Wilton, Connecticut
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Wilton 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 ori ...
in
Fairfield County, Connecticut Fairfield County is a county in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is the most populous county in the state and was also its fastest-growing from 2010 to 2020. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 957, ...
, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 18,503. In 2017, it was the sixth-wealthiest town per capita in Connecticut, the wealthiest U.S. state per capita. Officially recognized as a parish in 1726, Wilton today is a residential community with open lands, historic architecture such as the
Round House Roundhouse may refer to: Architecture and buildings Types * Roundhouse (dwelling), a kind of house with circular walls, prehistoric and modern, all over the world ** Atlantic roundhouse, an Iron Age stone building found in the northern and weste ...
, and many colonial homes. Many residents commute to nearby cities such as Stamford or
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. Wilton is home to many global corporations such as ASML,
Breitling SA Breitling SA () is a Swiss luxury watchmaker founded in 1884 in Saint-Imier, Switzerland, by Léon Breitling. The company is known for its precision-made chronometers designed for aviators and is based in Grenchen, Switzerland. History Breit ...
,
Cannondale Bicycle Corporation The Cannondale Bicycle Corporation is an American division of Dutch conglomerate Pon Holdings that supplies bicycles. Its headquarters are in Wilton, Connecticut with engineering offices in Freiburg, Germany. Frames are manufactured in Taiwan. ...
,
Melissa & Doug Melissa & Doug, LLC (formerly Lights, Camera, Interaction!, Inc) is an American manufacturer of children's toys,Deloitte Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (), commonly referred to as Deloitte, is an international professional services network headquartered in London, England. Deloitte is the largest professional services network by revenue and number of professio ...
. It is also home to
AIG Financial Products AIG Financial Products Corporation (AIGFP) is a subsidiary of the American International Group, headquartered in New York, New York, with major operations in London. The collapse of AIG Financial Products, headquartered in Wilton, Connecticut, is co ...
, whose collapse played a pivotal role in the
financial crisis of 2007–2008 Finance is the study and discipline of money, currency and capital assets. It is related to, but not synonymous with economics, the study of production, distribution, and consumption of money, assets, goods and services (the discipline of fi ...
.Behind Insurer’s Crisis, Blind Eye to a Web of Risk
''
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'', September 27, 2008.
The transformation from a small farming town to a suburban residential community has been carefully controlled by zoning, efforts to preserve the town's colonial landmarks, and the reservation of almost 1,000 acres (4 km²) of open space for active and passive recreational use. The
Cannondale Historic District Cannondale Historic District is a historic district in the Cannondale section in the north-central area of the town of Wilton, Connecticut. The district includes 58 contributing buildings, one other contributing structure, one contributing sit ...
, in north-central Wilton, retains its historic character and was listed on the
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 v ...
in 1992.


