Shelton, Connecticut
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Shelton is a city in
Fairfield County Fairfield County is the name of three counties in the United States: * Fairfield County, Connecticut * Fairfield County, Ohio Fairfield County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 158,921. ...
,
Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
,
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. The population was 40,869 at the
2020 United States Census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...
.


History


Origins

Shelton was settled by the English as part of the town of
Stratford, Connecticut Stratford is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is situated on Long Island Sound at the mouth of the Housatonic River. Stratford is in the Bridgeport–Stamford–Norwalk Metropolitan Statistical Area. It was settled ...
, in 1639. On May 15, 1656, the Court of the
Colony of Connecticut The ''Connecticut Colony'' or ''Colony of Connecticut'', originally known as the Connecticut River Colony or simply the River Colony, was an English colony in New England which later became Connecticut. It was organized on March 3, 1636 as a settl ...
in Hartford affirmed that the town of Stratford included all of the territory inland from
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 ...
, between the
Housatonic River The Housatonic River ( ) is a river, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 in western Massachusetts and western Connecticut in the United S ...
and the Fairfield town line. In 1662, Stratford selectmen Lt. Joseph Judson, Captain Joseph Hawley and John Minor had secured all the written deeds of transfer from the
Golden Hill Paugussett Indian Nation The Golden Hill Paugussett is a state-recognized Native American tribe in Connecticut. Granted reservations in a number of towns in the 17th century, their land base was whittled away until they were forced to reacquire a small amount of territor ...
for this vast territory that comprises the present-day towns of Trumbull, Shelton and Monroe. Shelton was split off from Stratford in 1789, as ''Huntington'' (named for Samuel Huntington). The current name originated in a manufacturing village started in the 1860s named for the Shelton Company founded by Edward N. Shelton—also founder of Ousatonic Water Power Company. The rapidly growing
borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...
of Shelton incorporated as a city in 1915 and was consolidated with the town of Huntington in 1919 establishing the present city of Shelton.


Decline of Shelton's industry

Shelton was the site of one of the largest arson fires in the United States history. It happened in 1975 when the Sponge Rubber Products plant (formerly owned by B.F. Goodrich) was set on fire. Charles Moeller, president of parent company Grand Sheet Metal Products, was acquitted of
criminal charges A criminal charge is a formal accusation made by a governmental authority (usually a public prosecutor or the police) asserting that somebody has committed a crime. A charging document, which contains one or more criminal charges or counts, can ...
, but in a suit under civil law (where
preponderance of evidence In a legal dispute, one party has the burden of proof to show that they are correct, while the other party had no such burden and is presumed to be correct. The burden of proof requires a party to produce evidence to establish the truth of facts ...
suffices to establish a factual claim), a jury found in 1988 the insurer was entitled to disallow claims on the fire losses, based on the finding that the company's top officials arranged the fire to claim insurance money. Eight others were convicted or pleaded guilty.Greenwald, Judy. "Jury rules no cover for bombed building." Business Insurance, April 4, 1988. The explosion that destroyed the Sponge Rubber Plant on Canal Street in 1975 marked the start of the decline of Shelton's industries. During the remainder of the 1970s and 1980s several firms that operated factories along the banks of the Housatonic River either went out of business or relocated to areas where labor and operating costs were cheaper."IF YOU'RE THINKING OF LIVING IN SHELTON"
''The New York Times''. Accessed January 30, 2012.
In 1995,
Sikorsky Aircraft Sikorsky Aircraft is an American aircraft manufacturer based in Stratford, Connecticut. It was established by aviation pioneer Igor Sikorsky in 1923 and was among the first companies to manufacture helicopters for civilian and military use. Pre ...
closed a plant off Bridgeport Avenue that manufactured electrical components for helicopters.


Rise of Shelton's office space

With the completion of Route 8, new office spaces and businesses were attracted to the town, due to its Fairfield County location coupled with low costs of doing business as opposed to places such as Stamford or Greenwich. Major firms such as Tetley Tea, TIE Communication, I.T.T., Black and Decker, Sikorsky Aircraft
Gama Aviation
Chesebrough-Pond's, Tetra-Pak, General Electric, and Bunker Ramo. Over of corporate office space spread across 12 buildings was constructed by the R.D. Scinto corporation alone.


