New Canaan is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. In 2020, about 20,622 people lived there. The town is part of the Western Connecticut Planning Region.

New Canaan is about an hour away from New York City by train. It's considered part of "Connecticut's Gold Coast." The town shares borders with Darien, Stamford, Wilton, Norwalk, and towns in Westchester County, New York.

The town is famous for its unique buildings and beautiful parks like Waveny Park. Its town center has many small shops. A special tradition since 1916 is singing carols on God's Acre every Christmas Eve.

History of New Canaan
- Modern Homes and the "Harvard Five"
Geography of New Canaan
Population and People
Arts and Culture in New Canaan
Education in New Canaan
Media and News
Town Services
- Emergency Services
Images for kids
See also

History of New Canaan

East view of Church Hill, the central part of New Canaan (1836) by John Warner Barber

New Canaan station (top) and Talmadge Hill station (bottom) are part of Metro-North Railroad's New Canaan Branch

In 1731, Connecticut's government created Canaan Parish. This was a religious area in parts of Norwalk and Stamford. Families living there were allowed to form a Congregational church. Even so, they still had to vote and pay taxes in their original towns.

New Canaan was not planned as a town at first. So, when it became an official town in 1801, it didn't have a central town square or a main street.

Before the Revolutionary War, New Canaan was mostly a farming area. After the war, making shoes became its main business. In the early 1800s, the shoe business grew. Instead of one main village, smaller communities with houses, mills, and schools grew in different areas.

In 1868, a railroad line opened to New Canaan. Many rich people from New York City discovered the beautiful countryside. They built summer homes here. Over time, many of these summer visitors decided to live in New Canaan all year. They would travel to their jobs in New York City.

Lewis Henry Lapham, who helped start Texaco, owned a large summer estate. This estate is now Waveny Park, which is about 300 acres (1.2 km2).

In the 1890s, a local newspaper editor named Will Kirk wrote about New Canaan. Some other editors had jokingly called it the "next station to hell." Kirk then wrote about a "dream" where he was welcomed into heaven because he was from the "Next Station to Heaven." Since then, people have used both nicknames for the town.

Modern Homes and the "Harvard Five"

New Canaan became an important place for modern architecture from the late 1940s to the 1960s. About 80 modern homes were built in the town during this time.

A group of architects and students from the Harvard Graduate School of Design moved to New Canaan. They changed how buildings were designed. This group included Philip Johnson, Marcel Breuer, Landis Gores, John M. Johansen, and Eliot Noyes. They are known as the Harvard Five.

They created homes that looked very different from traditional ones. They used new materials and open spaces. Philip Johnson's Glass House is a famous example. These special homes are sometimes torn down today for new buildings.

Other famous architects also built modern houses in New Canaan. The town became a center for trying out new materials and building methods.

The movie The Ice Storm (1997) shows many of New Canaan's modern houses. The story of the movie takes place in New Canaan.

Geography of New Canaan

New Canaan covers about 22.5 square miles (58.3 km2). Most of this is land, with a small amount of water. New Canaan is the only town in the Connecticut Panhandle that is not on the coast.

The town has its own train line connected to the New Haven Railroad. This makes New Canaan the only town with such a branch line. The New Canaan station and Talmadge Hill station are on this line. Many people who live in New Canaan travel to New York City for work. The train ride to Grand Central Terminal takes about 65 minutes.

New Canaan is also served by the historic Merritt Parkway. This parkway is a major road for driving through Connecticut from New York City.

The town includes different areas like New Canaan Town Center, Talmadge Hill, Ponus Ridge, West, Oenoke Ridge, Smith Ridge, and part of Silvermine.

Population and People

New Canaan has grown steadily over the years. In 1810, there were about 1,599 people. By 2020, the population had grown to 20,622.

In 2000, there were 19,395 people living in New Canaan. Most households were families, with many having children. The town is known for its high average income.

Arts and Culture in New Canaan

Places to Visit

New Canaan Nature Center: A great place to learn about nature.
Waveny Park: A large park with a historic mansion. It was once a private estate.
Silvermine Arts Center: A place for art and creativity.