History


Colonial days

The first written records of the areas that are now Wilton date back to 1640, when
Roger Ludlow Roger Ludlow (1590–1664) was an English lawyer, magistrate, military officer, and colonist. He was active in the founding of the Colony of Connecticut, and helped draft laws for it and the nearby Massachusetts Bay Colony. Under his and John Ma ...
and his friends purchased land from the Indians between the Norwalk and
Saugatuck River The Saugatuck River is a river in southwestern Connecticut in the United States. It drains part of suburban and rural Fairfield County west of Bridgeport, emptying into Long Island Sound. , a U.S. Navy oiler that saw service in World War II, w ...
s and "a day's walk into the country." This land was called Norwalk. The first settlers, called the Proprietors, arrived in Norwalk in 1651 and owned 50,000 acres (200 km²) in common. On the outskirts of Norwalk's settled area, the Proprietors were allowed private ownership of land in a common planting field, but cattle, sheep, and hogs were grazed in a communal pasture area. The outer limit of this pasture approximates Wilton's present southern boundary. By the end of the 17th century, the Norwalk Proprietors began to sell off the northern lands for settlement. The first non-Indian settlements in what is now Wilton were in the fertile lands of the Norwalk River valley, and on the ridges of
Belden Hill Belden L. Hill (August 24, 1864 - October 22, 1934) was a third baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Baltimore Orioles of the American Association in nine games in 1890. He remained active as a player in minor league baseball thro ...
, Chestnut Hill, and Ridgefield Road. In order to till the lands, the settlers had to clear the forests and remove hundreds of glacial rocks, which became the stone boundary walls that are treasured today. The families who bought land in Wilton did not have their own church and were required to attend service in Norwalk each Sunday. When demand for Wilton lands increased in the early 18th century, the Proprietors realized that the land would be worth more if Wilton settlers did not have to make such a long trek each week. By 1725 there were forty families living in Wilton who wanted their own Congregational church and were allowed by Norwalk to hire a minister (Robert Sturgeon, who also became the town's first schoolmaster), open schools and build roads. Therefore, in 1726, with the approval of both the Proprietors and the Wilton settlers, a petition to the General Court in Hartford created Wilton Parish, "a village enjoying parish privileges" but still part of the town of Norwalk. A copy of the petition is framed and on display in the Town Hall. (See also: Benjamin Hickox) The Wilton Parish, organized as an ecclesiastical society, dealt with many problems of a secular nature as well. It dealt with such things as communal flocks, pounds for animals, and the regulation of the trades and taverns. The state of the roads was a constant source of comment in the society meeting, as was the inevitable subject of taxation. Although the village parish did not have the right to send a representative to the state legislature, it did have complete charge of both local education and military training. The first minister, Mr. Robert Sturgeon, was also Wilton's first schoolmaster. As soon as the first meetinghouse was built in 1726, Wilton had a "center" of town, although other areas such as Belden Hill, Drum Hill, Pimpewaug and Chestnut Hill had already been settled by self-sufficient farmers. By 1738 the first meetinghouse had become too small, and a second was built on the corner of Sharp Hill Road. Less than sixty years later, this second meeting house had fallen into such disrepair that a third church was built in 1790 on Ridgefield Road where it still stands as the oldest church building in
Fairfield County, Connecticut Fairfield County is a county in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is the most populous county in the state and was also its fastest-growing from 2010 to 2020. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 957, ...
.


Revolutionary War

During the Revolutionary War, more than 300 men from Wilton served in some military unit. Among them was an African American named Cato Treadwell (1762–1849), who served three years in the 2nd Brigade of the Connecticut Line. In 1777, British forces passed through Wilton after
raiding Raiding may refer to: * The present participle of the verb Raid (disambiguation), which itself has several meanings * Raid (military) * Raid (video games), a group of video game players who join forces * Raiding, Austria, a town in Austria * Par ...
nearby
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 ...
. Several homes were burned along Ridgefield, Belden, Danbury, and Dudley roads, but the town remained intact. About 52 Revolutionary veteran graves are still identifiable in Wilton cemeteries.


19th century

In 1802, despite Norwalk's objections, the people of Wilton sought and were granted separate Town government status by an act of the
Connecticut General Assembly The Connecticut General Assembly (CGA) is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is a bicameral body composed of the 151-member House of Representatives and the 36-member Senate. It meets in the state capital, Hartford. Th ...
and became a political entity independent from Norwalk. The town chose the traditional New England Town Meeting-Selectmen form of government, which has been retained to this day. In the 19th century, education became the responsibility of the school societies of nine separate school districts in Wilton. In addition, many Wilton children and those of well-to-do families of Norwalk and Stamford attended five private schools and academies in Wilton. Wilton's population grew slowly from 1,728 in 1810 to 2,208 in 1860. Most of the land was farmland used for dairy herds, horses, or marketable crops. Farmers found their yield from the rocky soil to be very low at the same time that midwestern produce, made readily available by the railroads, began to compete with homegrown products, home industry expanded. Industries such as shoemaking, shirt making, carriage building, and distilleries were common. Mills of various types were built along the streams and the Gilbert and Bennett Manufacturing Co. began producing wire sieves in 1834.


