Windham, Connecticut
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Windham is a town in
Windham County, Connecticut Windham County is a county located in the northeastern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. As of the 2020 census, the population was 116,418, making it the least populous county in Connecticut. It forms the core of the region known as the ...
, United States. It contains the former city of Willimantic as well as the boroughs of Windham Center, North Windham, and South Windham. Willimantic, an incorporated
city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
since 1893, was consolidated with the town in 1983. The population was 24,428 at the 2020 census.


History

Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the region was occupied by
Algonquian peoples The Algonquian are one of the most populous and widespread North American native language groups. Historically, the peoples were prominent along the Atlantic Coast and into the interior along the Saint Lawrence River and around the Great Lakes. T ...
, including the
Pequot The Pequot () are a Native American people of Connecticut. The modern Pequot are members of the federally recognized Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, four other state-recognized groups in Connecticut including the Eastern Pequot Tribal Nation, or th ...
,
Mohegan The Mohegan are an Algonquian Native American tribe historically based in present-day Connecticut. Today the majority of the people are associated with the Mohegan Indian Tribe, a federally recognized tribe living on a reservation in the easte ...
, Narragansett, and
Nipmuck The Nipmuc or Nipmuck people are an Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands, who historically spoke an Eastern Algonquian language. Their historic territory Nippenet, "the freshwater pond place," is in central Massachusetts and nearby part ...
. After the conclusion of the
Pequot War The Pequot War was an armed conflict that took place between 1636 and 1638 in New England between the Pequot tribe and an alliance of the colonists from the Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, and Saybrook colonies and their allies from the Narragans ...
in 1638, the Pequots ceased to exist as a tribe; after
King Philip's War King Philip's War (sometimes called the First Indian War, Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, Pometacomet's Rebellion, or Metacom's Rebellion) was an armed conflict in 1675–1676 between indigenous inhabitants of New England and New England coloni ...
ended in 1678, the Narragansett and Nipmuck did as well, leaving the Mohegans the only native power in the region. The settlement of Windham was left to settlers by Joshua Uncas, son of
Uncas Uncas () was a ''sachem'' of the Mohegans who made the Mohegans the leading regional Indian tribe in lower Connecticut, through his alliance with the New England colonists against other Indian tribes. Early life and family Uncas was born n ...
, in a will dated 1675. Settlers moved in, and held their first
town meeting Town meeting is a form of local government in which most or all of the members of a community are eligible to legislate policy and budgets for local government. It is a town- or city-level meeting in which decisions are made, in contrast with ...
on May 18, 1691. The tract was named the town of Windham in May 1692, and was incorporated into Hartford County in fall of 1693. Starting in the early nineteenth century, the town's center of activity moved from Windham to Willimantic, as the water power available there led to the establishment of factories. First established as a borough in 1833, it was incorporated as a separate city in 1893, then reincorporated into the town of Windham in 1983 as its industry declined.


Sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places

* Dr. Chester Hunt Office – Windham Center Road (added November 6, 1970) *
Forty-Seventh Camp of Rochambeau's Army The Forty-Seventh Camp of Rochambeau's Army is a historic military camp site in Windham, Connecticut, located along Scotland Road a short way east of Windham Center. It was the site of a French Army camp in November 1782 on their march from the vi ...
(added February 23, 2003) *
Fourth Camp of Rochambeau's Army The Fourth Camp of Rochambeau's Army is a historic military camp site near Plains Road and Lovers Lane on the banks of the Shetucket River in Windham, Connecticut. It was here that the French Army encamped in the summer of 1781 under the command o ...
(added February 8, 2003) *
Main Street Historic District (Windham, Connecticut) The Main Street Historic District encompasses the historic portion of the central business district of Willimantic, in Windham, Connecticut. The district encompasses the commercial business district of Willimantic and is roughly linear along ...
– 32, 50 and 54 North St. (added August 29, 1992) * March Route of Rochambeau's Army: Scotland Road – Scotland Road, from intersection with Back Rd. to 80 Scotland Rd. (added July 6, 2003) * Willimantic Armory – Pleasant Street (added October 12, 1985) *
Windham Center Historic District : Windham Center Historic District is a area in the town of Windham, Connecticut, that is designated as a historic district. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. At the time, it included 61 contribu ...
– state Routes 14 and 203 (added July 4, 1979)


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 town has a total area of 27.9 square miles (72.3 km), of which, 27.1 square miles (70.1 km) of it is land and 0.9 square miles (2.2 km) of it (3.04%) is water.


Climate


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 22,857 people, 8,342 households, and 5,088 families residing in the town. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 844.4 people per square mile (326.0/km). There were 8,926 housing units at an average density of 329.8 per square mile (127.3/km). The racial makeup of the town was 74.02%
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 ...
, 5.06%
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 ...
, 0.56% Native American, 1.30%
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 ...
, 0.12%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 15.16% 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 3.78% 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 26.85% of the population. There were 8,342 households, out of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.4% 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, 16.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.05. In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.0% under the age of 18, 18.1% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.0 males. The median income for a household in the town was $35,087, and the median income for a family was $42,023. Males had a median income of $32,742 versus $25,703 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 town was $16,978. About 12.7% of families and 17.5% 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 23.9% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over.


