Seymour, Connecticut facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Seymour, Connecticut
Town
Town of Seymour
Welcome to Seymour sign
Seal
Motto(s):  "Seymour, A Nice Place to Visit....A Better Place to Live"
New Haven County and Connecticut  Naugatuck Valley Planning Region and Connecticut
Country	United States
U.S. state	Connecticut
County	New Haven
Region	Naugatuck Valley
Incorporated	1850
Government
• Type	Selectman-town meeting
Area
• Total	15.0 sq mi (38.8 km2)
• Land	14.6 sq mi (37.7 km2)
• Water	0.4 sq mi (1.0 km2)
Elevation	387 ft (118 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	16,748
• Density	1,117/sq mi (431.6/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (Eastern)
ZIP code	06483
Area code(s)	203/475
FIPS code	09-67610
GNIS feature ID	0213502

Seymour is a town in Connecticut, United States. It's located in New Haven County and is part of the Naugatuck Valley Planning Region. In 2020, about 16,748 people lived here. Seymour shares its borders with several other towns like Oxford, Beacon Falls, Bethany, Woodbridge, Ansonia, Derby, and Shelton.

History of Seymour

Seymour became an official town in May 1850. It was named after Governor Thomas H. Seymour.

The land where Seymour now stands was once part of the town of Derby. Before that, it was part of Milford. The downtown area of Seymour used to be called Humphreysville. This name honored David Humphreys, a hero from the Revolutionary War. He was an aide to General George Washington. Humphreys bought a factory in the downtown area. This factory made tools like scythes and also wool products from sheep he brought in.

In 1836, Humphreysville became a borough within the town of Derby. A borough is a smaller, self-governing area. When Seymour became a town in 1850, the borough government was dissolved.

Emergency Services in Seymour

The Town of Seymour has its own police department, two fire companies, and an ambulance association. These groups work together to keep everyone safe.

Police Department

The Police Chief is John Bucherati. The police department's main office is at 11 Franklin Street. It used to be at 4 Wakeley Street. That building is now the main office for the Seymour Ambulance Association.

Fire Department

The Fire Department Chief is Michael Lombardi. He has three assistant chiefs helping him. The department has two fire companies. Each company is led by a captain and two lieutenants. The Fire Marshal's office is at the Town Hall. It has two full-time staff, including the Fire Marshal, Timothy Willis, and a Deputy Fire Marshal. There are also several volunteer fire inspectors.

Citizens' Engine Company No. 2

This fire company is on DeForest Street. It mainly covers the downtown and east side of Seymour. Citizens' Engine Company was started in August 1884. This was when the town bought a steam-powered fire engine. The first fire company, formed in 1882, was later disbanded. The current company was named "Citizens'" to honor the town's people. It was given the number 2 because it was the second fire company in town.

The firehouse was built in the 1880s. A few years later, lightning struck the hose and bell tower, causing a lot of damage. The tower was taken down and rebuilt. A new area for fire trucks was added in 1976. Citizens' Engine Company uses two engines, a heavy rescue truck, a tower-ladder, and a utility truck.

Great Hill Hose Company

The Great Hill Hose Company was formed in 1947. It was created to help improve fire protection in the fast-growing Great Hill and Housatonic River areas of Seymour. The Citizens' Engine Company was located downtown. It took a long time for firefighters and trucks to reach the west side. The Great Hill company was first located on Great Hill Road.

The Great Hill area did not have fire hydrants. So, the company used ponds and tanker trucks to carry water. Since the 1950s, the Great Hill area has continued to grow. New homes, the current high school, and middle school buildings were built there. The Great Hill Hose Company uses two fire engines, a water tanker truck, a heavy rescue truck, a rescue boat, and two utility vehicles.

Seymour Ambulance Association

The Seymour Ambulance Association (SAA) was started in 1969. It became a non-profit group in 1972. The SAA is led by a chief, a deputy chief, an assistant chief, a captain, a training coordinator, and two lieutenants. The current Chief is Bryan Ryan.

The SAA first operated its ambulances from different places. For several years, it was located in the Citizens' firehouse. The SAA is now at 4 Wakeley Street. This building used to be the Seymour Police Department headquarters.

Geography of Seymour

Seymour covers a total area of about 15.0 square miles (38.8 square kilometers). Of this, 14.6 square miles (37.7 square kilometers) is land. The remaining 0.4 square miles (1.0 square kilometer), or 2.67%, is water.

