Sharon is a

town 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 o ...

Litchfield County Litchfield County is in northwestern Connecticut. As of the 2020 census, the population was 185,186. The county was named after Lichfield, in England. Litchfield County has the lowest population density of any county in Connecticut and is th ...

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 (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the ...

, United States, in the northwest corner of the state. At the time of the 2020 census, the town had a total population of 2,680. The ZIP code for Sharon is 06069. The urban center of the town is the Sharon census-designated place, with a population of 729 at the 2010 census.

History

The first inhabitants of the area they called ''Poconnuck'' were the

Mattabesec Mattabesset was a region and settlement once occupied by Algonquian language-speaking Native Americans called the Wangunk, along the Connecticut River. The Mattabesset River reaches the Connecticut River near Middletown, Connecticut. European se ...

Native Americans. These were part of what became known as the

Wappinger confederacy The Wappinger () were an Eastern Algonquian Munsee-speaking Native American people from what is now southern New York and western Connecticut. At the time of first contact in the 17th century they were primarily based in what is now Dutches ...

, which in turn belonged to the loose Algonquian confederacy. Sharon was incorporated in 1739. It is named after the Plain of Sharon.

Historic sites

Sharon has six sites listed on the U.S.

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

: *

Ebenezer Gay House The Ebenezer Gay House, also known locally as the Gay-Hoyt House, is a historic house museum at 18 Main Street in Sharon, Connecticut. Built in 1775, it is a well-preserved example of Georgian colonial architecture in brick. It was listed on th ...

, 18 Main St., Sharon *

George King House The George King House, also known locally as the King-Hart House is a historic house at 12 North Main Street in Sharon, Connecticut. Its oldest portion dating to 1769, this brick house is significant for its associations with George King, a pro ...

, 12 N. Main St., Sharon * Gov. Smith Homestead, South Main St., Sharon *

James Pardee House The James Pardee House, situated on the grounds of the John Pardee Homestead at 129 North Main Street, is one of the well-known historic homes built in the eighteenth century in the town of Sharon, Connecticut, according to the 1935 edition of ...

, 129 N. Main St., Sharon * Sharon Historic District, roughly Main St. from Low Rd. to its junction with Mitchelltown, Amenia Union, and W. Woods Rds., Sharon * Sharon Valley Historic District

Geography

The town is bounded on the north by

Salisbury Salisbury ( ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately from Southampton and from Bath. Salisbury is in the southeast of ...

, on the east across 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 ...

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a Historic counties of England, historic county and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people ...

, on the south by

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

, and on the west by

Dutchess County, New York Dutchess County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 295,911. The county seat is the city of Poughkeepsie. The county was created in 1683, one of New York's first twelve counties, and later or ...

. Sharon is north of

Danbury Danbury is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located approximately northeast of New York City. Danbury's population as of 2022 was 87,642. It is the seventh largest city in Connecticut. Danbury is nicknamed the "Hat City ...

, west of

Hartford Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since t ...

, and northeast of

Poughkeepsie, New York Poughkeepsie ( ), officially the City of Poughkeepsie, separate from the Town of Poughkeepsie around it) is a city in the U.S. state of New York. It is the county seat of Dutchess County, with a 2020 census population of 31,577. Poughkeeps ...

. 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 th ...

, the town has a total area of , of which are land and , or 1.33%, are water. It is the 3rd largest town in Connecticut based on area. Sharon is part of the Northwest Highlands of Connecticut, a region in and around the

watershed Watershed is a hydrological term, which has been adopted in other fields in a more or less figurative sense. It may refer to: Hydrology * Drainage divide, the line that separates neighbouring drainage basins * Drainage basin, called a "watershe ...

of the Housatonic River. The

Appalachian Trail The Appalachian Trail (also called the A.T.), is a hiking trail in the Eastern United States, extending almost between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine, and passing through 14 states.Gailey, Chris (2006)"Appalachian ...

passes for a few miles through the east side of Sharon, near West Cornwall and U.S. Route 7. Housatonic Meadows State Park is in the eastern part of the town, next to the Housatonic River.

Principal communities

*Amenia Union *Ellsworth * Sharon center * Sharon Valley *Main Street & Green
Calkinstown
*West Woods

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 inc ...

of 2000, there were 2,968 people, 1,246 households, and 775 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 1,617 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 96.87%

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 ...

, 0.94%

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 ...

, 0.57% Asian, 0.44% Native American, 0%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.34% from other races, and 0.84% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 1.95% of the population. There were 1,246 households, of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.9% 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 ...

living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.8% were non-families. 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.2% 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 2.87. In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.3% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 29.1% from 45 to 64, and 21.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.2 males. The

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways ...

was $53,000, and the median family income for a family was $71,458. Males had a median income of $42,841 versus $31,375 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 $45,418. About 3.9% of families and 7.2% 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 ...

