New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States, located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut. It was one of the world's three busiest whaling ports for several decades beginning in the early 19th century, along with

Nantucket Nantucket () is an island about south from Cape Cod. Together with the small islands of Tuckernuck and Muskeget, it constitutes the Town and County of Nantucket, a combined county/town government that is part of the U.S. state of Massachuse ...

and

New Bedford, Massachusetts New Bedford (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ) is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, Bristol County, Massachusetts. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast (Massachusetts), South Coast region. Up throug ...

. The wealth that whaling brought into the city furnished the capital to fund much of the city's present architecture. The city subsequently became home to other shipping and manufacturing industries, but it has gradually lost most of its industrial heart. New London is home to the United States Coast Guard Academy, Connecticut College,

Mitchell College Mitchell College is a private college in New London, Connecticut. In Fall 2020 it had an enrollment of 572 students and a faculty of 68. Admission rate was 70%. The college offers associate and bachelor's degrees in fourteen subjects. Academ ...

, and The Williams School. The

Coast Guard Station New London Coast Guard Station New London is a United States Coast Guard station located in New London, Connecticut. It is a unit of Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound and is located next to Fort Trumbull.

and New London Harbor is home port to the Coast Guard Cutter ''Coho'' and the Coast Guard's tall ship ''Eagle''. The city had a population of 27,367 at the 2020 census. The Norwich–New London metropolitan area includes 21 towns and 274,055 people.

History

2013-07-28 Fort Trumbull - Thames Baseball Club

Colonial era

The area was called Nameaug by the Pequot

Indians Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

John Winthrop, Jr. John Winthrop the Younger (February 12, 1606 – April 6, 1676) was an early governor of the Connecticut Colony, and he played a large role in the merger of several separate settlements into the unified colony. Early life Winthrop was born ...

founded the first English settlement here in 1646, making it about the 13th town settled in Connecticut. Inhabitants informally referred to it as Nameaug or as Pequot after the tribe. In the 1650s, the colonists wanted to give the town the official name of London after London, England, but the Connecticut General Assembly wanted to name it Faire Harbour. The citizens protested, declaring that they would prefer it to be called Nameaug if it could not be officially named London. The legislature relented, and the town was officially named New London on March 10, 1658.

American Revolution

The harbor was considered to be the best deep water harbor on

Long Island Sound Long Island Sound is a marine sound and tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies predominantly between the U.S. state of Connecticut to the north and Long Island in New York to the south. From west to east, the sound stretches from the Eas ...

, and consequently New London became a base of American naval operations during the American Revolutionary War and privateers where it has been said no port took more prizes than New London with between 400–800 being credited to New London privateers including the 1781 taking of supply ship Hannah, the largest prize taken during the war. Famous New Londoners during the American Revolution include

Nathan Hale Nathan Hale (June 6, 1755 – September 22, 1776) was an American Patriot, soldier and spy for the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He volunteered for an intelligence-gathering mission in New York City but was captured b ...

, William Coit, Richard Douglass, Thomas and Nathaniel Shaw, Gen. Samuel Parsons, printer Timothy Green, and Bishop

Samuel Seabury Samuel Seabury (November 30, 1729February 25, 1796) was the first American Episcopal bishop, the second Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, and the first Bishop of Connecticut. He was a leading Loyalist ...

. New London was raided and much of it burned to the ground on September 6, 1781 in the Battle of Groton Heights by Norwich native

Benedict Arnold Benedict Arnold ( Brandt (1994), p. 4June 14, 1801) was an American military officer who served during the Revolutionary War. He fought with distinction for the American Continental Army and rose to the rank of major general before defect ...

in an attempt to destroy the Revolutionary privateer fleet and supplies of goods and naval stores within the city. It is often noted that this raid on New London and Groton was intended to divert General

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

and the French Army under Rochambeau from their march on Yorktown, Virginia. The main defensive fort for New London was Fort Griswold, located across the Thames River in Groton. It was well known to Arnold, who sold its secrets to the British fleet so that they could avoid its artillery fire. The British overran New London's

Fort Trumbull Fort Trumbull is a fort near the mouth of the Thames River on Long Island Sound in New London, Connecticut and named for Governor Jonathan Trumbull. The original fort was built in 1777, but the present fortification was built between 1839 and ...

, while other soldiers moved in to attack Ft. Griswold across the river, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel

William Ledyard William Ledyard (December 6, 1738 – September 6, 1781) was a lieutenant colonel in the Connecticut militia who was killed during the American Revolutionary War. He commanded Fort Griswold in Groton and resisted the British forces during the B ...

. The British suffered great casualties at Ft. Griswold before the Americans were finally forced to surrender—whereupon the British stormed into and slaughtered most of the militia who defended it, including Colonel Ledyard. All told, more than 52 British soldiers and 83 defenders were killed, and more than 142 British and 39 defenders were wounded, many mortally. New London suffered over 6 defenders killed and 24 wounded, while Arnold and the British and Hessian raiding party suffered an equal amount. Connecticut's independent legislature made New London one of the first two cities brought from ''de facto'' to formalized incorporations in its January session of 1784, along with New Haven.

