East Haddam is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. It is part of the Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region. In 2020, about 8,875 people lived there.

History of East Haddam
Geography of East Haddam
- Main Areas in East Haddam
Population of East Haddam
Education in East Haddam
- Public Schools
- Private Schools
Fun Places to Visit in East Haddam
Famous People from East Haddam
Movies Filmed in East Haddam
See also

History of East Haddam

PostcardEastHaddamCTLkgNorthFrNathanHaleSchoolHouse1919

Looking north from the Nathan Hale Schoolhouse in 1919.

Before 1650, the area of East Haddam was home to at least three Native American groups. These were the Wangunk, the Mohegan, and the Niantic. They called the area "Machimoodus," which means "place of noises." This name came from many earthquakes that happened there. Loud rumblings, called the "Moodus Noises," could be heard for miles.

Settlers bought the land, which is now Haddam and East Haddam, from the natives in 1662. They paid with thirty coats, worth about $100. The first permanent settlers built homes in 1685. By 1700, about thirty families lived in East Haddam.

Early businesses included farming, shipbuilding, and blacksmith work. Captain John Chapman started a ferry service across the Connecticut River in 1695. This service stopped when a swing bridge was built in 1913.

East Haddam became its own town, separate from Haddam, in 1734. By 1756, almost 2,000 people lived there. The town grew to about 3,000 people by the mid-1800s. In the 1800s, Moodus was known as the "Twine Capital of America." It had twelve mills making twine.

In the winter of 1773, a famous American patriot named Nathan Hale taught briefly in a one-room schoolhouse in East Haddam. Today, this schoolhouse is a museum.

People like actor William Gillette were drawn to East Haddam. His castle home was finished in 1914. The area was known for its natural beauty. Resort areas like Lake Hayward and Bashan Lake became popular in the early 1900s. Lake Hayward is a small private lake community. Many families live there during the summer.

In 2021, the New York Times listed East Haddam as one of the "52 Places to Love."

Geography of East Haddam

East Haddam covers about 56.6 square miles (146.6 square kilometers). Most of this is land, and about 2.2 square miles (5.8 square kilometers) is water.

Main Areas in East Haddam

Population of East Haddam

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1790	2,749	—
1800	2,805	2.0%
1810	2,537	−9.6%
1820	2,572	1.4%
1830	2,664	3.6%
1840	2,620	−1.7%
1850	2,610	−0.4%
1860	3,056	17.1%
1870	2,951	−3.4%
1880	3,032	2.7%
1890	2,599	−14.3%
1900	2,485	−4.4%
1910	2,422	−2.5%
1920	2,312	−4.5%
1930	2,114	−8.6%
1940	2,217	4.9%
1950	2,554	15.2%
1960	3,637	42.4%
1970	4,676	28.6%
1980	5,621	20.2%
1990	6,676	18.8%
2000	8,333	24.8%
2010	9,126	9.5%
2020	8,875	−2.8%
U.S. Decennial Census

In 2000, there were 8,333 people living in East Haddam. About 3,174 homes were in the town. The average home had about 2.58 people.

The population was spread out. About 25.5% of people were under 18 years old. The median age was 38 years.

Education in East Haddam

East Haddam has a public school system. It serves about 1,100 students from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade. Ms. Teresa DeBrito is the superintendent of schools.

Public Schools

The three public schools are located in Moodus, Connecticut:

Nathan Hale-Ray High School (grades 9–12) – about 418 students
Nathan Hale-Ray Middle School (grades 4–8) – about 573 students
East Haddam Elementary School (grades Pre-K–3) – about 430 students

Private Schools

Franklin Academy – This is a private boarding and day school. It is for students in grades 8–12 who have nonverbal learning differences. The school opened in 2003 and has a 75-acre campus.

Fun Places to Visit in East Haddam

An auto test track in East Haddam.

East Haddam has many interesting places to visit.

Cultural Spots

East Haddam Libraries – There are two public libraries. The East Haddam Free Public Library is known for its teen and family programs. The Rathbun Free Memorial Library has programs for adults and children.
Goodspeed Opera House – This theater has won two Tony awards. It is located near the East Haddam Bridge.
Music on the River – This is a yearly summer series of free concerts. They are held on the green next to the Goodspeed Opera House.
Scherer Library of Musical Theatre – This library is at the Goodspeed Opera House. It is the only library in the world just for American musical theater.
Venture Smith Day – This is an annual event. It honors Venture Smith, a former slave and author who lived in East Haddam.

Historical Sites

Bust of Nathan Hale in the center of town.

Amasa Day House – A historic museum on Plains Road.
Allegra Farm – A museum with horse-drawn carriages and sleighs.
East Haddam Bridge – Built in 1913, this swing bridge is 899 feet long. It is thought to be the longest of its kind in the world.
East Haddam Historical Society Museum – This museum shows local history. It includes pictures of the swing bridge being built.
First Church of Christ – A church built in 1794 on Town Street.
Gelston House – Built in 1736, this building was once a tavern. Now it is a restaurant next to the Goodspeed Opera House.
Gideon Higgins house – This house on Route 149 was part of the Underground Railroad.
Johnsonville Village – This was once a busy mill town. Then it became a tourist spot. Now it is owned by Iglesia ni Cristo.
Nathan Hale School House – A historic site on Route 149. It is one of two Nathan Hale School Houses in Connecticut.
St. Stephen's Bell – This bell is thought to be the oldest in the New World. It was made in Spain in 815 CE. It came to the US in 1834. It now hangs at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church.
Thunder in the Valley Ancient Drum & Fife Muster – A yearly parade of local drum and fife groups.
Venture Smith's Grave – This site is part of the Connecticut Freedom Trail.

Natural Wonders

Devil's Hopyard State Park – A natural area with hiking trails and picnic spots. It also has Chapman's Falls.
Eagle viewing sites:
- Along the Connecticut River at the Town Office parking lot.
- Near Riverhouse, looking over the north side of the East Haddam Bridge.
Gillette Castle State Park – The former home of actor William Gillette. It has river views and hiking trails.
Lake Hayward – A spring-fed lake about 1.5 miles long and 0.5 miles wide. It was first called Long Pond.
Machimoodus State Park
Ray of Light – An animal rescue and attraction.

Famous People from East Haddam

Morgan Bulkeley (1837–1922) – A famous baseball person. He was the first president of the National League.
George Comer (1858–1937) – An explorer who traveled to the North and South Poles.
Christopher Dodd – A former United States senator for Connecticut.
William Gillette – An actor famous for playing Sherlock Holmes.
Bill Griffith (born 1944) – A well-known cartoonist.
Louis P. Harvey (1820–1862) – A former governor of Wisconsin.
Nathan Hale (1755–1776) – An American spy during the Revolutionary War. He taught in East Haddam.
Venture Smith – A former slave who became a successful businessman.
Joseph Spencer – A soldier and leader during the Revolutionary War.

Movies Filmed in East Haddam

East Haddam has been a filming location for several movies and TV shows:

Christmas at Pemberley Manor (2018 Hallmark movie) – Filmed at Staehly Farms.
Deep In Darkness (2014) – Filmed in Moodus Village.
Gilmore Girls (2007) – The Gelston House was seen in an episode.
Let's Scare Jessica To Death (1971) – Scenes filmed at First Church of Christ and on Town Street.
River of Dreams (1993 Billy Joel music video) – Filmed at Johnsonville Village.
Sherlock Holmes Turns Engineer (1927) – Filmed at Gillette's Castle.

East Haddam, Connecticut facts for kids

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