Downtown revitalization

Efforts are underway to restore nineteenth-century industrial buildings in the downtown area; those that were beyond repair were demolished in the late 1990s and early 2000s and replaced with the Veteran's Memorial and a farmer's market. The Riverwalk Park next to the Veterans Memorial was created on the site of the former Sponge Rubber Plant. Other buildings along Howe Avenue, one of the city's main thoroughfares, have been restored, while developers have renovated two 19th-century factory buildings on Bridge Street, converting them into luxury
condominium A condominium (or condo for short) is an ownership structure whereby a building is divided into several units that are each separately owned, surrounded by common areas that are jointly owned. The term can be applied to the building or complex ...
s. Several downtown streets have been reconstructed as part of a streetscape improvement project: sidewalks were reconstructed with brick and cobblestone, trees were planted, and some power lines were rerouted underground to improve the appearance of Shelton's
central business district A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...
. In March 2008, Connecticut Governor
M. Jodi Rell Mary Carolyn "Jodi" Rell (née Reavis; born June 16, 1946) is an American former Republican politician and the 87th governor of Connecticut from 2004 until 2011. Rell also served as the state's 105th lieutenant governor of Connecticut. Rell was C ...
announced that after negotiations with State Senator
Dan Debicella Dan Debicella (born October 24, 1974) is a former State Senator and businessman, who represented the 21st district in the Connecticut State Senate The Connecticut State Senate is the upper house of the Connecticut General Assembly, the state ...
and State Representative Jason Perillo, state bond funds in the amount of $2 million would be directed toward additional infrastructure improvements.


Other events

In November 2007, a tree growing on Soundview Avenue in Shelton was selected and felled to be the
Rockefeller Center Rockefeller Center is a large complex consisting of 19 commerce, commercial buildings covering between 48th Street (Manhattan), 48th Street and 51st Street (Manhattan), 51st Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The 14 original Art Deco ...
Christmas tree. On May 30, 2008, producers and staff for the upcoming movie ''All Good Things'' shot one scene on Canal St. in downtown Shelton. The scene was underneath the train trestle and involved one of the characters dragging a body and dumping it into the Housatonic River. On July 31, 2009, a line of heavy thunderstorms with weak rotation spawned an EF1
tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, altho ...
, which touched down with wind speeds between 95 and 105 miles per hour. According to WTNH, the most concentrated damage was along the Oronoque Trail, where many trees were blown down. There were no injuries or fatalities. In November 2013, a tree located on Kazo Drive was picked to be the second
Rockefeller Center Rockefeller Center is a large complex consisting of 19 commerce, commercial buildings covering between 48th Street (Manhattan), 48th Street and 51st Street (Manhattan), 51st Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The 14 original Art Deco ...
Christmas tree from Shelton.


Geography

According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 4.26%, is water.


Neighborhoods

*Downtown *Coram Gardens * White Hills *Soundview Avenue *South End *Booth Hill Road *Bridgeport Avenue * Huntington *Pine Rock Park *Long Hill


Demographics

As of the
census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 38,101 people, 14,190 households, and 10,543 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 14,707 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.44%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 1.12%
Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...
or
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.15% Native American, 2.08%
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 ...
, 0.89% from
other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 1.31% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
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 were 3.48% of the population. There were 14,190 households, out of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.9% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.7% were non-families. 21.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.11. In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.5% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $67,292, and the median income for a family was $75,523 (these figures had risen to $80,694 and $94,485 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $50,210 versus $36,815 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...
for the city was $29,893. About 2.5% of families and 3.2% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 3.2% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.


Government and politics

Republican Mark Lauretti has served as mayor since taking office in 1991. The Republican Party has controlled the city government since the 1980s. Before the 2007 Elections, the Board of Aldermen consisted of five Republican members, two Citizens' United members, and one Democratic member. Mayor Lauretti was re-elected for a fourteenth term on November 7, 2017. The current Board of Aldermen consists entirely of eight Republicans. Political representation at the state level has been Republican since the 1960s. Republican State Senator Kevin Kelly of Stratford replaced Senator Dan Debicella in 2010 after Debicella sought election to the U.S. Congress. There are two State Assembly districts that cover Shelton. In 2007, Republican State Representative Jason Perillo of the 113th District took office. He won in a special election following the death of Richard O. Belden, who had represented the town for 32 years. Republican State Representative Ben McGorty of the 122nd District took office after winning a special election in 2014 following the death of previous State Representative Larry Miller. At the federal level, Shelton is represented by Democratic
U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...
s
Richard Blumenthal Richard Blumenthal (; born February 13, 1946) is an American lawyer and politician who is the senior United States senator from Connecticut, a seat he has held since 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he is one of the wealthiest members of ...
and
Chris Murphy Christopher Scott Murphy (born August 3, 1973) is an American lawyer, author, and politician serving as the junior United States senator from Connecticut since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served in the United States Hou ...
in the
United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...
, along with the rest of the state. Representation of Shelton in the
U.S. House of Representatives 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 ...
is split between the 3rd and 4th congressional districts, which are represented by Democratic
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 ...
s
Rosa DeLauro Rosa Luisa DeLauro (; born March 2, 1943) is an American politician who has been the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for since 1991. She is a member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party. The dist ...
and
Jim Himes James Andrew Himes (born July 5, 1966) is an American businessman and politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2009. A member of the Democratic Party, he chaired the New Democrat Coalition in the 115th Congress (2017–2019). H ...
, respectively. The boundary between the two congressional districts lies roughly along Route 8; Himes represents the portion of the city to the north and west of Route 8 while DeLauro represents sections of Shelton to the south and east. Shelton is a Republican stronghold in presidential elections, as the city has voted for the GOP presidential nominee in every election since 1964 when
Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...
carried the municipality in his landslide election.