Civil War

Before the
Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
, the
anti-slavery Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people. The Britis ...
movement was strong in town. Wilton served as one of the stops on the
Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada. ...
, a loosely organized escape route to Canada for runaway slaves, primarily at the house of William Wakeman, "an earnest abolitionist and undergrounder for many years." The Civil War itself had little impact on Wilton, although local businesses profited from wartime spending.


Industrial age

The coming of the railroad in 1852 brought few advantages to a community of home industry and farming, but offered easy access to bountiful western lands. After the Civil War, Wilton's population declined as cities grew, industrialization increased, the market for home products dropped, and farms were abandoned. Its population declined by some 30% between 1860 and 1900. By 1900, the census showed only 1,598 people living in Wilton. This depopulation enabled many 18th- and 19th-century homes to escape demolition and suburban development. Beginning in the 1910s, abandoned farms were discovered by New Yorkers for summer homes and in the 1930s, there were noticeable stresses at Town Meetings between the "old-timers" and the "new people." The community was changing from agricultural to one of commuters. By 1935, the last two of Wilton's nine schoolhouses—Belden Hill and Hurlbutt Street—had closed. The original nine school districts are consolidated into the Center school in Wilton Center. Originating in its colonial origins, Wilton had developed in a rather haphazard, individualistic way: a house here and a store there. Shortly after World War II, a new phenomenon brought a new look to Wilton's landscape: the builder subdivision. Light industry began moving into town. To plan for orderly growth, town zoning was adopted. With the growth in population and businesses came the corresponding need for new schools, new roads, executive offices, and more support services. The period of greatest growth was from 1950 to 1970, when the population grew from 4,558 to 13,572.


Dry to damp

Wilton was classified as a "dry" town until 1993, when the local ordinance was altered to permit the sale of alcoholic beverages in restaurants. The town was then referred to as "damp." On November 5, 2009, a referendum proposal was passed to allow liquor stores. The town Board enacted an ordinance to allow liquor stores to sell alcoholic beverages in 2010 and since then, several stores have since opened.


Wilton deaths on September 11, 2001

On September 11, 2001, four town residents died in the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center: Edward T. Fergus Jr., 40; Peter Christian Fry, 36; John Iskyan, 41; and Edward P. York, 45.
Wilton High School Wilton High School is a public high school in Wilton, Connecticut, U.S., considered "one of Connecticut's top performers" in various measures of school success in 2007,Cowan, Alison Leigh, "Play About Iraq War Divides a Connecticut School", ''The ...
graduate John Henwood, 35, also died in the attack.


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 , of which is land and , or 1.50%, is water, including the South Norwalk Reservoir. Wilton is bordered by Ridgefield to the northwest, Norwalk to the south,
New Canaan New Canaan () is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 20,622 according to the 2020 census. About an hour from Manhattan by train, the town is considered part of Connecticut's Gold Coast. The town is bounde ...
to the southwest, Westport to the southeast, and
Weston Weston may refer to: Places Australia * Weston, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra * Weston, New South Wales * Weston Creek, a residential district of Canberra * Weston Park, Canberra, a park Canada * Weston, Nova Scotia * ...
and Redding to the northeast. It is also bordered on the west by the hamlet of Vista in
Lewisboro Lewisboro is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 12,411 at the 2010 census. The town is named after John Lewis, an early settler. Lewisboro is a suburb of New York City. History After purchasing land from ...
,
Westchester County Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population ...
, New York.