19th century

During the War of 1812, torpedoes were employed in attempts to destroy British vessels and protect American harbors. In fact, a submarine-deployed torpedo was used in an unsuccessful attempt to destroy HMS ''Ramillies'' while in New London's harbor. This prompted British Capt. Hardy to warn the Americans to cease efforts with the use of any "torpedo boat" in this "cruel and unheard-of warfare", or he would "order every house near the shore to be destroyed". For several decades beginning in the early 19th century, New London was one of the three busiest whaling ports in the world, along with

and

. The wealth that whaling brought into the city furnished the capital to fund much of the city's present architecture. The

New Haven and New London Railroad The Shore Line Railway was a part of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad system, running east from New Haven, Connecticut, to New London along the north shore of Long Island Sound. It is currently used for commuter service on ConnDOT's ...

connected New London by rail to New Haven and points beyond by the 1850s. The

Springfield and New London Railroad The Connecticut Central Railroad was a railroad in Connecticut and Massachusetts, which connected East Hartford, Connecticut and Springfield, Massachusetts. Founded in 1871, it was built between 1874 and 1876, and operated independently until be ...

connected New London to

Springfield, Massachusetts Springfield is a city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States, and the seat of Hampden County. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers: the western Westfield River, the ...

, by the 1870s.

Military presence

Several military installations have been part of New London's history, including the United States Coast Guard Academy and

. Most of these military installations have been located at

. The first Fort Trumbull was an earthwork built 1775–1777 that took part in the Revolutionary War. The second Fort Trumbull was built 1839–1852 and still stands. By 1910, the fort's defensive function had been superseded by the new forts of the Endicott Program, primarily located on Fishers Island. The fort was turned over to the Revenue Cutter Service and became the Revenue Cutter Academy. The Revenue Cutter Service was merged into the United States Coast Guard in 1915, and the Academy relocated to its current site in 1932. During World War II, the Merchant Marine Officers Training School was located at Fort Trumbull. From 1950 to 1990, Fort Trumbull was the location for the

Naval Underwater Sound Laboratory The Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) is the United States Navy's full-spectrum research, development, test and evaluation, engineering and fleet support center for submarines, autonomous underwater systems, and offensive and defensive weapons ...

, which developed sonar and related systems for US Navy

submarine A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...

s. In 1990, the Sound Laboratory was merged with the

Naval Underwater Systems Center The Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) is the United States Navy's full-spectrum research, development, test and evaluation, engineering and fleet support center for submarines, autonomous underwater systems, and offensive and defensive weapons ...

in Newport, Rhode Island, and the New London facility was closed in 1996. The Naval Submarine Base New London is physically located in Groton, but submarines were stationed in New London during World War II and from 1951 to 1991. The submarine tender ''Fulton'' and

Submarine Squadron 10 Submarine Squadron 10 (SUBRON 10) was a unit of the United States Navy during World War II in the Pacific and in the Atlantic Fleet after the war from 1951–1991. The number and type of submarines assigned to SUBRON 10 varied throughout its histo ...

were based at State Pier in New London during this time. Squadron Ten was usually composed of eight to ten submarines and was the first all-nuclear submarine squadron. USS ''Fulton'' was decommissioned, after 50 years of service, in 1991 and Submarine Squadron 10 was disbanded at the same time. In the 1990s, State Pier was rebuilt as a container terminal. During the Red Summer of 1919, there were a series of racial riots between white and black Navy men stationed in New London and Groton.

Fort Trumbull

The neighborhood of Fort Trumbull once consisted of nearly two-dozen homes, but they were seized by the City of New London using eminent domain. This measure was supported in a 5–4 ruling in the 2005 Supreme Court case ''

Kelo v. City of New London ''Kelo v. City of New London'', 545 U.S. 469 (2005), was a landmark decision by the Supreme Court of the United States in which the Court held, 5–4, that the use of eminent domain to transfer land from one private owner to another private own ...

'', and the homes were ultimately demolished by the city as part of an economic development plan. The site was slated to be redeveloped under this plan, but the chosen developer was not able to get financing and the project failed. The empty landscape of the Fort Trumbull area has been widely characterized as an example of government overreach and inefficiency.

Geography

Nathan Hale statue in Williams Park, New London Connecticut

In terms of land area, New London is one of the smallest cities in Connecticut. Of the whole , nearly half is water; is land. The town and city of New London are coextensive. Sections of the original town were ceded to form newer towns between 1705 and 1801. The

towns A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

of Groton,

Ledyard Ledyard may refer to: *Ledyard (name) *Ledyard, Connecticut, United States *Ledyard, Iowa, United States *Ledyard, New York, United States *Ledyard Bridge, connecting New Hampshire and Vermont, United States {{disambiguation, geo ...

, Montville, and Waterford, and portions of

Salem Salem may refer to: Places Canada Ontario * Bruce County ** Salem, Arran–Elderslie, Ontario, in the municipality of Arran–Elderslie ** Salem, South Bruce, Ontario, in the municipality of South Bruce * Salem, Dufferin County, Ontario, part ...

and

East Lyme East Lyme is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 18,693 at the 2020 census. The villages of Niantic and Flanders are located in the town. Geography East Lyme is located in southern New London County, west ...

, now occupy what had earlier been the outlying area of New London. New London is bounded on the west and north by the town of Waterford on the east by the Thames River and Groton and on the south by

Principal communities

Downtown New London ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business distric ...