Sheriff

Shelton is one of the few municipalities in
Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
with its own
sheriff's department In the United States, a sheriff is an official in a county or independent city responsible for keeping the peace and enforcing the law. Unlike most officials in law enforcement in the United States, sheriffs are usually elected, although ...
, the Shelton Sheriff's Department. The sheriff's department, which is distinct from the police department, is responsible for serving
legal process Legal process (sometimes simply process) is any formal notice or writ by a court obtaining jurisdiction over a person or property. Common forms of process include a summons, subpoena, mandate, and warrant. Process normally takes effect by ...
within the city of Shelton. The Fairfield County Sheriff's Department had a similar role before it and all other county sheriffs in Connecticut were abolished in 2000. The Shelton Sheriff's Department is not a law enforcement agency. Members are political appointees and receive no salary and derive income from fees charged to serve legal papers. the head of the department is Sheriff Carl Sylvester.


Landscape, geology, and natural environment

The City of Shelton's goal is to preserve at least 15% of the land as permanently protected, locally controlled open space in the following three forms: City of Shelton Public Open Space properties, Privately owned farmland protected by the purchase of development rights, and properties held by the non-profit Shelton Land Conservation Trust. As of 2009, these forms of open space amount to 13% of the City and more than . The City of Shelton owns close to of Public Open Space, Protected Farmland is , and the Shelton Land Trust organization has preserved . There are over of hiking trails in Shelton, including a portion of the Paugussett "Blue Blazed" trail, part of an network of hiking trails throughout the state. There is opportunity for fishing, boating,
geocaching Geocaching is an outdoor recreational activity, in which participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called "geocaches" or "caches", at specific l ...
and letterboxing, hiking, walking and biking. Dogs are welcomed when on leash. There is no hunting on city-owned open space, by ordinance.


Education

Shelton Public Schools include Shelton High School for grades 9 through 12, Shelton Intermediate School for grades 7 and 8. Perry Hill School for grades 5 and 6, and five primary schools for pre-kindergarten through fourth grade, including Elizabeth Shelton Elementary, Mohegan Elementary School, Long Hill Elementary School, Booth Hill Elementary School, and Sunnyside Elementary School.


Fire department

The City of Shelton is protected by the 246-member all-volunteer Shelton Fire Department, which consists of four companies operating out of four stations located throughout the city. There is also a board of fire commissioners with a representative from each company.


Recreation

There are two private golf courses in town Highland Golf Club of Shelton is located in the downtown Shelton area where it was founded in 1900. It is a 9-hole course (with 10 greens to allow alternating #2 and #11 where the tee shot goes over Perry Hill Road) in which an unknown original designer created difficult greens. The clubhouse's 1920s era structure still remains as the core to the current structure. Brownson Country Club is an 18-hole venue located in the Huntington section of Shelton. There is an annual competition between the clubs for the "Mayor's Trophy", alternating the venue each year. The 2009 Champion and holder of the Trophy is Highland.