Housing and land use

Wilton has about 500 surviving 18th- and 19th-century homes. In 2005, Marilyn Gould, the director of the Wilton Historical Society said:
People aren't taking down historic houses but the more modest homes that were built in the '50s and '60s.... What that's doing is changing the affordability of the town and the demographic of the town. Wilton used to have a wide demographic of people who worked with their hands—artisans, builders, mechanics. Now it's management and upper management.
Between 1999 and 2005, the town's voters endorsed spending $23 million through municipal bonds to preserve land. South Norwalk Electric and Water (SNEW) has a reservoir on the western side of town with about of land, along with another adjacent in New Canaan. In the fall, hunters with bows and arrows—no more than 10 at a time—are allowed to hunt deer on the Wilton property, in order to keep down the number of deer in the area. Wilton town center contains several local restaurants, boutiques, retail stores, including a Starbucks, and a
Stop & Shop The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company, known as Stop & Shop, is a regional chain of supermarkets located in the northeastern United States. From its beginnings in 1892 as a small grocery store, it has grown to include 406 stores chain-wide. Sto ...
.These stores were added around 2000 next to the old Wilton Center, which consists of the Wilton Library, the Wilton Post Office, a
CVS/Pharmacy CVS Pharmacy, Inc. is an American retail corporation. A subsidiary of CVS Health, it is headquartered in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. It was also known as, and originally named, the Consumer Value Store and was founded in Lowell, Massachusetts, in ...
, the Old Post Office Square, and the Village Market. In the southern part of town,
US 7 U.S. Route 7 (US 7) is a north–south United States highway in western New England that runs for through the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont. The highway's southern terminus is at Interstate 95 (I-95) exit 1 ...
contains a business district. Recent nature access developments in town include the expansion of the Norwalk River Valley Trail, a multi-use trail designed to run between Norwalk and Danbury.


Neighborhoods

The southwest corner of town includes part of the
Silvermine Silvermine is a word used in numerous place names around the world. Hong Kong *Silvermine Bay, a bay in Mui Wo, Lantau Island * Silver Mine Bay Beach, also known as Silvermine Bay Beach Ireland *Silvermine Mountains, a mountain range in County T ...
neighborhood (which also extends into
New Canaan New Canaan () is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 20,622 according to the 2020 census. About an hour from Manhattan by train, the town is considered part of Connecticut's Gold Coast. The town is bounde ...
and Norwalk). Georgetown, which is primarily within the town but also extends into Redding and partly into
Weston Weston may refer to: Places Australia * Weston, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra * Weston, New South Wales * Weston Creek, a residential district of Canberra * Weston Park, Canberra, a park Canada * Weston, Nova Scotia * ...
, is in the northeast corner of town. Other neighborhoods in town are South Wilton, Wilton Center, Gilbert Corners,
Cannondale The Cannondale Bicycle Corporation is an American division of Dutch conglomerate Pon Holdings that supplies bicycles. Its headquarters are in Wilton, Connecticut with engineering offices in Freiburg, Germany. Frames are manufactured in Taiwan ...
, and North Wilton.


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 17,633 people, 5,923 households, and 4,874 families residing in Wilton. 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 654.3 people per square mile (252.6/km). There were 6,113 housing units at an average density of 226.8 per square mile (87.6/km). The racial makeup of the town was 95.55%
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 o ...
, 0.60%
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 ...
, 0.09% Native American, 2.69%
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 ...
, 0.01%
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 ...
, 0.27% 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 0.79% 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 forme ...
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 1.53% of the population. There were 5,923 households, out of which 46.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 75.4% were married couples living together, 5.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.7% were non-families. Of all households 15.3% were made up of individuals, and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.25. The age distribution is 31.5% under the age of 18, 2.8% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 27.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.2 males. The median income for a household in the town was $197,428, and the median income for a family was $217,415. Males had a median income of $190,000 versus $71,611 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 $65,806. About 1.3% of families and 2.9% 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 1.7% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.


Arts and culture


Events

* Relay for Life * Jazz in the Garden takes place at Weir Farm every September. * Wilton Rocks for Food is an annual concert by Wilton-based musicians who send all the proceeds to the Wilton Food Pantry and the Connecticut Food bank. *Wilton Farmers' Market is an outdoor
farmers' market A farmers' market (or farmers market according to the AP stylebook, also farmer's market in the Cambridge Dictionary) is a physical retail marketplace intended to sell foods directly by farmers to consumers. Farmers' markets may be indoors or o ...
held at the Wilton Historical Society on Wednesdays from June through October. *Wilton's annual Street Fair & Sidewalk Sale is an outdoor sales event in the town center that occurs in the summer.