, including 10.4% of those under the age of 18 and none of those 65 and older.

Education

Sharon is a member of Regional School District 01, which also includes the towns of

Canaan Canaan (; Phoenician: 𐤊𐤍𐤏𐤍 – ; he, כְּנַעַן – , in pausa – ; grc-bib, Χανααν – ;The current scholarly edition of the Greek Old Testament spells the word without any accents, cf. Septuaginta : id est Vetus T ...

, North Canaan, and

. Public school students attend Sharon Center School from grades K–8 and

Housatonic Valley Regional High School Housatonic Valley Regional High School (HVRHS) is a public high school in Falls Village, Connecticut, United States. It was established in 1939 as a result of a special act of the Connecticut General Assembly in 1937. It is the first regional hig ...

from grades 9–12.

Transportation

The town is served by state highways 4, 41, 343, and 361. Route 4 has its western terminus in Sharon and leads southeast to

Cornwall Bridge The Cornwall Bridge (also known as Bridge No. 560) is a two-lane, concrete arch bridge carrying U.S. Route 7/ Connecticut Route 4 over the Housatonic River and the Housatonic Railroad in northwestern Connecticut. It was built in 1930 b ...

and ultimately east to

West Hartford West Hartford is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, west of downtown Hartford. The population was 64,083 at the 2020 census. The town's popular downtown area is colloquially known as "West Hartford Center," or simply "The ...

. Route 41 leads north to Salisbury and southwest to the New York state line, Route 343 leads west and becomes

New York State Route 343 New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

, leading to

Amenia, New York Amenia is a town in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population was 4,436 at the 2010 census. The town is on the eastern border of the county. History Amenia is one of the original towns formed by act of March 7, 1788. It compris ...

, and Route 361 leads towards Millerton, New York, north of Sharon.

Notable people

Kevin Bacon Kevin Norwood Bacon (born July 8, 1958) is an American actor. His films include the musical-drama film '' Footloose'' (1984), the controversial historical conspiracy legal thriller '' JFK'' (1991), the legal drama '' A Few Good Men'' (1992), t ...

(born 1958), and his wife

Kyra Sedgwick Kyra Minturn Sedgwick (; born August 19, 1965) is an American actress, producer and director. For her starring role as Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson on the TNT crime drama ''The Closer'', she won a Golden Globe Award in 2007 and an Emmy Awa ...

(born 1965), actors * Patricia Buckley Bozell (1927–2008), author and editor; reared in Sharon with her brother William at the Buckley family home, "Great Elm" * William F. Buckley Jr. (1925–2008), public intellectual, founder of ''

National Review ''National Review'' is an American conservative editorial magazine, focusing on news and commentary pieces on political, social, and cultural affairs. The magazine was founded by the author William F. Buckley Jr. in 1955. Its editor-in-chief ...

'' *

Yancy Butler Yancy Victoria Butler (born July 2, 1970) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Natasha Binder in the 1993 film '' Hard Target'', Jess Crossman in '' Drop Zone'', and Detective Sara Pezzini on the TNT supernatural drama series ' ...

(born 1970), former '' Witchblade'' actress"Actress Yancy Butler arrested for DUI"
''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...

''. March 15, 2007 *

William Coley William Bradley Coley (January 12, 1862 – April 16, 1936) was an American bone surgeon and cancer researcher best known for his early contributions to the study of cancer immunotherapy. Although his work was not proven effective in his lifeti ...

(1862–1936), prominent New York bone surgeon and inventor of "Coley's toxins", an early form of cancer

immunotherapy Immunotherapy or biological therapy is the treatment of disease by activating or suppressing the immune system. Immunotherapies designed to elicit or amplify an immune response are classified as ''activation immunotherapies,'' while immunotherap ...

* Jane Curtin (born 1947), actress and comedian * Michael J. Fox (born 1961) and his wife Tracy Pollan (born 1960), actors * Frank R. Fratellenico (1951–1970),

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of val ...

recipient, Vietnam War * Arthur Getz (1913–1996), illustrator for ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...

'' magazine * Tom Goldenberg (born 1948), artistEpworth, Marsden
"Inspired by a Millerton Landscape,"
''TriCorner News'', May 17, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2019. *

Eunice Groark Eunice Groark (February 1, 1938 – May 8, 2018) was an American politician who was the first woman elected lieutenant governor of Connecticut in 1990. Groark ran on the ticket of A Connecticut Party (ACP) with Lowell Weicker, winning the elect ...

