kids encyclopedia robot

Tolland, Connecticut facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Tolland, Connecticut
Official seal of Tolland, Connecticut
Seal
Location in Tolland County and the state of Connecticut
Location in Tolland County and the state of Connecticut
Country  United States
U.S. state  Connecticut
County Tolland
Metropolitan area Hartford
Incorporated 1715
Government
 • Type Council-manager
Area
 • Total 40.3 sq mi (104.4 km2)
 • Land 39.7 sq mi (102.9 km2)
 • Water 0.6 sq mi (1.5 km2)
Elevation
656 ft (200 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 14,563
 • Density 366/sq mi (141.5/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (Eastern)
ZIP code
06084
Area code(s) 860
FIPS code 09-76290
GNIS feature ID 0212667

Tolland is a suburban town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 14,563 at the 2020 census.

History

CountyJailMuseumTollandCT gobeirne
Old County Jail Museum

Tolland was named in May, 1715, and incorporated in May, 1722. According to some, the town derives its name from being a toll station on the old road between Boston and New York. Alternatively, its name could have been taken after Tolland in Somerset, England. Today Interstate 84, the main highway connecting New York City, Hartford, Connecticut and Boston, bisects Tolland, but the town retains a charming village feel. Tolland Green is the informal center of the community, and a national historic district. The Green's features include an old-fashioned penny candy and antiques store known to locals as the 'Red and White'; the town's original 19th-century town hall, now an arts center; the 'Old Tolland Jail' museum; the 'Tolland Inn' bed and breakfast; and the Hicks-Stearns Museum, a restored Victorian house. The architectural styles on display, including the white steeples of several churches, are reminiscent of a picture-postcard New England scene. The town is also home to the supposedly haunted 'Benton Homestead'.

HicksStearnsMuseumTollandCT gobeirne
Hicks-Stearns Family Museum

Many of the town's adults work in Hartford, located about 25 minutes away, often at one of the city's many insurance companies, or for the neighbouring University of Connecticut in Storrs to the south. A family-oriented town, the landscape of Tolland is primarily composed of large houses, and mansions on plots of around two acres. Undeveloped, forested land covers the area between the town's many residential developments. Containing two state forests and several municipal parks, the town retains a relatively rural character.

In September 2006 Tolland opened the new Tolland High School to support the growing number of students. The town is also expanding with new commercial and residential developments.

Tolland is an affluent town, and has ranked among "Best places to live in America" by CNN/Money magazine in the "small town" category several times:

Year Ranking
2005 29th
2009 27th
2011 37th
2015 34th

In April 2008, Wes Craven began filming scenes for his 2009 movie My Soul to Take inside the former Tolland High School.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 40.3 sq mi (104.4 km2), of which 39.7 sq mi (102.8 km2) is land and 0.58 sq mi (1.5 km2) (1.46%) is water.

Nearby towns include Coventry, Ellington, Mansfield, Stafford, Vernon, and Willington, Connecticut.

Climate data for Tolland, Connecticut
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °F (°C) 33
(1)
37
(3)
44
(7)
56
(13)
67
(19)
75
(24)
79
(26)
78
(26)
71
(22)
60
(16)
50
(10)
38
(3)
57
(14)
Average low °F (°C) 18
(−8)
22
(−6)
28
(−2)
38
(3)
47
(8)
57
(14)
62
(17)
60
(16)
53
(12)
42
(6)
35
(2)
24
(−4)
41
(5)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.79
(96)
3.47
(88)
4.44
(113)
4.53
(115)
3.97
(101)
4.46
(113)
3.94
(100)
3.81
(97)
4.09
(104)
4.60
(117)
4.57
(116)
4.21
(107)
49.88
(1,267)

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1820 1,597
1850 1,406
1860 1,310 −6.8%
1870 1,216 −7.2%
1880 1,169 −3.9%
1890 1,037 −11.3%
1900 1,036 −0.1%
1910 1,126 8.7%
1920 1,040 −7.6%
1930 1,064 2.3%
1940 1,192 12.0%
1950 1,659 39.2%
1960 2,950 77.8%
1970 7,857 166.3%
1980 9,694 23.4%
1990 11,001 13.5%
2000 13,146 19.5%
2010 15,052 14.5%
2020 14,563 −3.2%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the census of 2010, there were 15,052 people, divided into 5,092 households living in the town. The average household size was 2.9 people. The population density was 373.0 people per square mile (144/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 94.1% White (93.2% non-Hispanic White), 0.8% African American, 2.0% Asian, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.6% of the population. In terms of language, 94% of Tolland's residents spoke English at home, and 4.1% of residents were foreign-born. The median age was 41 years. The median income for a household in the town was $110,781, and the median income for a family was $122,299. The per capita income for the town was $47,611, and around 1.7% of the population was below the poverty line. 122 families received Supplemental Security Income or some other form of cash assistance, and 945 residents (0.6%) were on social security.

BarberJohnWarnerCentralPartOfTolland
South View of the Central Part of Tolland, wood block engraving from a sketch by John Warner Barber for his Historical Collections of Connecticut (New Haven, 1836)

As of the census of 2000, there were 13,146 people, 4,586 households, and 3,788 families residing in the town. The population density was 331.0 people per square mile (127.8/km2). There were 4,665 housing units at an average density of 117.5 per square mile (45.4/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.36% White, 0.57% African American, 0.08% Native American, 1.19% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.39% from other races, and 0.81% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were .75% of the population.

There were 4,586 households, out of which 42.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.4% were married couples living together, 1.9% had a female householder, and 17.4% were non-families. 13.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.3% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 7.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.1 males. The median income for a household in the town was $135,398 as of Census 2000, and, according to CNN/Money magazine's 2009 "Best Places to Live", the median income for a family in 2009 was $136,772. The per capita income for the town was $54,571. About .6% of families and .7% of the population were below the poverty line, including .5% of those under age 18 and .2% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

  • Edward K. Beale (1970–), Author, USCG helicopter pilot during Hurricane Katrina; raised in Tolland and graduated from Tolland High School.
  • Daniel C. Burbank (1961–), NASA astronaut; raised in Tolland and graduated from Tolland High School in 1979.
  • Henry D. Cogswell (1820–1900), dentist and a crusader in the temperance movement; born in Tolland.
  • William W. Eaton (1816–1898), US Congressman and US Senator; born in Tolland and a resident of Tolland.
  • Ratcliffe Hicks (1843–1906), state legislator, lawyer, industrialist, and benefactor of the University of Connecticut.
  • Jonathan Hatch Hubbard (1768–1849), US Congressman for Vermont; born in Tolland.
  • Charles R. Ladd (1822–1903), lawyer, politician and Massachusetts Auditor; born in Tolland.
  • David Passaro (1966–), CIA contractor and former US Army Ranger; graduated from Tolland High School.
  • Shubal Stearns (1706–1771), evangelist, preacher of the Separate Baptists; resident of Tolland.
  • James Stevenson (1981–), actor; raised in Tolland.
  • Loren P. Waldo (1802–1881), lawyer and US Congressman; resident of Tolland.
  • Calvin Willey (1776–1858), American lawyer, politician, and US Senator (1825–1831); resident of Tolland.
  • Nancy Wyman (1946–), Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut and former State Comptroller; resident of Tolland.

Education

  • Birch Grove Primary School - Pre-kindergarten - Grade 2
  • Tolland Intermediate School - Grades 3-5
  • Tolland Middle School - Grades 6-8
  • Tolland High School - Grades 9-12
    • Tolland Alternative Learning Center (TALC)

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Tolland (Connecticut) para niños

kids search engine
Tolland, Connecticut Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.