South Windsor, Connecticut facts for kids

Quick facts for kids South Windsor, Connecticut
Town
Town of South Windsor
Former Memorial Library
Seal
Hartford County and Connecticut  Capitol Planning Region and Connecticut
Country	United States
U.S. state	Connecticut
County	Hartford
Region	Capitol Region
Settled	1652
Incorporated	September 3, 1845
Government
• Type	Council-manager
Area
• Total	28.7 sq mi (74.3 km2)
• Land	28.1 sq mi (72.7 km2)
• Water	0.6 sq mi (1.6 km2)
Elevation	72 ft (22 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	26,918
• Density	938.3/sq mi (362.29/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP Code	06074
Area code(s)	860/959
FIPS code	09-71390
GNIS feature ID	0213509
Interstates
U.S. Highways
State Routes

South Windsor is a town located in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It's part of the Capitol Planning Region. In 2020, the town had a population of 26,918 people.

Discover South Windsor's Past

Early Days and Native Americans

In 1659, a man named Thomas Burnham bought a large piece of land. This land is now where South Windsor and East Hartford are located. He bought it from Tantinomo, who was the chief of the Podunk Native Americans.

Burnham lived on this land and later gave it to his nine children. Around the mid-1600s, some settlers from Windsor started using the land near the Connecticut River. They used it for grazing animals and farming. By 1700, many families had made this area their home.

Becoming a Town

In 1768, the people living here were allowed to form their own town called East Windsor. Even before this, people often called the area East Windsor. At that time, East Windsor included what are now the towns of East Windsor, South Windsor, and Ellington.

East Windsor was known for its farms and for building ships. During the American Revolution, more than 200 volunteers from East Windsor (including South Windsor) joined the fight. In 1786, Ellington became its own town. Then, in 1845, South Windsor officially became a separate town.

Farming and Growth

Since its beginning, Tobacco has been a very important crop grown in South Windsor. The town's Main Street, which is close to the Connecticut River, is the heart of its historic area. You can find the Wood Memorial Library & Museum and the Ellsworth School there.

Minister Timothy Edwards, who is the namesake of the town's middle school, is buried in a cemetery on Main Street. In 1698, he became the first minister for the settlers on the east side of the river. His church was built on Main Street in what is now South Windsor. His son, a famous thinker named Jonathan Edwards, was born in South Windsor. Even Ulysses S. Grant, a future U.S. President, once stayed at a home on this street.

Since 1950, South Windsor has changed a lot. It used to be mostly farms and countryside. Now, it's a suburban town with many businesses and industries. The number of people living in South Windsor more than tripled between 1950 and 2000. In the early 1990s, local residents successfully stopped a plan to build a nuclear waste dump near the town.

Historic Places to See

South Windsor has several places listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These are important sites that are protected for their history:

• East Windsor Hill Historic District – This area is roughly bordered by the Scantic River, John Fitch Boulevard, Sullivan Avenue, and the Connecticut River. It was added in 1986.
• Elmore Houses – These are two homes located at 78 and 87 Long Hill Road. They were added in 1985.
• Windsor Farms Historic District – This district is generally found between Strong Road, U.S. Route 5, Interstate 291, and the Connecticut River. It was added in 1986.

Where is South Windsor?

According to the United States Census Bureau, South Windsor covers a total area of about 74.3 square kilometers (28.7 square miles). Most of this area, about 72.7 square kilometers (28.1 square miles), is land. The remaining 1.6 square kilometers (0.6 square miles), or about 2.12%, is water.

South Windsor's Weather

People Who Call South Windsor Home

In 2000, there were 24,412 people living in South Windsor. These people made up 8,905 households and 6,767 families. The town had about 324 housing units for every square mile.

Most of the people in South Windsor were White (85.95%). There were also African American (2%), Asian (3.71%), and Native American (0.18%) residents. About 2.27% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

In 2000, about 38.5% of households had children under 18 living there. Most households (65.7%) were married couples. The average household had 2.72 people, and the average family had 3.16 people.

The population was spread out by age. About 27.4% were under 18, and 11.9% were 65 or older. The average age in town was 39 years old.

South Windsor's Economy

South Windsor has many different businesses that provide jobs. Here are some of the top employers in the town, based on a 2020 report:

Learning in South Windsor

Children in South Windsor start their public school journey in elementary school. There are four elementary schools for Kindergarten through 5th grade: Pleasant Valley, Orchard Hill, Philip R. Smith, and Eli Terry. Wapping School is now used by the local recreation department.

After elementary school, students go to Timothy Edwards Middle School for grades 6–8. They can also choose to attend Two Rivers Magnet Middle School in East Hartford. Students then finish their schooling at South Windsor High School. Many students from South Windsor High School have been accepted into the University of Connecticut.

Famous Faces from South Windsor

Many interesting people have connections to South Windsor:

• Israel Bissell (1752–1823), a post rider who warned people about the British during the American Revolution.
• Marcus Camby (born 1974), a professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association.
• Chris Clark (born 1976), a former professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League.
• Jonathan Edwards (1703–1758), a very important religious thinker.
• Timothy Edwards (1669–1758), a clergyman and the person Timothy Edwards Middle School is named after.
• John Fitch (1743–1798), an inventor.
• Will Friedle (born 1976), an actor, voice actor, and comedian.
• Alex Grossi (born 1976), a guitarist for the rock band Quiet Riot.
• Jack Hathaway (born 1982), an astronaut chosen by NASA.
• Romil Hemnani (born 1995), a musician and member of the hip hop group Brockhampton.
• Brent Morin (born 1986), an actor and comedian.
• Paul Pasqualoni (born 1949), a former head coach for the University of Connecticut football team.
• Jeff Porcaro (1954–1992), Mike Porcaro (1955–2015), and Steve Porcaro (born 1957), all members of the rock band Toto.
• Eli Terry (1772–1852), a famous clockmaker and inventor.
• Oliver Wolcott (1726–1797), one of the people who signed the Declaration of Independence.

See also

In Spanish: South Windsor para niños