Notable companies

* Bic Corporation conducts U.S. operations from Shelton *
Cartier SA Cartier International SNC, or simply Cartier (; ), is a French high-end luxury goods conglomerate that designs, manufactures, distributes, and sells jewellery, leather goods, and watches. Founded by Louis-François Cartier (1819–1904) in Paris ...
has an office in Shelton *
Computershare Computershare Limited is an Australian stock transfer company that provides corporate trust, stock transfer and employee share plan services in a number of different countries. The company currently has offices in 20 countries, including A ...
(formerly Transcentive, Inc.), 2 Enterprise Drive *
Hubbell Incorporated Hubbell Incorporated is an American company that designs, manufactures, and sells electrical and electronic products for non-residential and residential construction, industrial, and utility applications. Hubbell was founded by Harvey Hubbell a ...
is headquartered in Shelton, 40 Waterview Drive *
NEC is a Japanese multinational information technology and electronics corporation, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. The company was known as the Nippon Electric Company, Limited, before rebranding in 1983 as NEC. It provides IT and network soluti ...
Unified Solutions (formerly Nitsuko America), manufacturer of business telephone systems, 4 Forest Parkway *
PerkinElmer, Inc. PerkinElmer, Inc., previously styled Perkin-Elmer, is an American global corporation focused in the business areas of diagnostics, life science research, food, environmental and industrial testing. Its capabilities include detection, imaging, in ...
houses their Life and Analytical sciences division on Bridgeport Avenue. PerkinElmer, formerly Perkin-Elmer Instruments, is best known for building the optical components of the
Hubble Space Telescope The Hubble Space Telescope (often referred to as HST or Hubble) is a space telescope that was launched into low Earth orbit in 1990 and remains in operation. It was not the first space telescope, but it is one of the largest and most versa ...
. *
Pitney Bowes Pitney Bowes Inc. is an American technology company most known for its postage meters and other mailing equipment and services, and with expansions into e-commerce, software, and other technologies. The company was founded by Arthur Pitney, who i ...
employs 1,460 in the city"State to aid Shelton firm's move," by Maya Rao, ''The Hartford Courant,'' June 15, 2006; Rao cites James Ryan, head of the Shelton Economic Development Commission. * Prudential Annuities headquarters *
Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation Sikorsky Aircraft is an American aircraft manufacturer based in Stratford, Connecticut. It was established by aviation pioneer Igor Sikorsky in 1923 and was among the first companies to manufacture helicopters for civilian and military use. Pr ...
has an Overhaul and Repair (O&R) facility in Shelton


Notable people

*
Helen Barnes Helen Gertrude Barnes (July 5, 1895 – June 1, 1925) was an American musical comedy actress and Ziegfeld Follies Girl. Early life Helen Gertrude Barnes was born on July 5, 1895, in Shelton, Connecticut, the first of two daughters raised by W ...
(1895–1925), Ziegfeld Follies Girl *
Dan Debicella Dan Debicella (born October 24, 1974) is a former State Senator and businessman, who represented the 21st district in the Connecticut State Senate The Connecticut State Senate is the upper house of the Connecticut General Assembly, the state ...
(born 1974), the only State Senator (2006–2010) from Shelton since World War II *
Peter Leo Gerety Peter Leo Gerety (July 19, 1912 – September 20, 2016) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the Archbishop of Newark in New Jersey from 1974 to 1986, having previously served as Bishop of Portland in Maine from ...
(1912–2016),
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
bishop * Doug Henry (born 1969), Motocross Hall of Famer * Isaac Hull (1773–1843), Commodore in the U.S. Navy; commanded among other ships *
Dan Orlovsky Daniel John Orlovsky (born August 18, 1983) is an American football analyst for ESPN and former American football quarterback who was active for twelve seasons in the NFL. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL ...
(born 1983), Former NFL Quarterback, grew up in Shelton


On the National Register of Historic Places

* Commodore Hull School: 130 Oak Ave. (added July 30, 1983) * Huntington Center Historic District: Roughly along Church and Huntington Sts., from Ripton Rd. to the Farmill River (added April, 2000) *
Plumb Memorial Library The Plumb Memorial Library is a public library in Shelton, Connecticut. It is located at 65 Wooster St., in an architecturally distinguished Richardsonian Romanesque building designed by Bridgeport architect Charles T. Beardsley, Jr. and built in ...
: 65 Wooster St. (added December 7, 1978)


Media

The ''Valley Independent Sentinel'', an online-only, non-profit news site, launched in June 2009, thanks to the efforts of The Valley Community Foundation and The Knight Foundation. Shelton also has a weekly newspaper, the ''Shelton Herald''. The ''
Connecticut Post The ''Connecticut Post'' is a daily newspaper located in Bridgeport, Connecticut. It serves Fairfield County and the Lower Naugatuck Valley. Municipalities in the Post's circulation area include Ansonia, Bridgeport, Darien, Derby, Easton, ...
'' and the ''
New Haven Register The ''New Haven Register'' is a daily newspaper published in New Haven, Connecticut. It is owned by Hearst Communications. The Register's main office is located at 100 Gando Drive in New Haven. The ''Register'' was established about 1812 and i ...
'' also cover the city. Both are daily papers.


References


Further reading

*Reverend Samuel Orcutt, ''History of the Old Town of Stratford and the City of Bridgeport Connecticut'', Fairfield County Historical Society, 1886


External links


City of Shelton official website
Portal style website, Government, Business, Library, Recreation and more
Shelton Historical Society
Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Shelton {{authority control Cities in Connecticut Naugatuck River Valley Populated places established in 1789 Cities in the New York metropolitan area Cities in Fairfield County, Connecticut 1789 establishments in Connecticut