Some smaller areas within Seymour have their own names. These include Bungay, Cedar Ridge District, Clifton, Garden City, Great Hill, Promise Land, Skokorat, Squantuck, and Amity.

Population and People

As of the census in 2010, there were 16,540 people living in Seymour. There were 6,654 households and 4,453 families. The population density was about 1,060.6 people per square mile.

Most people in Seymour are White (94.75%). Other groups include African American (1.35%), Asian (1.77%), and Native American (0.21%). About 3.04% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

The average household had 2.49 people. The average family had 3.05 people. About 23.9% of the population was under 18 years old. The median age in town was 38 years.

The median income for a household was $52,408. For a family, it was $65,012. The average income per person in the town was $24,056. A small percentage of families (3.6%) and people (3.7%) lived below the poverty line.

Arts and Culture

Downtown Seymour Historic District

Museums and Points of Interest

• Great Hill Cemetery: This cemetery was founded in the 18th century.

Historic Places in Seymour

Several places in Seymour are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are important historical sites.

• Downtown Seymour Historic District: This area includes parts of Main, Wakeley, and DeForest Streets, near the Naugatuck River. It was added to the list in 1983.
• Sanford-Humphreys House: Located at 61–63 West St. It was added to the list in 1982.
• Seymour High School and Annex: Located at 100 Bank St. It was added to the list in 1983.

Local Media

• The Valley Independent Sentinel: This is an online-only news website that started in June 2009. It covers news from five towns in the lower Naugatuck Valley, including Seymour.
• The Valley Gazette: This newspaper has been published weekly since 1991. It covers three towns in the lower Naugatuck Valley, including Seymour. It is available in print and online.

Education in Seymour

Seymour, Connecticut, has four public schools:

• Seymour High School: For students in grades 9–12.
• Seymour Middle School: For students in grades 6–8.
• Chatfield-LoPresti School: For students from Pre-Kindergarten to grade 5. This school was formed when Chatfield School and LoPresti School combined into one. The new school opened on September 5, 2012.
• Bungay School: For students in Kindergarten to grade 5.

Seymour Pink Organization

Seymour Pink is a non-profit group in Seymour. Its main goal is to help fight breast cancer. The organization donates money to local hospitals. These include Yale's Smilow Cancer Institute and Hewitt's Breast Cancer center at Griffin Hospital.

One day in October is called "Seymour Pink Day." On this day, the whole town wears pink to raise money for the cause. Sports teams at Seymour High School also help in the fight against breast cancer. In June 2017, the organization worked with the town to create bright pink recycling bins. Residents could buy these pink bins instead of the usual blue ones. The money from these sales went to Seymour Pink.

By 2017, Seymour Pink had raised over $1 million. These funds help people who are struggling to pay for their bills while getting treatment for breast cancer.

Transportation

Seymour train station, 2012

The Seymour train station offers train service. You can travel to places like Bridgeport, Stamford, and Grand Central Terminal in New York City. These trains run on the Waterbury Branch of the Metro-North Railroad's New Haven Line.

Seymour is also located along Connecticut Route 8. The Connecticut Transit New Haven Division provides bus service to Seymour on its F West Chapel Street route.

Notable People from Seymour

• John D'Agostino (born 1982): A professional poker player.
• Harriet Ford (1863 or 1868–1949): An actress and playwright.
• John William De Forest (1826–1906): A soldier and writer. He is known for his Civil War novel Miss Ravenel's Conversion from Secession to Loyalty.
• Carlos French (1835–1903): A congressman from Connecticut.
• Themis Klarides (born 1965): A former Connecticut House Minority Leader. She was a Republican Candidate for the 2022 Connecticut senate election.
• Robert Tuttle Morris (1857–1945): A surgeon and author.
• Alyssa Naeher (born 1988): A professional soccer player.

Images for kids

• 

  "Panorama From Castle Rock" of Seymour, from a 1905 postcard

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  Rimmon Rock, c. 1915

• 

  Rimmon Falls, c. 1917

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  The former Seymour Trust Co., now being renovated to feature office and retail space and will initially house the nonprofit Project Purple, KirklandSEARCH and CTL.

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  The old Seymour High School, on the National Register of Historic Places

• 

  Facilities of the Kerite Company, cable manufacturer

• 

  Seymour, CT – looking south from Kisson's Crossing

See also

In Spanish: Seymour (Connecticut) para niños