Hollow
• East Cornwall
• West Cornwall (has its own post office)

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,434 people, 615 households, and 389 families residing in the town. The population density was 31.2 inhabitants per square mile (12.0/km²). There were 873 housing units at an average density of 19.0 per square mile (7.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.49% White, 0.21% African American, 0.70% Asian, 0.21% from other races, and 1.39% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.46% of the population.

A sketch of the village by John Warner Barber (1835) shows the buildings used by the Foreign Mission School, to the right of the church at center.

There were 615 households, out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.5% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.6% were non-families. 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.4% under the age of 18, 3.3% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 28.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $54,886, and the median income for a family was $64,750. Males had a median income of $46,875 versus $30,536 for females. The per capita income for the town was $42,484. About 1.0% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.0% of those under age 18 and 1.6% of those age 65 or over.

Some of the main features of Cornwall include the Cream Hill Lake, the Covered Bridge, Mohawk Ski Mountain and the town which contains a library and tennis courts.

Education

Cornwall is a member of Regional School District 01, which also includes the towns of Canaan, Kent, North Canaan, Salisbury, and Sharon. Public school students attend the Cornwall Consolidated School for grades K–8 and Housatonic Valley Regional High School for grades 9–12.

Arts and culture

The Cornwall Library, organized in 1869, constructed a new building in 2002 that houses a collection of over 28,000 items. It sponsors art shows, lectures, a Books & Bloom sale and tour, along with many other events.

The Cornwall Chronicle is a non-profit monthly newspaper that publishes news and feature stories about Cornwall, a calendar of events, and drawings by local artists. It was started in 1991 and has not missed an issue since.

The Rose Algrant Show is an exhibit of works in all media by artists from Cornwall, Connecticut over the age of 18. It has been held annually since 1959 (2020 was online).

Museums and other points of interest

• Cathedral Pines – a 42-acre (17 ha) nature conservatory and old-growth forest
• Cornwall Bridge – concrete arch bridge built in 1930 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004
• Cornwall Bridge Railroad Station – added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972
• Cornwall Historical Society – located in a converted carriage barn, features annual exhibits on Cornwall's history
• House VI ("the Frank residence") – an example of Deconstructivist architecture
• Mohawk Mountain Ski Area – a ski resort
• West Cornwall Covered Bridge – listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975

The town was home to the Foreign Mission School between 1817 and 1826.

Infrastructure

Transportation

West Cornwall Covered Bridge

The town is served by Connecticut Route 4, U.S. Route 7, and Connecticut Routes 43, 125 and 128. Route 4 leads east 13 miles (21 km) to Torrington and west 11 miles (18 km) to Sharon, while Route 7 leads north 14 miles (23 km) to North Canaan and south 25 miles (40 km) to New Milford. Routes 43, 125 and 128 are entirely within the town of Cornwall, Route 43 running from North Corners near Cornwall village to Cornwall Hollow, Route 128 running from North Corners to West Cornwall, and Route 125 running from Cornwall Village north to Route 128.

The covered bridge in West Cornwall, crossing the Housatonic River, is one of only three covered bridges in Litchfield County. It has a span of 242 feet (74 m) and has been in continuous service since 1864.

Notable people

See also

In Spanish: Cornwall (Connecticut) para niños