Sandy Hook, Connecticut facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sandy Hook, Connecticut
Village
Village of Sandy Hook
Sandy Hook in 2007
Location within the Western Connecticut Planning Region and the state of Connecticut
Country	United States
U.S. state	Connecticut
County	Fairfield
Metropolitan area	Danbury
Town	Newtown
Time zone	UTC−5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP code	06482
Area code(s)	203/475

Sandy Hook is a small community, or village, located in the town of Newtown, Connecticut, in the United States. It was started way back in 1711. In 2021, about 9,114 people lived there.

Discovering Sandy Hook's Past

Sandy Hook was founded in 1711. At that time, several landowners who had property in the area decided to move there together. This helped them feel less alone and build a community.

Early Settlers and Mills

Within a year of Newtown being settled, some of its first landowners began moving to their larger pieces of land. They found that the Pootatuck River in Sandy Hook was perfect for building sawmills and gristmills. These mills helped cut wood and grind grain. Because of this, Sandy Hook became one of the first areas outside the main village to be settled.

Charles Goodyear's Big Invention

In 1839, a scientist and engineer named Charles Goodyear lived near Sandy Hook. He accidentally discovered a special process called vulcanization. This process makes rubber much stronger and more useful.

This discovery led to the creation of the Goodyear Rubber Packing factory in the next 15 years. Goodyear's invention had a huge impact on the way things were made for many years to come.

Growth After Industry

Sandy Hook didn't grow a lot until the middle of the 1800s. After industries like the Goodyear Rubber Packing Factory started, there was a lot of new ideas and money. This economic growth helped the Sandy Hook area become much bigger.

Exploring Sandy Hook's Location

Sandy Hook is located within the town of Newtown. It is next to the Newtown borough and the village of Botsford to the south. It also borders the towns of Monroe, Southbury, and Oxford along the Housatonic River to the east.

Parks and Green Spaces

The area around Sandy Hook village has many fun places and natural areas. These include Rocky Glen State Park and Paugussett State Forest. There are also Timothy B. Treadwell Memorial Park and Sandy Hook Memorial Park, which are great for outdoor activities.

Communities Within Sandy Hook

Sandy Hook includes several smaller communities. These are Berkshire, Riverside, Walnut Tree Hill, and Zoar. A small part of Sandy Hook even goes into the town of Monroe along Old Zoar Road and Bagburn Hill/Jordan Hill Road.

Famous Landmarks to See

Sandy Hook has a few important historical places. These are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

• Nathan B. Lattin Farm
• New York Belting and Packing Co.
• Sanford–Curtis–Thurber House

Places of Worship

The Newtown United Methodist Church was built for the Methodist community in Newtown in the 1850s. In 1972, the church building was moved to its current spot in the center of Sandy Hook.

Famous People From Sandy Hook

Many interesting and talented people have connections to Sandy Hook.

• John Angel, a sculptor who creates art from stone.
• Luther Meade Blackman, a major during the American Civil War.
• Suzanne Collins, the American author who wrote The Hunger Games books.
• Anthony Edwards, a well-known actor.
• William Hamilton Gibson, an illustrator, author, and naturalist from the 1800s.
• Charles Goodyear, famous for inventing how to make rubber stronger in 1839.
• Ruth Gordon, an actress who was married to Garson Kanin.
• Arthur Twining Hadley, who was the 13th president of Yale University.
• Charles R. Jackson, a writer from the 1950s, known for his novel The Lost Weekend.
• Caitlyn Jenner, a gold medalist in the decathlon at the 1976 Summer Olympics.
• Elia Kazan, a famous director for stage and movies, and an author.
• Steven Kellogg, a talented illustrator.
• Grace Moore, an opera singer and actress in musicals and movies.
• Valentin Panera, a Spanish actor and husband of Grace Moore.
• Molly Pearson, a stage actress from the 1900s.
• Albert Berger Rossdale, a U.S. Representative from New York.
• James Thurber, a writer, humorist, and cartoonist, who wrote "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty".
• Marcus Tracy, a professional soccer player.
• Mead Treadwell, the 13th Lieutenant Governor of Alaska.
• Jenna von Oÿ, an actress and singer.
• Thelma Wood, a sculptor.
• Wally Cox, an actor.
• Antonio Fargas, an actor.
• Max Nacewicz, a professional football player.

See also

In Spanish: Sandy Hook (Connecticut) para niños