*Ocean Beach Other minor communities and geographic features include Bates Woods Park, Fort Trumbull, Glenwood Park, Green's Harbor Beach, Mitchell's Woods, Pequot Colony, Riverside Park, Old Town Mill.

Towns created from New London

New London originally had a larger land area when it was established. Towns set off since include: * Stonington in 1649 ** This large area ran from the Mystic River to the

Pawcatuck River The Pawcatuck River is a river in the US states of Rhode Island and Connecticut flowing approximately .U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 There are eight dam ...

, including

Pawcatuck Pawcatuck is a village and census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Stonington which is located in New London County, Connecticut. The population was 5,624 at the 2010 census. It is located across the Pawcatuck River from Downtown Westerly, ...

, Wequetequock, and the easterly half of Mystic. It stretched inland from

Lantern Hill Lantern Hill, elevation 491 feet (149 m), is a hill located in North Stonington, New London County, Connecticut. Name Lantern Hill The hill's white quartz cliffs are said to shine in sunlight when viewed from the Atlantic Ocean (Caulkins 189 ...

. **

North Stonington North Stonington is a town in New London County, Connecticut which was split off from Stonington in 1724. The population was 5,149 at the 2020 census. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of whi ...

was created from the northern half of Stonington in 1807. * Groton in 1705 **

(originally North Groton) created from a part of Groton in 1836. * Montville in 1786. **

created from parts of Montville, Colchester, and Lyme in 1819 * Waterford in 1801. **

created from parts of Waterford and Lyme in 1839. * Fishers Island officially left Connecticut and became part of New York in 1879.

Climate

Using the Köppen climate classification New London has a temperate climate (called Humid Subtropical in some climate classifications). This zone is defined as having a monthly mean temperature above 26.4 °F (−3 C) but below 64.4 °F (18 C) in the coldest month. The city experiences long, hot and humid summers, and cool to cold winters with snowfall on occasion. The city averages 2,300 hours of sunshine annually (higher than the USA average). New London lies in the broad transition zone between continental climates to the north in New England and southern Canada, and the Humid subtropical climates to the south of the middle and south Atlantic states. From May to late September, the southerly flow from the Bermuda High creates hot and humid tropical weather conditions. Daytime heating produces occasional thunderstorms with heavy but brief downpours. Daytime highs in summer are normally near 80 °F, with occasional heat waves bringing high temperatures into the 90's °F. Spring and Fall are mild in New London, with daytime highs in the 55° to 70 °F range and lows in the 40° to 50 °F range. The seaside location of the city creates a long growing season compared to areas inland. The first frost in the New London area is normally not until late October or early November, almost three weeks later than parts of northern Connecticut. Winters are cool with a mix of rainfall and snowfall, or mixed precipitation. New London normally sees fewer than 25 days annually with snow cover. In mid-winter, there can be large differences in low temperatures between areas along the coastline and areas well inland, sometimes as much as 15 °F. Tropical cyclones (hurricanes/tropical storms) have struck Connecticut and the New London metropolitan area, although infrequently. Hurricane landfalls have occurred along the Connecticut coast in 1903, 1938, 1944, 1954 ( Carol), 1960 (

Donna Donna may refer to the short form of the honorific ''nobildonna'', the female form of Don (honorific) in Italian. People *Donna (given name); includes name origin and list of people and characters with the name * Roberto Di Donna (born 1968), Ita ...

), 1985 (

Gloria Gloria may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music Christian liturgy and music * Gloria in excelsis Deo, the Greater Doxology, a hymn of praise * Gloria Patri, the Lesser Doxology, a short hymn of praise ** Gloria (Handel) ** Gloria (Jenkins) ...

Tropical Storm Irene The name Irene was used for thirteen cyclones worldwide: 12 tropical and one extratropical. Of the tropical cyclones named Irene, seven were in the Atlantic, two were in the South Pacific, and the Western Pacific, South-West Indian Ocean and Austral ...

(2011) also caused moderate damage along the Connecticut coast, as did Hurricane Sandy (which made landfall in New Jersey) in 2012. M-grandiflora bank-st montauk-ave new-london-CT 11282020

M-grandiflora bank-st montauk-ave new-london-CT 11282020

The Connecticut shoreline (including New London) lies within the broad transition zone where so-called "subtropical indicator" plants and other broadleaf evergreens can successfully be cultivated. New London averages about 90 days annually with freeze, about the same as Baltimore, Maryland. As such, many varieties of Southern Magnolia, Needle Palms, Loblolly and

Longleaf Pines The longleaf pine (''Pinus palustris'') is a pine species native to the Southeastern United States, found along the coastal plain from East Texas to southern Virginia, extending into northern and central Florida. In this area it is also known as ...

Crape Myrtles ''Lagerstroemia'' (), commonly known as crape myrtle (also spelled crepe myrtle or crêpe myrtle), is a genus of around 50 species of deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs native to the Indian subcontinent, southeast Asia, northern Australia ...

, Aucuba japonica, Camellia, trunking Yucca, hardy bananas, Monkey Puzzle, copious types of evergreen Hollies, many East Asian (non-holly)

broadleaf evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has Leaf, foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, ...

trees and shrubs, and certain varieties of figs may be grown in private and public gardens. The growing season is quite long in New London. Like much of coastal Connecticut and Long Island, NY, it averages close to 200 frost free days. New London lies at the cusp of

USDA hardiness zones A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most wide ...