Listings on the National Register of Historic Places

*
Cannondale Historic District Cannondale Historic District is a historic district in the Cannondale section in the north-central area of the town of Wilton, Connecticut. The district includes 58 contributing buildings, one other contributing structure, one contributing sit ...
* David Lambert House * Georgetown Historic District * Hurlbutt Street School * Marvin Tavern * Sloan-Raymond-Fitch House *
Weir Farm National Historic Site Weir Farm National Historical Park is located in Ridgefield and Wilton, Connecticut. It commemorates the life and work of American impressionist painter J. Alden Weir and other artists who stayed at the site or lived there, to include Childe Ha ...
* Wilton Center Historic District


Parks and recreation

The Wilton Parks and Recreation Department offers a number of programs for all ages including pre-school programs, senior programs youth soccer and basketball. There are also many walking paths including part of the Norwalk River Valley Trail. Merwin Meadows is a picnic area for families with a pond, playground and athletic field.


Government and politics

Once a
Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
bastion, Wilton has become increasingly Democratic in recent years. In 2008, Wilton voted for
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...
, who became the first Democratic candidate for U.S. President to carry the town since
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 ...
in 1964. The town flipped back in 2012, voting for Mitt Romney, a former governor of neighboring
Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...
. In 2016, voters in Wilton delivered a 22-point margin of victory to
Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...
, the best performance for a Democratic presidential nominee in the town since Johnson in 1964. In 2019, Republicans won the majority of local offices. In 2020, the town gave a 33-point margin to Joe Biden. Wilton is a part of the 26th District of the Connecticut Senate. Represented by
Will Haskell William Haskell (born June 28, 1996) is an American politician and a former member of the Connecticut State Senate, representing District 26 from 2019 to 2023. The district includes the towns of Redding, Ridgefield, Wilton, and parts of Bethel ...
. Parts of Wilton are encompassed by the 125th District of the
Connecticut House of Representatives The Connecticut State House of Representatives is the lower house in the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The house is composed of 151 members representing an equal number of districts, with ...
. Represented by Tom O'Dea. Wilton is also apart of the 143rd District. Currently represented by Stephanie Thomas.. Since 2015, Wilton has been led by First Selectwoman Lynne Vanderslice, a Republican serving her second four-year term. Her term expires on November 30, 2023.


Education


Public schools

A total of about 4,150 students attend the town's four public schools: two elementary schools, Miller-Driscoll School (Grades Pre-K–2) and Cider Mill School (3–5); one middle school, Middlebrook School (6–8); and one high school,
Wilton High School Wilton High School is a public high school in Wilton, Connecticut, U.S., considered "one of Connecticut's top performers" in various measures of school success in 2007,Cowan, Alison Leigh, "Play About Iraq War Divides a Connecticut School", ''The ...
, which has accelerated classes for gifted students, music and visual arts courses, and a resource center. The language laboratory teaches six languages: French, German, Spanish, Latin, classical Greek, and American Sign Language. The elementary schools have class sizes typically ranging from 18 to 22 and a 19-to-1 student/teacher ratio. Middlebrook has interdisciplinary instruction teams in languages and science, mathematics, social studies, computers, art, and gifted student instruction. Class sizes range from 20 to 25 with a student/teacher ratio of 13-to-1.


Private schools

There are four private schools in the town: * Connecticut Friends School, a Quaker preschool * Our Lady of Fatima, a Catholic school, preschool through eighth grade * Seven Acres Montessori School, preschool through eighth grade * The Goddard School, a preschool.


Media

The ''Wilton Bulletin'' is a weekly newspaper published by Hearst Connecticut Media and formerly published by
Hersam Acorn Newspapers Hersam Acorn Newspapers is a family-owned weekly newspaper company based in Ridgefield, Connecticut, United States. The company publishes 19 weeklies in Fairfield and New Haven counties, Connecticut, and Westchester County, New York, and several ...
. ''GOOD Morning Wilton'' is an online daily news website. Virgin Mobile Live, a 24-hour online radio service licensed by Virgin Radio, is based in Wilton. There is also the weekly ''Wilton Villager'' newspaper.


