Colchester, Connecticut facts for kids

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Colchester, Connecticut

Town

Seal

Location in New London County, Connecticut

Country

County

Metropolitan area

Incorporated

1698 / 1699

Government

• Type

Selectman–town meeting

Area

• Total

49.8 sq mi (129.0 km²)

• Land

49.1 sq mi (127.1 km²)

• Water

0.7 sq mi (1.9 km²)

Elevation

551 ft (168 m)

Population

(2020)

• Total

15,555

• Density

312.3/sq mi (120.58/km²)

Time zone

UTC-5 (Eastern)

• Summer (DST)

UTC-4 (Eastern)

ZIP code

06415, 06420

Area code(s)

860 Exchange: 537

FIPS code

09-15910

GNIS feature ID

0213409

Civil War monument on the Green (1875)

Colchester Federated Church

Bacon Academy

Cragin Memorial Library

Colchester is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 15,555 at the 2020 census. In 2010 Colchester became the first town in Connecticut, and the 36th in the country, to be certified with the National Wildlife Federation as a Community Wildlife Habitat.

The villages of Westchester and North Westchester are located within Colchester. The town center village, which was previously incorporated as a borough, is a census-designated place, with a population of 4,700 at the 2020 census.

The Colchester area was part of the Mohegan territory at the time of European settlement. Several members of the Paugussett tribe currently reside in Colchester, where the tribe (which also has a heritage property in Trumbull) has a larger more recently acquired second 106-acre (0.43 km²) reservation.

The Colchester Historical Society operates a local history museum in town.

History
Geography
- Principal communities
Landmarks
Activities
Demographics
Appearances in pop culture
Climate
Notable people
See also

History

The history of the town begins on October 1, 1692 when the area known as "Jerimiah's Farme" is confirmed unto Danial Mason, son of Major John Mason, acting on behalf of the Hartford Colony, by Owaneco. The original settlement known as Jerimiah's Farm was land given unto Jerimiah Adams, of Hartford, by Uncas, sachem of the Mohegan tribe.

On October 13, 1698, Michael Taintor, Samuel Northam and Nathaniel Foote III applied to go forth and settle the Town. Jerimiah's Farm was selected as the main point of reference for the town, with its north boundary as the Twenty Mile River. The southern side is bordered by Lyme. The west boundary meets the east bounds of Middletown and Haddam. The east and northeast boundary run to the bounds of Lebanon and Norwich. During the initial settlement, the area was also referred to as the Plantation of the Twenty-mile River.

On May 11, 1699, the town's principal founders, Nathaniel Foote, Samuel Northam and Michael Taintor asked the general court of Hartford for assistance with persons hindering the advancement of the settlement, to be transferred under the jurisdiction of the New London colony, and for the Town to be recognized as Colchester. On May 11, 1699 the town name was so named and incorporated into the colony of New London. The town is said to be named after Colchester, a borough and port in Essex, England, where many colonists had emigrated from.

Colchester's early history, like that of many towns in New England, centered on the church parish. In 1703, the General Court of the Colony of Connecticut ruled that the settlement could organize a church body here known as Colchester. Within a few years, several grist mills and saw mills were built to provide grain and lumber for the settlement. In 1706, the first street was laid and called Town Street. Nearly 200 feet wide, it is now the southern end of Old Hebron Road. By 1714, there were nearly 50 English colonial families in town.

On 13 Oct 1803 the town of Marlborough, Hartford County was created from parts of the towns of Colchester, Glastonbury, Hartford County, and Hebron, Tolland County.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 49.8 square miles (129 km²), of which 49.1 square miles (127 km²) is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²), or 1.49%, is water. Among the many waterways are the Salmon River, Jeremy River, and Dickinson Creek, which is spanned by the Lyman Viaduct.

Principal communities

Colchester center
Golden Hill Paugussett Reservation
North Westchester
Westchester

Landmarks

Print made about 1848-1849 by Kelloggs & Comstock

Lyman Viaduct on the Air-Line Railroad

Formerly an incorporated borough, the town center of Colchester is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district, known as the Colchester Village Historic District. The walkable center includes a town green with a veterans' memorial. Retail stores and restaurants are located here.