Education

Public Schools * Windham Early Childhood Center * Natchaug School * North Windham School * W.B. Sweeney School * Windham Center School * Windham Middle School * Windham High School * Windham Technical High School Magnet Schools * Charles H. Barrows STEM Academy Private Schools * St Mary-St Joseph School


Transportation

Route 32 runs through South Windham and north-western Willimantic.
Route 66 U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) was one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The h ...
goes east to west from North Windham to Columbia. Route 14 serves Willimantic to Windham Center. Route 203 severs the eastern section of town from North Windham to South Windham. Route 195 goes from Willimantic to
Mansfield Mansfield is a market town and the administrative centre of Mansfield District in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the largest town in the wider Mansfield Urban Area (followed by Sutton-in-Ashfield). It gained the Royal Charter of a market tow ...
eventually going to the
University of Connecticut The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from Hart ...
. Route 289 starts in southern Willimantic and shortly after going into
Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...
to Route 87.
US 6 U.S. Route 6 (US 6), also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, honoring the American Civil War veterans association, is a main route of the U.S. Highway system. While it currently runs east-northeast from Bishop, California, to ...
bypasses Willimantic and serves North Windham. Bus service is available around the town seven days a week.
Windham Airport Windham Airport is a public airport located three miles (5 km) northeast of the central business district of Willimantic, a city in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. It is owned by the Connecticut Airport Authority. It is includ ...
is a
general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...
airport located in North Windham.
Bradley International Airport Bradley International Airport is a public international airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, United States. Owned and operated by the Connecticut Airport Authority, it is the second-largest airport in New England. The airport is about halfw ...
(
BDL Bradley International Airport is a public international airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, United States. Owned and operated by the Connecticut Airport Authority, it is the second-largest airport in New England. The airport is about halfw ...
) in
Windsor Locks Windsor Locks is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 12,613. It is the site of Bradley International Airport, which serves the Greater Hartford-Springfield region and occupies approxim ...
is the closest major commercial airport. There is no passenger train service, but a freight train stop is found in Willimantic for the
Providence and Worcester Railroad The Providence and Worcester Railroad is a Class II railroad operating of tracks in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, as well as New York via trackage rights. The company was founded in 1844 to build a railroad between Providence ...
. Bus service is provided by the
Windham Region Transit District Windham Region Transit District, or WRTD, is a bus operator for Windham County, with NECTD, SEAT, UConn Transportation Services in neighboring towns. Prior to August 2019, The company operated 4 routes in total, connecting with a small handful ...
, and
Connecticut Transit CTtransit (styled as CT ''transit'') is a bus system serving much of the U.S. state of Connecticut and is a division of that state's Connecticut Department of Transportation, Department of Transportation. CTtransit provides bus service vi ...
express bus route 918.


Notable people

* George Hewitt Cushman (1814–1876), engraver and painter of miniature paintings and portraits *
Eliphalet Dyer Eliphalet Dyer (September 14, 1721 – May 13, 1807) was an American lawyer, jurist, and statesman from Windham, Connecticut. He was a delegate for Connecticut to many sessions of the Continental Congress, where he signed the 1774 Continental As ...
(1721–1807), a
lawyer A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...
,
jurist A jurist is a person with expert knowledge of law; someone who analyses and comments on law. This person is usually a specialist legal scholar, mostly (but not always) with a formal qualification in law and often a legal practitioner. In the Uni ...
, and delegate for
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 ...
to the
Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislative bodies, with some executive function, for thirteen of Britain's colonies in North America, and the newly declared United States just before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War. ...
, was born in town *
Benjamin Hanks Benjamin Hanks is generally accepted to be the first person to make bronze cannons and church bells in the United States. He was a goldsmith, Scientific instrument, instrument maker, clockmaker, bellfounder, and foundry owner. Early life Accor ...
(1755–1824), goldsmith, instrument maker, and first maker of bronze cannons and church bells in America *
William Hebard William Hebard (November 29, 1800October 20, 1875) was an American attorney and politician from Vermont. He served in several elected offices, and was most notable for representing Vermont in the United States House of Representatives for two te ...
(1800–1875), a
United States 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 ...
from
Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...
was born in town * Samuel Huntington (1731–1796), signed the
Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence or declaration of statehood or proclamation of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the ...
and the
Articles of Confederation The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union was an agreement among the 13 Colonies of the United States of America that served as its first frame of government. It was approved after much debate (between July 1776 and November 1777) by ...
; was 18th
Governor of Connecticut The governor of Connecticut is the head of government of Connecticut, and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Connecticu ...
* Jerusha Bingham Kirkland (1743–1788), missionary; niece of Eleazar Wheelock *
Gardiner Means Gardiner Coit Means (June 8, 1896 in Windham, Connecticut – February 15, 1988 in Vienna, Virginia) was an American economist who worked at Harvard University, where he met lawyer-diplomat Adolf A. Berle. Together they wrote the seminal work of ...
(1896–1988), economist * Mary A. Ripley (1831–1893), author, lecturer, teacher *
Eleazar Wheelock Eleazar Wheelock (April 22, 1711 – April 24, 1779) was an American Congregational minister, orator, and educator in Lebanon, Connecticut, for 35 years before founding Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. He had tutored Samson Occom, a Mohe ...
(1711–1779), a
Congregational Congregational churches (also Congregationalist churches or Congregationalism) are Protestant churches in the Calvinist tradition practising congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its ...
minister, orator, educator, and founder of
Dartmouth College Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native A ...
, was born in town


References


External links


Town of Windham, Connecticut
{{authority control Towns in Windham County, Connecticut Towns in Connecticut