Infrastructure


Transportation


Highways

The town's main north-south roadways are
U.S. Route 7 U.S. Route 7 (US 7) is a north–south United States highway in western New England that runs for through the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont. The highway's southern terminus is at Interstate 95 (I-95) exit 15 ...
and Route 33. State highways Route 53 and Route 106 also run through the town. The nearby
Merritt Parkway The Merritt Parkway (also known locally as "The Merritt") is a limited-access parkway in Fairfield County, Connecticut, with a small section at the northern end in New Haven County. Designed for Connecticut's Gold Coast, the parkway is known ...
( Route 15) serves the town via the Route 33 exit (Exit 41, signed for Wilton/Westport) and the Route 7 exits (Exits 39B & 40B, signed for Danbury).


Railroad

The town has two railroad stations: Wilton near the town center and
Cannondale The Cannondale Bicycle Corporation is an American division of Dutch conglomerate Pon Holdings that supplies bicycles. Its headquarters are in Wilton, Connecticut with engineering offices in Freiburg, Germany. Frames are manufactured in Taiwan ...
. Both are served by Metro-North Railroad's
Danbury Branch The Danbury Branch is a diesel branch of the Metro-North Railroad New Haven Line from downtown Norwalk, Connecticut north to Danbury, mostly single-tracked. It opened in 1852 as the Danbury and Norwalk Railroad. Until the early 1970s, passenger ...
, which provides direct commuter train service south to Norwalk (15 minutes), Stamford (25 minutes),
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 ...
(33 minutes), and New York City's Grand Central Terminal (90 minutes); and north to New Haven and Boston. Wilton was previously served by a station called South Wilton (1852–1971) and Kent Road (1976–1994) and by the
Georgetown station Georgetown or George Town may refer to: Places Africa *George, South Africa, formerly known as Georgetown *Janjanbureh, Gambia, formerly known as Georgetown * Georgetown, Ascension Island, main settlement of the British territory of Ascension Isl ...
from 1852–1970.


Buses

The town is served by the 7 Link bus route of the
Norwalk Transit District The Norwalk Transit District is the primary provider of public transportation services in Norwalk, Connecticut, United States, and surrounding communities. The local Norwalk fixed-route bus transit system, known as WHEELS, is the primary servic ...
that runs between Norwalk and Danbury along the Route 7 corridor. A commuter shuttle bus during rush hours is also available between South Wilton and the South Norwalk railroad station on the
New Haven Line The Metro-North Railroad New Haven Line is a commuter rail line running from New Haven, Connecticut to New York City. It joins the Harlem Line at Mount Vernon, New York and continues south to Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan. The New Haven ...
.