6 and 7 (6b and 7a), with the southern quarter or so of land area in the city being in zone 7 according to the latest released hardiness zone map, making it similar in expected extreme minimum annual temperature to places like

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the 9th largest city and 15th largest municipality in Pe ...

, Trenton, New Jersey, the

Shenandoah Valley The Shenandoah Valley () is a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge- ...

of Virginia, much of north-central Tennessee and the Ozarks of northern Arkansas. By the mid-to-late 21st century, the area is expected to fall within USDA zone 8 according to some models. Due to climate change, certain low-lying areas such as Ocean Beach in the southern part of the city are susceptible to

rising sea levels Rising may refer to: * Rising, a stage in baking - see Proofing (baking technique) *Elevation * Short for Uprising, a rebellion Film and TV * "Rising" (''Stargate Atlantis''), the series premiere of the science fiction television program ''Starga ...

and increasingly powerful fall/winter

noreaster A nor'easter (also northeaster; see below), or an East Coast low is a synoptic-scale extratropical cyclone in the western North Atlantic Ocean. The name derives from the direction of the winds that blow from the northeast. The original use ...

s and summer/fall hurricanes.

Demographics

Recent estimates on demographics and economic status

According to the 2006–2008

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is a demographics survey program conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the decennial census, such as ancestry, citizenship, educati ...

, non-Hispanic whites made up 54.6% of New London's population. Non-Hispanic blacks made up 14.0% of the population.

Asians Asian people (or Asians, sometimes referred to as Asiatic people)United States National Library of Medicine. Medical Subject Headings. 2004. November 17, 200Nlm.nih.gov: ''Asian Continental Ancestry Group'' is also used for categorical purpos ...

of non-Hispanic origin made up 4.6% of the city's population.

Multiracial Mixed race people are people of more than one race or ethnicity. A variety of terms have been used both historically and presently for mixed race people in a variety of contexts, including ''multiethnic'', ''polyethnic'', occasionally ''bi-ethn ...

individuals of non-Hispanic origin made up 4.3% of the population; people of mixed black and white ancestry made up 1.7% of the population. In addition, people of mixed black and Native American ancestry made up 1.0% of the population. People of mixed white and Native American ancestry made up 0.7% of the population; those of mixed white and Asian ancestry made up 0.4% of the populace. Hispanics and Latinos made up 21.9% of the population, of which 13.8% were Puerto Rican. The top five largest

European European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to: In general * ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe ** Ethnic groups in Europe ** Demographics of Europe ** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe ...

ancestry groups were Italian (10.5%), Irish (9.7%),

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

(7.4%), English (6.8%) and

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...

(5.0%) According to the survey, 74.4% of people over the age of 5 spoke only English at home. Approximately 16.0% of the population spoke Spanish at home. In 2012, the population reached 27,700. The median household income was $44,100, with 20% of the population below the poverty line.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 25,671 people, 10,181 households, and 5,385 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 11,560 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 63.5% White, 19.7% Hispanic or

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race, 18.6% African American, 0.9% Native American, 2.1%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 9.1% from other races, and 5.7% from two or more races. There were 10,181 households, out of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.4% were married couples living together, 17.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.1% were non-families. 37.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 3.00. In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.8% under the age of 18, 17.6% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 17.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $33,809, and the median income for a family was $38,942. Males had a median income of $31,405 versus $25,426 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,437. About 13.4% of families and 15.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.5% of those under age 18 and 11.4% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Eugene O'Neill

Nobel laureate and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Eugene O'Neill (1888–1953) lived in New London and wrote several plays in the city. An O'Neill archive is located at Connecticut College, and the family home,

Monte Cristo Cottage Monte Cristo Cottage (also known as Eugene O'Neill Summer House) was the summer home of American actor James O'Neill and his family, notably his son Eugene O'Neill. It is a National Historic Landmark located at 325 Pequot Avenue in New London, ...

, is a museum and national historic landmark operated by the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center.

Music

Notable artists and ensembles include: * Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1946 and led by Toshiyuki Shimada, who is also conductor of the

Yale Symphony Orchestra The Yale Symphony Orchestra is a symphony orchestra at Yale University which performs in Yale's Woolsey Hall and tours internationally and domestically. The present Music Director is William Boughton. History The Yale Symphony Orchestra was found ...

in New Haven. *

The Idlers The Idlers of the United States Coast Guard Academy (USCGA) are an all-male collegiate a cappella ensemble specializing in the performance of sea shanties and patriotic music. Overview A relatively exclusive group with a history and traditions si ...

of the United States Coast Guard Academy, an all-male vocal group specializing in sea shanties and patriotic music. * United States Coast Guard Band, founded in 1925 with the assistance of John Philip Sousa. Stationed at the United States Coast Guard Academy and attracting talented musicians from all parts of the country, the band is the official musical representative of the nation's oldest continuous seagoing service. *

The Can Kickers The Can Kickers are an Americana band based out of New London, Connecticut. The group formed in 2000 while the members were attending Connecticut College. Career The Can Kickers are an Americana band based in New London, Connecticut. According ...

, a

folk punk Folk punk (known in its early days as rogue folk) is a fusion of folk music and punk rock. It was popularized in the early 1980s by the Pogues in England, and by Violent Femmes in the United States. Folk punk achieved some mainstream success in ...

band.