Activities

Fishing, hiking, and hunting at the Salmon River State Forest.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1800	3,163	—
1820	2,152	—
1850	2,468	—
1860	2,862	16.0%
1870	3,383	18.2%
1880	2,974	−12.1%
1890	2,988	0.5%
1900	1,991	−33.4%
1910	2,140	7.5%
1920	2,050	−4.2%
1930	2,134	4.1%
1940	2,338	9.6%
1950	3,007	28.6%
1960	4,648	54.6%
1970	6,603	42.1%
1980	7,761	17.5%
1990	10,980	41.5%
2000	14,551	32.5%
2010	16,068	10.4%
2020	15,555	−3.2%
U.S. Decennial Census

The Colchester Congregational Church, Bacon Academy, and, to the right of the church beneath the trees, a small "school for colored children." Sketch by John Warner Barber for his Historical Collections of Connecticut (published in 1836)

As of the census of 2000, there were 14,551 people, 5,225 households, and 3,997 families residing in the town. The population density was 296.6 people per square mile (114.5/km²). There were 5,407 housing units at an average density of 110.2 per square mile (42.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.53% White, 2.37% African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.75% from other races, and 1.32% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.92% of the population.

There were 5,225 households, out of which 43.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.9% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.5% were non-families. 18.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 29.8% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 36.5% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 9.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $64,807, and the median income for a family was $62,346. Males had a median income of $47,123 versus $29,250 for females. The per capita income for the town was $24,038. About 6.1% of families and 2.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.6% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.

Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 29, 2019
Party		Active Voters	Inactive Voters	Total Voters	Percentage
	Democratic	3,180	411	3,591	29.90%
	Republican	2,529	293	2,822	23.50%
	Unaffiliated	4,454	933	5,387	44.85%
	Minor Parties	194	16	210	1.75%
Total		10,357	1,653	12,010	100%

An approximate map of the voting districts in Colchester, Connecticut

Presidential Election Results
Year	Democratic	Republican	Third Parties
2020	53.8% 5,216	43.8% 4,243	2.4% 232
2016	45.5% 3,898	48.0% 4,108	6.5% 550
2012	52.6% 4,125	45.6% 3,579	1.8% 144
2008	57.3% 4,712	40.8% 3,355	1.9% 152
2004	53.5% 4,081	44.8% 3,418	1.7% 134
2000	57.9% 3,845	36.9% 2,454	5.2% 347
1996	51.5% 3,094	29.5% 1,774	19.0% 1,136
1992	39.4% 2,508	28.2% 1,796	32.4% 2,062
1988	49.6% 2,488	49.4% 2,478	1.0% 49
1984	39.6% 1,720	60.0% 2,603	0.4% 15
1980	40.8% 1,543	43.1% 1,630	16.1% 607
1976	55.2% 1,867	44.1% 1,491	0.7% 26
1972	47.1% 1,464	51.8% 1,610	1.1% 33
1968	57.7% 1,467	34.9% 887	7.4% 188
1964	74.2% 1,704	25.8% 591	0.00% 0
1960	61.5% 1,363	38.5% 854	0.00% 0
1956	53.4% 925	46.6% 806	0.00% 0

Appearances in pop culture

Colchester is the model for the fictional town of Chelmsford, Connecticut, in DP Mellon's 1978 novel Acid Acres

Climate

This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Colchester has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.

Colchester Historical Society

Notable people

John Adams (1772–1863), founder of Phillips Exeter Academy, was the principal of the Bacon Academy here from 1803 to 1810.
Prince Saunders (1775–1839), attorney general of the Republic of Haiti
Abigail Goodrich Whittelsey (1788–1858), editor
Stephen F. Austin (1793–1836), "Father of Texas", attended Bacon Academy in 1803
Eliphalet Adams Bulkeley (1803–1872), Bacon Academy graduate (1819), state senator, state's attorney and founder of Aetna Insurance Company (1846)
Denison Worthington (1806–1880), Wisconsin state senator
William Adams (1807–1880), born in Colchester, noted clergyman and president of Union Theological Seminary (New York)
Lyman Trumbull (1813–1896), born in Colchester, Bacon Academy graduate (1829), became influential as a U.S. senator representing the state of Illinois during the Civil War and Reconstruction
Henry C. Deming (1815–1872), mayor of Hartford, mayor of New Orleans, colonel in the Union Army and U.S. congressman
Alfred Ely (1815–1892), US congressman of New York and taken prisoner after the First Battle of Bull Run
Edward Sheffield Bartholomew (1822–1858), sculptor
Ezra Hall Gillett (1823–1875), author, clergyman, and professor
Rick Derringer (1947–), rock artist and producer
Ron Wotus (1961–), Bacon Academy graduate (1979), San Francisco Giants bench coach
Jonathan Coulton (1970–), singer-songwriter
Nathaniel Hayward (1808–1865), Inventor, Business Owner