Notable people

*
Theodore Bikel Theodore Meir Bikel ( ; May 2, 1924 – July 21, 2015) was an Austrian-American actor, folk singer, musician, composer, unionist, and political activist. He appeared in films, including '' The African Queen'' (1951), ''Moulin Rouge'' (1952), ' ...
(1924–2015), actor, long-time resident * Jeremy Black, actor *
Linda Blair Linda Denise Blair (born January 22, 1959) is an American actress and activist. She played Regan MacNeil in the horror film ''The Exorcist'' (1973), for which she won a Golden Globe Award and received a nomination for an Academy Award. The fil ...
, actress *
Chance Browne Robert "Chance" Browne (born June 17, 1948) is an American comic strip artist and cartoonist, painter, and musician. He was born in New York City. After his father Dik Browne died in 1989, Browne took over drawing the family comic strip ''Hi and ...
, cartoonist of syndicated comic strip ''
Hi and Lois ''Hi and Lois'' is an American comic strip about a suburban family. Created by Mort Walker and illustrated by Dik Browne, both of whose offspring currently work on the strip, it debuted on October 18, 1954, distributed by King Features Syndicate.R ...
'' *
Dik Browne Richard Arthur Allan Browne (August 11, 1917 – June 4, 1989) was an American cartoonist, best known for writing and drawing ''Hägar the Horrible'' and ''Hi and Lois''. Biography Browne attended Cooper Union and got his start at the '' New Yo ...
(1917–1989), cartoonist, creator of ''
Hägar the Horrible ''Hägar the Horrible'' is the title and main character of an American comic strip created by cartoonist Dik Browne and syndicated by King Features Syndicate. It first appeared in February 1973 and was an immediate success. Since Browne's retirem ...
'' and ''
Hi and Lois ''Hi and Lois'' is an American comic strip about a suburban family. Created by Mort Walker and illustrated by Dik Browne, both of whose offspring currently work on the strip, it debuted on October 18, 1954, distributed by King Features Syndicate.R ...
'' * Dave Brubeck, prominent
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
musician *
David Canary David Hoyt Canary (August 25, 1938 – November 16, 2015) was an American actor. Canary is best known for his role as ranch foreman Candy Canaday in the NBC Western drama ''Bonanza'', and as Adam Chandler in the television soap opera ''All My ...
(1938–2015), actor, '' All My Children'' and '' Bonanza'' *
Paul Dano Paul Franklin Dano (; born June 19, 1984) is an American actor. He began his career on Broadway before making his film debut in ''The Newcomers'' (2000). He won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Debut Performance for his role in '' L.I.E.' ...
, actor, 2002 graduate of Wilton High School *
Ray Dalio Raymond Thomas Dalio (born August 8, 1949) is an American billionaire investor and hedge fund manager, who has served as co-chief investment officer of the world's largest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, since 1985. He founded Bridgewater i ...
, founder of
Bridgewater Associates Bridgewater Associates is an American investment management firm founded by Ray Dalio in 1975. The firm serves institutional clients including pension funds, endowments, foundations, foreign governments, and central banks. It utilizes a glob ...
, richest person in Connecticut, resident in late 20th century"Wilton, Conn. – Economist Dalio Foresees Greatest Crisis Since '29". ''Wilton Bulletin''. September 22, 1982. * Matt Davies, Pulitzer Prize-winning political cartoonist *
George Devol George Charles Devol Jr. (February 20, 1912 – August 11, 2011) was an American inventor, best known for creating Unimate, the first industrial robot. Devol's invention earned him the title "Grandfather of Robotics". The National Inventor ...
, inventor, engineer and manager, founder of first industrial robotics company Unimation. *
Abby Elliott Abby Elliott is an American actress and comedian who was a cast member on '' Saturday Night Live'' from 2008 to 2012 and has since starred on the Bravo comedy ''Odd Mom Out'' and the NBC sitcom ''Indebted''. She is the daughter of actor/comedia ...
, actress/comedian, daughter of Chris Elliott * Chris Elliott, actor/comedian *
Ace Frehley Paul Daniel "Ace" Frehley (; born April 27, 1951) is an American musician, best known as the original lead guitarist and co-founding member of the hard rock band Kiss. He invented the persona of The Spaceman (a.k.a. Space Ace) and played wit ...
, guitarist for
Kiss A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...
, lived in Wilton from 1979–1986 *
Charles Grodin Charles Sidney Grodin (April 21, 1935 – May 18, 2021) was an American actor, comedian, author, and television talk show host. Grodin began his acting career in the 1960s appearing in TV serials including '' The Virginian''. After a small part ...
(1935–2021), actor *
Johnny Gruelle John Barton Gruelle (December 24, 1880 – January 9, 1938) was an American artist, political cartoonist, children's book and comics author, illustrator, and storyteller. He is best known as the creator of Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy dolls and ...