Sites of interest

Garde Arts Center New London from southwest

Lyman Allyn Art Museum The Lyman Allyn Art Museum is located in New London, Connecticut and was founded in 1926 by Lyman Allyn's daughter Harriet Upson Allyn.

* Ocean Beach Park * New London County Historical Society,

Shaw-Perkins Mansion The Shaw Mansion, also known as the Shaw-Perkins Mansion and as the Shaw Mansion Museum, is a historic mansion and house museum at 11 Blinman Street between Bank and Brewer Streets in New London, Connecticut. Built in 1756 for Nathaniel Shaw Sr ...

(1758) * New London Maritime Society, U.S. Custom House (1833), landing site of ''Amistad'' (1839) * Fishers Island (7 miles off the coast of New London, but part of New York) *

Connecticut College Arboretum The Connecticut College Arboretum is a 300 ha (750 acres) arboretum and botanical gardens, founded in 1931, and located on the campus of Connecticut College and in the towns of New London and Waterford, Connecticut, United States. Collections A ...

* Fort Griswold (Groton) *

* United States Coast Guard Academy *

* Flock Theatre *

Garde Arts Center The Garde Arts Center is a non-profit performing arts center and cinema located at 325 State Street at the corner of Huntington Street in New London, Connecticut. It owns and operates the Garde Theatre, a historic movie palace. History The theat ...

* Hygienic Arts Gallery *

Joshua Hempsted House The Joshua Hempsted House is a historic house museum at 11 Hempstead Street in New London, Connecticut. Built about 1678 and altered several times during the 18th century, it is one of the state's oldest surviving buildings, and provides a vir ...

(1678) * Monte Cristo Cottage & Eugene O'Neill Theater Center (Waterford) * USS ''Nautilus'' (Groton) * Ye Antientist Burial Ground *

Winthrop Mill The Winthrop Mill (also known as the Old Town Mill) is a historic mill building on Mill Street in New London, Connecticut. It is a grist mill located astride Briggs Brook between bridges carrying the eastbound and westbound lanes of Interstate 9 ...

(1650) * Former Second Congregational Church (1870) * The Pequot Chapel (1872)

Government

In 2010, New London changed their form of government from council-manager to strong mayor-council after a charter revision. Distinct town and city government structures formerly existed and technically continue; however, they now govern exactly the same territory and have elections on the same ballot on

Election Day Election day or polling day is the day on which general elections are held. In many countries, general elections are always held on a Saturday or Sunday, to enable as many voters as possible to participate; while in other countries elections ar ...

in November.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Downtown New London is served by regional Southeast Area Transit buses, the

Estuary Transit District Estuary Transit District, doing business as 9 Town Transit, is the public transit provider for the Connecticut River Estuary region. ETD provides public transit bus service through its 9 Town Transit service to the towns of Chester, Clinton, D ...

public transit service between the New London transportation center and Old Saybrook, and interstate

Greyhound Lines Greyhound Lines, Inc. (commonly known as simply Greyhound) operates the largest intercity bus service in North America, including Greyhound Mexico. It also operates charter bus services, Amtrak Thruway services, commuter bus services, and pac ...

buses.

Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1, US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between M ...

passes through New London. New London has frequent passenger rail service. New London Union Station is served by Amtrak's Northeast Regional and Acela Express regional rail services, plus Shore Line East (SLE) commuter rail service. The Providence & Worcester Railroad and the New England Central Railroad handle freight. The city is also served by

Cross Sound Ferry Cross Sound Ferry is a passenger and road vehicle ferry service operating between New London, Connecticut and Orient on the North Fork of Long Island, New York. The service is privately owned and operated by Cross Sound Ferry Services, headqu ...

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...

, the Fishers Island Ferry District, and the

Block Island Block Island is an island in the U.S. state of Rhode Island located in Block Island Sound approximately south of the mainland and east of Montauk Point, Long Island, New York, named after Dutch explorer Adriaen Block. It is part of Washingt ...

Express ferry. New London is also visited by cruise ships. The Groton-New London Airport, a general aviation facility, is located in Groton. Scheduled commercial flights are available at T. F. Green and the much smaller Tweed New Haven Regional Airport. The larger Bradley International Airport is 75 minutes driving time.

Mayors of New London

Notable mayors include: * Richard Law (1784–1806) *

Elias Perkins Elias Perkins (April 5, 1767 – September 27, 1845) was a United States representative from Connecticut. He was born in Lisbon, Connecticut. He graduated from Yale College in 1786. Afterwards, he studied law and was admitted to the bar and com ...

(1829–1832) *

Noyes Billings Noyes Billings (March 31, 1800 – April 26, 1865) was an American politician who was the 39th Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut from 1846 to 1847. Early life Noyes Billings was born in Stonington, Connecticut on March 31, 1800, to Coddington Bi ...

(1835–1837) *

John Perkins Cushing Mather John Perkins Cushing Mather (September 23, 1816 – February 12, 1891) was an American politician. Mather, the only child of Captain Andrew and Mary (Wetmore) Mather, was born in New London, Connecticut, on September 23, 1816. He graduated from ...

(1845–1850) *

Hiram Willey Hiram Willey (May 5, 1818 – March 8, 1910) was an American attorney who served as the United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut under two presidents. He was also a judge, member of the Connecticut senate, author, and the mayor of N ...