(1938–2018), Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut * Thomas Hart (1877–1971), U.S. Navy admiral and U.S. senator *

Benjamin B. Hotchkiss Benjamin Berkeley Hotchkiss (October 1, 1826 – February 14, 1885) was one of the leading American ordnance engineers of his day. American career Hotchkiss was born in Watertown, Connecticut, and moved to Sharon, Connecticut in childhood ...

(1826–1885), ordnance engineer, husband of Maria Bissell Hotchkiss *

Maria Bissell Hotchkiss Maria (Harrison) Bissell Hotchkiss (August 14, 1827 – November 10, 1901) was an American educator, heiress, and philanthropist. She was married to wealthy munitions maker Benjamin B. Hotchkiss, though long estranged. Upon receiving his inherit ...

(1827–1901), educator, wife of Benjamin B. Hotchkiss * S. Holden Jaffe, musician behind Del Water Gap *

Jasper Johns Jasper Johns (born May 15, 1930) is an American painter, sculptor, and printmaker whose work is associated with abstract expressionism, Neo-Dada, and pop art. He is well known for his depictions of the American flag and other US-related top ...

(born 1930), artist * Elijah Juckett (1760–1839),

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...

soldier * Helen Coley Nauts (1907–2001), daughter of William Coley and co-founder of the Cancer Research Institute * Sam Posey (born 1944), retired racecar driver and sports broadcaster *

Campbell Scott Campbell Scott (born July 19, 1961) is an American actor, producer and director. His roles include Steve Dunne in '' Singles'', Mark Usher in '' House of Cards'', Joseph Tobin in ''Damages'', and Richard Parker in '' The Amazing Spider-Man'' an ...

(born 1961), actor *

Ansel Sterling Ansel Sterling (February 3, 1782 – November 6, 1853) was a United States representative from Connecticut. He was the brother of Micah Sterling who was a United States Representative from New York. He was born in Lyme, Connecticut, where he a ...

(1782–1853),

congressman A Member of Congress (MOC) is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The term member of parliament (MP) is an equivalen ...

from Connecticut *

Charles A. Templeton Charles Augustus Templeton (March 3, 1871 – August 15, 1955) was an American politician and the 68th governor of the state of Connecticut. Biography Templeton was born in Sharon, Connecticut on March 3, 1871, the son of Union Army veteran T ...

(1871–1955),

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 Connec ...

* Bradley Whitford (born 1959) and his wife

Jane Kaczmarek Jane Frances Kaczmarek (; born December 21, 1955) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Malcolm's mother Lois on the Fox television sitcom '' Malcolm in the Middle'' (2000–2006), which earned her three Golden Globe nominat ...

(born 1955), actors

Sharon Hospital, the birthplace of several persons who were not residents

* Philip Amelio, 1980s child actor born in Sharon on November 3, 1977; raised in nearby

Pine Plains, New York Pine Plains is a town in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population was 2,218 at the 2020 census. The name is derived from the geographic character of the region. The hamlet of Pine Plains is on the northern border of the county. ...

* Samuel Berger,

U.S. National Security Advisor The Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (APNSA), commonly referred to as the National Security Advisor (NSA),The National Security Advisor and Staff: p. 1. is a senior aide in the Executive Office of the President, based at t ...

to President

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and again ...

, born in Sharon on October 28, 1945; raised in nearby Millerton, New York * Michael Cole (born Michael Shawn Coulthard), announcer on ''

WWE Raw ''WWE Raw'', also known as ''Monday Night Raw'' or simply ''Raw'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that currently airs live every Monday at 8 p.m. ET on the USA Network in the United States. The show f ...

'' and former

CBS Radio CBS Radio was a radio broadcasting company and radio network operator owned by CBS Corporation and founded in 1928, with consolidated radio station groups owned by CBS and Westinghouse Broadcasting/Group W since the 1920s, and Infinity Broad ...

journalist, born in Sharon on December 8, 1966; raised in nearby

* Alfred Korzybski, founder of the nearby

Institute of General Semantics The Institute of General Semantics (IGS) is a not-for-profit corporation established in 1938 by Alfred Korzybski, to support research and publication on the topic of general semantics. The Institute publishes Korzybski's writings, including the s ...

, died at Sharon Hospital March 1, 1950

References

External links

Town of Sharon official website

Sharon Historical Society

Historic USGS map including Sharon
in the southwest corner of the quadrangle

a lake in the northwest part of Sharon
Sharon Audubon Center
{{authority control Towns in Litchfield County, Connecticut Towns in the New York metropolitan area Towns in Connecticut