, artist who created Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy *
June Havoc June Havoc (born Ellen Evangeline Hovick; November 8, 1912 – March 28, 2010) was a Canadian American actress, dancer, stage director and memoirist. Havoc was a child vaudeville performer under the tutelage of her mother Rose Thompson Hovick, ...
, actress, who also renovated buildings to create the Cannon Crossing center of small shops. Her sister Gypsy Rose Lee frequently visited her * Daryl Hawk, documentary photographer, explorer *
Sterling Hayden Sterling Walter Hayden (born Sterling Relyea Walter; March 26, 1916 – May 23, 1986) was an American actor, author, sailor and decorated Marine Corps officer and an Office of Strategic Services' agent during World War II. A leading man for mos ...
, actor * Patty Hearst, known as Patricia Hearst-Shaw, heiress and actress *
Lydia Hearst-Shaw Lydia Marie Hearst-Shaw (born September 19, 1984) is an American fashion model, actress, socialite, and lifestyle blogger. She is a great-granddaughter of newspaper publisher and politician William Randolph Hearst and a daughter of the author an ...
, supermodel and heiress *
Russell Hoban Russell Conwell Hoban (February 4, 1925 – December 13, 2011) was an American expatriate writer. His works span many genres, including fantasy, science fiction, mainstream fiction, magical realism, poetry, and children's books. He lived in ...
, writer;
Lillian Hoban Lillian Hoban (May 18, 1925 – July 17, 1998) was an American illustrator and children's writer best known for picture books created with her husband Russell Hoban. According to OCLC, she has published 326 works in 1,401 publications in 11 lan ...
, writer and illustrator; and their daughter
Phoebe Hoban Phoebe Hoban is an American journalist perhaps known best for her biographies of the artists Jean Michel Basquiat ('' Basquiat: A Quick Killing in Art'', Viking 1998) and Alice Neel (''Alice Neel: The Art of not Sitting Pretty'', St. Martin's Pr ...
, journalist and biographer * Richard C. Hottelet, broadcast journalist and commentator, last of the
Murrow's Boys The Murrow Boys, or Murrow's Boys, were the CBS radio broadcast journalists most closely associated with Edward R. Murrow during his time at the network, most notably in the years before and during World War II. Murrow recruited a number of newsm ...
*
Ira Levin Ira Marvin Levin (August 27, 1929 – November 12, 2007) was an American novelist, playwright, and songwriter. His works include the novels '' A Kiss Before Dying'' (1953), '' Rosemary's Baby'' (1967), '' The Stepford Wives'' (1972), ''This Perfe ...
, writer, lived in Wilton in the 1960s and wrote in a March 27, 2007 letter to the ''New York Times'' that he based the fictional town of The Stepford Wives, Stepford from his 1972 novel ''The Stepford Wives'' on Wilton * Kristine Lilly, US Olympic Soccer Team, holds the world record for most professional soccer match appearances in history * Katherine Maher, executive director of the Wikimedia Foundation * Jay Manuel, ''America's Next Top Model'' director of photo shoots * Joe Pantoliano, actor * Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire, writers and illustrators of children's books * Aldo Parisot, cellist * Dean Parisot, film and television director * Sarah Phillips (fashion designer), Sarah Phillips, fashion designer * Steve Phillips, former NY Mets General Manager and former ESPN baseball analyst * Charles E. Pont, artist and Baptist minister, lived here from 1958 until his death in 1971 * Jane Powell and Dickie Moore (actor), Dickie Moore, actress and former child actor * Randy Rasmussen (American football, born 1945), Randy Rasmussen, former left guard of the New York Jets for 15 years (1967–1981), started in Super Bowl III * Vicki Sue Robinson, actress and singer * John Scofield, grew up in Wilton, jazz guitarist * Frank Sesno, journalist and professor * Zachary Cole Smith, frontman of DIIV, went to elementary and middle school growing up in the town * Donald B. Verrilli Jr., U.S. solicitor general from 2011 to 2016, graduated
Wilton High School Wilton High School is a public high school in Wilton, Connecticut, U.S., considered "one of Connecticut's top performers" in various measures of school success in 2007,Cowan, Alison Leigh, "Play About Iraq War Divides a Connecticut School", ''The ...
in 1975 * Christopher Walken, actor * Marcy Walker, actress, lived in Wilton during the early 2000sComiskey, Devin. "From TV to church work – Soap star begins new role as children's ministry director." ''The Wilton Bulletin'', (CT) 5 Aug. 2004, News: A001. NewsBank. Web. 11 Aug. 2013. * Emily Weiss, founder of Glossier * Cathie Wood, founder of Ark Invest, ARK Investment Management


References


External links


Official Town Website
{{authority control Wilton, Connecticut, Populated places on the Underground Railroad Towns in Connecticut Towns in Fairfield County, Connecticut Towns in the New York metropolitan area