(1862–1865) *

Augustus Brandegee Augustus Brandegee (July 12, 1828 – November 10, 1904) was an American lawyer and politician who served in the United States House of Representatives from Connecticut. Early life Brandegee was born in New London, Connecticut. He was the so ...

(1871–1873) *

Thomas M. Waller Thomas MacDonald Waller (February 15, 1839 – January 25, 1924) was an American attorney, politician and the 51st Governor of Connecticut. Biography Waller was born in New York City on February 15, 1839, the son of Irish immigrant parents. Hi ...

(1873–1879) *

Bryan F. Mahan Bryan Francis Mahan (May 1, 1856 – November 16, 1923) was an American legislator and United States House of Representatives, Representative from Connecticut. Biography Born in New London, Connecticut, Mahan attended public schools and gradu ...

(1903–1906) *

(1909–1915) *

Ernest E. Rogers Ernest Elias Rogers (December 6, 1866 – January 28, 1945) was an American politician who was the 81st Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut from 1929 to 1931. Along with Rogers' political pursuits, he was a member of the Sons of the American Rev ...

(1915–1918)

Notable people

Eliphalet Adams Eliphalet Adams (; March 26, 1677 — October 4, 1753) was an eminent minister of New London, Connecticut. He graduated from Harvard University in 1694. He was ordained February 9, 1709, and died on October 4, 1753, aged 76. Dr. Chauncy spoke ...

(1677–1753), clergyman *

Theresa Andrews Theresa Andrews (born August 25, 1962) is an American former competitive swimmer and Olympic champion. Raised in Maryland, Andrews gained prominence as a national collegiate champion when competing for the University of Florida. In internationa ...

(born 1962), winner of two Olympic gold medals *

Peter C. Assersen Peter Christian Assersen (January 5, 1839 – December 6, 1906) was a civil engineer and Rear Admiral in the United States Navy. Background Assersen was born January 5, 1839, the youngest of twelve children, on the Midbrød farm in Egersund paris ...

(1839–1906),

Rear Admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...

in the United States Navy * James Avery (1620–1700), politician and military commander * Valerie Azlynn (born 1980), actress * Gaten Matarazzo (born 2002), actor *

Scott Barlow Scott Barlow (born 23 July 1976) is an Australian businessman. He is the founder of STRADA Group and the Chairman of Sydney FC. Property In 2005, Barlow started property development and funds management firm STRADA. Based in Sydney, STRADA s ...

, professional Baseball Pitcher for the

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...

Nathan Belcher Nathan Belcher (June 23, 1813 – June 2, 1891) was a United States representative from Connecticut. He was born in Preston, Connecticut. He completed academic studies and was graduated from Amherst College in 1832. Later, he studied law at the ...

(1813–1891), congressman *

(1828–1904), judge, congressman, abolitionist * Frank B. Brandegee (1864–1924), congressman and senator *

Amy Brenneman Amy Frederica Brenneman (born June 22, 1964) is an American actress and producer. She worked extensively in television, coming to prominence as Detective Janice Licalsi in the ABC police drama series ''NYPD Blue'' (1993–1994). Brenneman nex ...

(born 1964), actress * Henry Burbeck (1754–1848), brigadier general *

Daniel Burrows Daniel Burrows (October 26, 1766 – January 23, 1858) was a United States representative from Connecticut. He was the uncle of Lorenzo Burrows who was a United States Representative from New York. He was born at Fort Hill, Connecticut where h ...

(1756–1858), congressman * John Button (soldier) (1772–1861), American-born Upper Canada settler (founder of

Buttonville, Ontario Buttonville is a suburban planned neighbourhood from a former police village in the city of Markham, Ontario, Canada, west of the larger Unionville neighbourhood. the former hamlet and police village named after its founder, John Button. About ...

), sedentary Canadian militia officer and founder of the 1st York Light Dragoons *

William Colfax William Colfax (July 3, 1756 – September 9, 1838) was a Revolutionary War figure who served as Captain of George Washington's Life Guard beginning on March 18, 1778. William was the fifth child born to George Colfax (born: December 25, 1727) ...

, Canadian soldier and settler *

Frances Manwaring Caulkins Frances Manwaring Caulkins (April 26, 1795 – 1869) was a 19th-century American historian and genealogist, the author of histories of New London, Connecticut and Norwich, Connecticut. Through her father, she was descendant of Hugh Caulkins, who ...

(1795–1869), historian, genealogist, author *

Thomas Humphrey Cushing Thomas Humphrey Cushing (December 20, 1755 – October 19, 1822) was an officer in the Continental Army, and later the United States Army. A veteran of the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, he attained the rank of brigadier general. ...

(1755–1822), brigadier general in the War of 1812 and collector of customs *

John M. K. Davis John M. K. Davis (January 31, 1844 – May 20, 1920) was a career officer in the United States Army. A Union Army veteran of the American Civil War, after graduating from Georgetown University in 1862 and initial military service with the 3rd Ma ...

, U.S. Army brigadier general; lived in New London during his retirement *

Harry Daghlian Haroutune Krikor Daghlian Jr. (May 4, 1921 – September 15, 1945) was an American physicist with the Manhattan Project, which designed and produced the atomic bombs that were used in World War II. He accidentally irradiated himself on August 2 ...