Moreno Clock located on Elm Street where it meets with South Avenue in New Canaan, Connecticut.

Historic Places

Several buildings in New Canaan are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are important for their history or architecture.

Hampton Inn: Also known as The Maples Inn, built in the Queen Anne style.
Hanford Davenport House
John Rogers Studio: Built in 1878 by sculptor John Rogers. It holds many of his famous statues.
Landis Gores House: A great example of modern architecture with glass walls and flat roofs.
Maxwell E. Perkins House
Philip Johnson Glass House: A very famous modern house made mostly of glass.
Richard and Geraldine Hodgson House

Yearly Events

New Canaan has many fun events throughout the year:

New Canaan Nature Center Fall Fair: This fair has activities for all ages, like hay mazes and old fire truck rides.
All Hallows Eve (Halloween) Parade: Kids and their dogs can dress up and march in a parade.
Holiday Stroll: Downtown New Canaan celebrates with Christmas carols, tree lighting, and Santa Claus.
Christmas Caroling on God's Acre: Since 1919, people gather to sing carols with the New Canaan Town Band. The band started in 1831 and is one of the oldest in the U.S.
Easter Egg Hunt: Children can collect candy-filled eggs, get their faces painted, and meet the Easter Bunny.
Saint Mark's May Fair: This fair offers carnival rides and famous strawberry shortcake.
Family Fourth Fireworks: Residents gather at Waveny Town Park for picnics, live music, and fireworks.

Local Groups and Places

New Canaan Museum & Historical Society: This group runs museums and saves old buildings. They also teach about New Canaan's history.
Harmony Lodge No. 67 Ancient, Free & Accepted Masons: This is the oldest volunteer group in New Canaan, started in 1763.
Silvermine Arts Center
New Canaan Land Trust
New Canaan Library
Grace Farms: A unique building that serves as a non-denominational church and community space.

Education in New Canaan

New Canaan High School

Saxe Middle School

The New Canaan Public Schools are known for being very good. In 2010, Forbes magazine said New Canaan had the third-best school district in the U.S. for towns with expensive homes. In 2019, New Canaan High School was ranked the sixth-best public high school in Connecticut.

The school district often performs very well on state tests. In 2008, students had the highest average SAT scores in Connecticut. Connecticut magazine also ranked New Canaan's school system first among towns of similar size.

Many students from New Canaan High School go on to top colleges. The high school library even won a national award in 2010.

New Canaan schools also do well in activities outside of academics. In 2010, New Canaan High School won the FCIAC Cup for its successful sports program. The drama program also won several awards.

New Canaan is one of the few school systems in Connecticut that teaches foreign languages to younger students. Spanish is offered to all grades. In middle and high school, students can learn French, Latin, Mandarin Chinese, and Spanish.

In 2012, New Canaan was ranked as one of the wealthiest school districts in the United States.

New Canaan has five public schools:

Elementary Schools: West School, South School, and East School
Middle School: Saxe Middle School
High School: New Canaan High School

There are also two private schools:

St. Luke's School: For grades 5–12.
New Canaan Country School: For Pre-K–9.

Media and News

New Canaan has its own local newspaper called New Canaan Advertiser. Other newspapers like Connecticut Post and Greenwich Time also cover the area. For online news, residents can read the New Canaanite and the New Canaan Patch.

Town Services

Emergency Services

New Canaan has dedicated teams to help in emergencies.

Ambulance Services

The New Canaan Volunteer Ambulance Corps is a free, all-volunteer group. They have three ambulances and two paramedic vehicles. They started in 1975 and offer EMT courses. The paramedics are hired from Norwalk Hospital. This team was even featured on the TV show Rescue 911 for saving a fire captain's life.

Fire Department

The New Canaan Fire Department has both professional firefighters and volunteers. It was founded in 1881. They operate from a fire station in the town center with several fire trucks. In 2009, they responded to 886 calls for help. They were also on Rescue 911 for saving a fire captain.

Police Department

The New Canaan Police Department (NCPD) is located on South Avenue. They have 45 police officers and other staff. Their main job is to keep everyone and their property safe in New Canaan. In 2012, the NCPD responded to over 16,000 calls.