Tolland, Connecticut facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tolland, Connecticut
Town
Town of Tolland
Hicks Memorial Municipal Center and Library
Seal
Tolland County and Connecticut  Capitol Planning Region and Connecticut
Country	United States
U.S. state	Connecticut
County	Tolland
Region	Capitol Region
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)	860/959
FIPS code	09-76290
GNIS feature ID	0212667

Tolland is a town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. It's a suburban area that is part of the Capitol Planning Region. In 2020, about 14,563 people lived in Tolland.

History of Tolland

The Old County Jail Museum

Tolland was officially named in May 1715. It became its own town in May 1722, separating from Windsor. One idea is that Tolland got its name because it used to be a place where people paid a "toll" on the old road between Boston and New York. Another idea is that it was named after a town called Tolland in England.

Today, a major highway, Interstate 84, goes right through Tolland. This highway connects big cities like New York City, Hartford, and Boston. Even with the highway, Tolland still feels like a charming old village.

Exploring Tolland Green

The heart of Tolland is called Tolland Green, which is a special historic area. Here you can find many interesting places:

• A fun old-fashioned candy and antiques shop called the 'Red and White'.
• The town's original 19th-century town hall, which is now an arts center.
• The Old Tolland County Jail and Museum, where you can learn about the past.
• The Tolland County Courthouse and the building that used to be the public library.
• The 'Tolland Inn', a cozy bed and breakfast.
• The Hicks-Stearns Family Museum, which is a restored Victorian house.

The buildings around the Green, with their white church steeples, look like something from a postcard of New England. Tolland is also home to the Daniel Benton Homestead, built in 1720. It's the oldest house in town and is said to be haunted!

Hicks-Stearns Family Museum

Many adults in Tolland work in Hartford, which is about 30 minutes away. They often work for insurance companies or for the University of Connecticut in Storrs. Tolland is a town that families love. Most houses are on large plots of land, and there's a lot of undeveloped, forested land between neighborhoods. The town has two state forests and several parks, keeping its natural, rural feel.

Tolland's Public Library and Schools

The Tolland Public Library first opened in 1899. It moved to the former Hicks Memorial School building in 1985 and was made much bigger in 2017.

In 2006, Tolland opened a new Tolland High School to help with the growing number of students. The town is also adding new stores and homes.

Tolland's Rankings and Filming Locations

Tolland has been recognized as one of the "Best Places to Live in America" by CNN magazine multiple times in the "Small Town" category:

In April 2008, the famous director Wes Craven filmed parts of his 2009 movie My Soul to Take inside the old Tolland High School.

In 2019, it was announced that Birch Grove Elementary School needed major repairs. Its foundation was cracking because of a mineral called pyrrhotite in the cement. The repairs were expected to finish in August 2021.

Geography of Tolland

Tolland covers a total area of about 104.4 square kilometers (40.3 square miles). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.

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

Climate in Tolland

Tolland has a climate known as "warm summer continental." This means it has four clear seasons. Winters are cold and snowy, and summers are warm to hot. Because Tolland is higher up, its climate is a bit cooler than nearby Hartford.

In winter, Tolland can get big snowstorms and ice storms. In summer, it sometimes experiences tropical weather, though usually not as severe as in lower areas of the state. Rain and snow fall pretty evenly throughout the year.

People of Tolland

In 2010, there were about 15,052 people living in Tolland. Most residents, about 94.1%, were White. About 2.0% were Asian, and 0.8% were African American. About 1.7% of people were of two or more races. People of Hispanic or Latino background made up 1.6% of the population.

Most people in Tolland, about 94%, speak English at home. About 4.1% of residents were born outside the United States. The average age of people in Tolland was 41 years old. The average income for a family in Tolland was around $122,299 in 2010.

South View of the Central Part of Tolland, an old drawing from 1836

Education in Tolland

Tolland has several schools for students of different ages:

• Birch Grove Primary School: For younger students from pre-kindergarten to Grade 2.
• Tolland Intermediate School: For students in Grades 3 to 5.
• Tolland Middle School: For students in Grades 6 to 8.
• Tolland High School: For older students in Grades 9 to 12.
  • The Tolland Alternative Learning Center (TALC) is also part of the high school.

Interesting Places to Visit in Tolland

Tolland has several historic and notable locations:

• The Daniel Benton Homestead: Built in 1720, this is the oldest house in Tolland and is now a museum.
• The Hicks-Stearns Family Museum: A restored Victorian-era house museum built in 1788.
• The Old Tolland County Jail and Museum: This property includes the old jail from 1856, which was used until 1968, and the attached home where the jailer lived.

Historic Places on the National Register

Some places in Tolland are so important that they are listed on the National Register of Historic Places:

• Tolland County Courthouse: Added to the National Register in 1977.
• Tolland Green Historic District: This historic area was founded in 1706 and added to the National Register in 1997.

Famous People from Tolland

Many notable people have connections to Tolland:

• Edward K. Beale (born 1970): An author and helicopter pilot for the USCG during Hurricane Katrina. He grew up in Tolland.
• Daniel C. Burbank (born 1961): A NASA astronaut who graduated from Tolland High School.
• Henry D. Cogswell (1820–1900): A dentist and a leader in the movement against alcohol. He was born in Tolland.
• William W. Eaton (1816–1898): A US Congressman and US Senator who was born and lived in Tolland.
• Ratcliffe Hicks (1843–1906): A state legislator, lawyer, and industrialist who helped the University of Connecticut.
• Jonathan Hatch Hubbard (1768–1849): A US Congressman for Vermont, born in Tolland.
• Charles R. Ladd (1822–1903): A lawyer and politician, born in Tolland.
• David Passaro (born 1966): A former US Army Ranger and CIA contractor who graduated from Tolland High School.
• Shubal Stearns (1706–1771): An evangelist and preacher who lived in Tolland.
• James Stevenson (born 1981): An actor who grew up in Tolland.
• Loren P. Waldo (1802–1881): A lawyer and US Congressman who lived in Tolland.
• Calvin Willey (1776–1858): An American lawyer and US Senator who lived in Tolland.
• Nancy Wyman (born 1946): A former Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut and State Comptroller who lives in Tolland.
• Tammy Nuccio: A Connecticut State Representative who lives in Tolland.

Images for kids

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  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)

See also

In Spanish: Tolland (Connecticut) para niños