(1921–1945), physicist at Los Alamos National Lab, first person to die as a result of a criticality accident *

A. J. Dillon Algiers Jameal William Dillon Jr. (born May 2, 1998) is an American football running back for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Boston College. Early life and high school career Dillon gr ...

(born 1998), American football running back * David Dorfman (born 1955), choreographer *

Richard Douglass Captain Richard Douglass (1746–1828) was an American cooper, soldier, deacon, and a politician. He was born in New London, Connecticut, in 1746 and was the son of Stephen and Patience Douglass. He ran a successful business as a cooper. In 1760, ...

(1746–1828), cooper and soldier *

Grace L. Drake Grace L. Drake (née Driscoll; May 25, 1926 – December 30, 2020) was an American politician, member of the Ohio Senate, serving the 22nd district from 1984 to 2000. Her district encompassed the eastern/southern portion of Cuyahoga County and ...

, Ohio state legislator * Doug DuBose (born 1964), NFL player *

Kris Dunn Kristofer Michael Dunn (born March 18, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Capital City Go-Go of the NBA G League. He played four seasons of college basketball for the Providence Friars before being drafted with the fifth ...

(born 1994), point guard for the Chicago Bulls *

Larry Elgart Lawrence Joseph Elgart (March 20, 1922 – August 29, 2017) was an American jazz bandleader. With his brother Les, he recorded "Bandstand Boogie", the theme to the long-running dance show ''American Bandstand''. Biography Elgart was born in ...

(born 1922), musician *

John Ellis John Ellis may refer to: Academics *John Ellis (scrivener) (1698–1791), English political writer *John Ellis (naturalist) (1710–1776), English botanical illustrator *John Ellis (physicist, born 1946), British theoretical physicist at CERN * Jo ...

(born 1948), baseball player * Elsie Ferguson (1883–1961), stage and film actress *

Richard P. Freeman Richard Patrick Freeman (April 24, 1869 – July 8, 1944) was a United States House of Representatives, U.S. Representative from Connecticut. Biography Born in New London, Connecticut, Freeman attended the public schools. He was graduated ...

(1869–1944), congressman * William Goddard (publisher) (1740–1817), Co-founded US Post Office with Benjamin Franklin *

L. Patrick Gray Louis Patrick Gray III (July 18, 1916 – July 6, 2005) was Acting Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from May 3, 1972 to April 27, 1973. During this time, the FBI was in charge of the initial investigation into the burglarie ...

(1916–2005), lawyer and

Watergate The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal in the United States involving the administration of President Richard Nixon from 1972 to 1974 that led to Nixon's resignation. The scandal stemmed from the Nixon administration's continual ...

figure *

(1755–1776), schoolmaster and patriot * Doc Hammer (born 1967), multimedium artist and co-creator of the

Venture Brothers ''The Venture Bros.'' is an American adult animated action comedy TV series created by Chris McCulloch (also known as "Jackson Publick") for Cartoon Network's late night programming block Adult Swim. Following a pilot episode on February 16, 2 ...

* Matt Harvey (born 1989), MLB pitcher for the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

* Glenne Headly (1955–2017), actress *

Barkley L. Hendricks Barkley L. Hendricks (April 16, 1945 – April 18, 2017) was a contemporary American painter who made pioneering contributions to Black portraiture and conceptualism. While he worked in a variety of media and genres throughout his career (from ph ...

(born 1945), painter *

Jedediah Huntington Jedediah (or Jedidiah) Huntington (4 August 1743 – 25 September 1818), was an American general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. After the war, he served in numerous civilian posts. Early life Huntington was born ...

(1743–1818), Revolutionary War General and New London Customs Collector * Linda Jaivin (born 1955), Australian author *

Sarah Kemble Knight Sarah Kemble Knight (April 19, 1666 – September 25, 1727) was a teacher and businesswoman, who is remembered for a brief diary of a journey from Boston, Massachusetts Bay Colony, to New York City, Province of New York, in 1704–1705, which prov ...

(1666–1727), diarist, teacher and businesswoman *

Madeline Kripke Madeline Faith Kripke (September 9, 1943 – April 25, 2020) was an American book collector who held one of the world's largest collections of dictionaries. Early life and education Madeline Kripke was born on September 9, 1943, in New London, ...

(1943–2020), book collector *

John Law John Law may refer to: Arts and entertainment *John Law (artist) (born 1958), American artist *John Law (comics), comic-book character created by Will Eisner *John Law (film director), Hong Kong film director * John Law (musician) (born 1961), B ...

(1796–1873), congressman *

(1856–1923), congressman * Richard Mansfield (1857–1907), actor *

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two terms ...

(1936–2018), senator and Republican presidential nominee (lived in New London as a child when his father,

John S. McCain, Jr. John Sidney "Jack" McCain Jr. (January 17, 1911 – March 22, 1981) was a United States Navy Admiral (United States), admiral who served in conflicts from the 1940s through the 1970s, including as the Commander, United States Pacific Command. Th ...

, worked at the naval submarine base) *

Thomas Minor Thomas Minor (23 April 1608 – 23 October 1690) was a founder of New London, Connecticut, New London and Stonington, Connecticut, United States, and an early colonial New England diarist. Early life and marriage Minor was born in Chew Magna, i ...

(1608–1690), founder and early New England diarist * Casey Neistat (born 1981), filmmaker * James R Newby (born 1844), was a Civil War veteran who served in the first regiment of volunteer African Americans in the United States and a 19th-century African-American missionary to present-day Nigeria, Cameroon, and Liberia * Hannah Ocuish (1774–1786), believed to be the youngest person executed in the United States * James O'Neill (1847–1920), actor, father of Eugene O'Neill * Eugene O'Neill (1888–1953), playwright * Walter Palmer (1585–1661), founder *

(1767–1845), congressman * Mary Philips (1901–1975), actress *

Edward Clark Potter Edward Clark Potter (November 26, 1857 – June 21, 1923) was an American sculptor best known for his equestrian and animal statues. His most famous works are the marble lions, nicknamed ''Patience'' and ''Fortitude'', in front of the New Yor ...

(1857–1923), sculptor *

Ellen Culver Potter Ellen Culver Potter (August 5, 1871 – February 9, 1958) was an American physician and public health official. Early life Potter was born in New London, Connecticut, the daughter of Thomas Wells Potter and Ellen Harris Culver Potter. She stu ...

(1871–1958), physician, public health official * Renee Prahar (1879–1962), sculptor *

Art Quimby __NOTOC__ Arthur R. Quimby Jr. (July 1, 1933 – December 6, 2010) was an American college basketball player from the University of Connecticut. Early life A native of New London, Connecticut, Quimby attended the Bulkeley School, which was a sma ...

(1933–2010), basketball player *

Jordan Reed Jordan Reed (born July 3, 1990) is a former American football tight end who played eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida and was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the third round of the 20 ...

(born 1990), tight end for the Washington Redskins * Tim Riordan (born 1960), gridiron football player * Dawn Robinson (born 1965), singer * Dudley Saltonstall (1738–1796), naval officer * "Magic Dick" Salwitz (born 1945), musician * Thomas R. Sargent III (1914–2010), Vice Admiral in the United States Coast Guard *

C. John Satti Charles John Satti (December 4, 1895 – May 7, 1968) was an American politician and physician. He was a Democratic party leader of New London and was Secretary of the State of Connecticut from 1935 to 1939. He commonly went by C. John Satti. ...

(1895–1968), Secretary of the State of Connecticut *

(1729–1796), bishop *

Benjamin Stark Benjamin Stark (June 26, 1820October 10, 1898) was an American merchant and politician in Oregon. A native of Louisiana, he purchased some of the original tracts of land for the city of Portland. He later served in the Oregon House of Representat ...

(1820–1898), senator *

Sigmund Strochlitz Sigmund Strochlitz (December 20, 1916 – October 16, 2006) was a Polish-born Jewish American entrepreneur, political activist, and Holocaust survivor. He served on the U.S. President's Commission on the Holocaust and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial ...

(1916–2006), activist and Holocaust survivor *

Dana Suesse Nadine Dana Suesse (; December 3, 1911 – October 16, 1987) was an American musician, composer and lyricist. Biography Dana Suesse was born in Kansas City, Missouri in 1909. When she grew too tall for ballet, she began piano lessons with Gertru ...

(1909–1987), composer, songwriter, musician *

Ron Suresha Ron Jackson Suresha is an American author and anthologist of books centering on gay and bisexual men's subcultures, particularly the Bear community. Biography Suresha was born in Detroit, Michigan, and attended grade school in the northwest su ...

, author and editor *

Flora M. Vare Flora Morris Vare (July 26, 1873 – May 27, 1962) was an American politician from Pennsylvania who served as a Republican member of the Pennsylvania Senate for the 1st District from 1925 to 1928. She was married to Edwin Vare; he and his brot ...

, (1874–1962), Pennsylvania State Senator from 1925 to 1928 * Cassie Ventura (born 1986), singer *

John T. Wait John Turner Wait (August 27, 1811 – April 21, 1899) was a U.S. Representative from Connecticut. Biography Born in New London, Connecticut, Wait moved with his mother to Norwich, Connecticut. He attended the common schools and Trinity ...

(1811–1899), former

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

for Connecticut *

(1839–1924), Mayor of New London and 51st Governor of Connecticut *

Mary Way Mary Way (1769November 1833) was an American painter, known for her portrait miniatures. She, along with her sister Elizabeth Way Champlain, was among the first women to work as a professional artist in the United States. Background Portrait mi ...

(1769–1833),

portrait miniaturist A portrait miniature is a miniature portrait painting, usually executed in gouache, watercolor, or enamel. Portrait miniatures developed out of the techniques of the miniatures in illuminated manuscripts, and were popular among 16th-century el ...

* John Winthrop the Younger (1606–1676), statesman and founder * Tyson Wheeler (born 1975), former

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...

basketball player *

Abisha Woodward Abisha Woodward (1752–1809), also known as Abashai Woodward, was an architect and contractor from New London, Connecticut that is best known for building lighthouses in the United States. He oversaw the construction of many of Connecticut's ear ...

(1752–1809), early American lighthouse builder

References

Notes Bibliography * * - Total pages: 930 * - Total pages: 234

External links

* * {{authority control Cities in Connecticut Cities in New London County, Connecticut Populated places established in 1646 1646 establishments in Connecticut Populated coastal places in Connecticut Populated places on the Thames River (Connecticut)