Colchester is a
town
A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city.
The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...
in
New London County, Connecticut
New London County is a County (United States), county in the southeastern corner of Connecticut and comprises the Norwich, Connecticut, Norwich-New London, Connecticut Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Hartford, Conne ...
, United States. The town is part of the
Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region. The population was 15,555 at the
2020 census.
In 2010 Colchester became the first town in Connecticut, and the 36th in the country, to be certified with the
National Wildlife Federation
The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) is the largest private, nonprofit conservation education and advocacy organization in the United States, with over six million members and supporters, and 51 state and territorial affiliated organizations (i ...
as a Community Wildlife Habitat.
The villages of Westchester and North Westchester are located within Colchester. The
town center village, which was previously incorporated as a
borough
A borough is an administrative division in various English language, 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
...
, is a
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...
, with a population of 4,700 at the 2020 census.
The Colchester area was part of the Mohegan territory at the time of European settlement. Several members of the
Paugussett
The Golden Hill Paugussett is a State recognized tribes, state-recognized Native Americans in the United States, Native American tribe in Connecticut. Granted reservations in a number of towns in the 17th century, their land base was whittled away ...
tribe currently reside in Colchester, where the tribe (which also has a heritage property in
Trumbull) has a larger and more recently acquired reservation.
The Colchester Historical Society operates a local history museum.
History
Pre-Township and Becoming a Township
On March 31, 1661, the original settlement of Colchester was founded by
Jeremy Adams on a 340-acre area of land, then known as "Jeremiah's Farme." The land was given to Jeremy by
Uncas,
Sachem
Sachems and sagamores are paramount chiefs among the Algonquians or other Native American tribes of northeastern North America, including the Iroquois. The two words are anglicizations of cognate terms (c. 1622) from different Eastern Alg ...
of the
Mohegan tribe.
When Connecticut's first counties were created in 1666, Colchester stayed under Adams' ownership and was not incorporated into any new county,
possibly because of its proximity to both
Hartford
Hartford is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The city, located in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County, had a population of 121,054 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ce ...
and
New London County. It would not formally join a county until 1698. At this time, Colchester was mainly a farming community. In 2009, Colchester adopted a right-to-farm ordinance, recognizing the "significant role" that agriculture played in Colchester's "heritage and future."
On October 13, 1698, Michael Taintor II, Samuel Northam and
Nathaniel Foote III applied to officially settle Colchester.
Jeremiah's Farme was selected as the main point of reference for the town, with its north boundary as the Twenty Mile River. The southern side is bordered by
Lyme, and the west boundary meets the east bounds of
Middletown and
Haddam. The east and northeast boundary runs to the bounds of
Lebanon
Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...
and
Norwich
Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of the county of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. It lies by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. The population of the Norwich ...
. During the initial settlement, the area was also referred to as the Plantation of the Twenty-mile River.
On May 11, 1699, the town's principal founders asked the general court of Hartford for assistance, alleging that several persons had hindered the advancement of the settlement by claiming ownership of "considerable tracts of land" within the grant.
They also asked to be transferred under the jurisdiction of the New London colony and for the town to be recognized as Colchester. On May 11, 1699, the court approved their request, officially establishing Colchester as a town of New London.
The town is said to be named after
Colchester
Colchester ( ) is a city in northeastern Essex, England. It is the second-largest settlement in the county, with a population of 130,245 at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 Census. The demonym is ''Colcestrian''.
Colchester occupies the ...
, a borough and port in
Essex, England, where many colonists had emigrated from and from which Foote's grandfather,
Nathaniel Foote, was born.
The 1700s
Nathaniel Foote and his family were some of the first to settle here and finished building their house in 1702.
The house began construction in 1699 by Nathaniel Foote III and was then finished by his son Nathaniel Foote IV.
On November 29, 1703,
a saw and grist mill were voted to be built by Israel and Samual Wyatt if they promised to maintain the mill for the town's use.
The first schoolmaster began operations in 1705, and a schoolhouse was finished in 1711.
In 1707 or earlier, a cemetery was built behind where
Bacon Academy would later be built. The cemetery later held people like Reverend John Bulkeley, Dr. John Watrous, Pierpont Bacon, and his wife, Abigail Bacon. In 1708 Colchester re-joined
Hartford county,
and a second religious meeting house was built.
On December 31, 1712, at a legal town meeting held in Colchester, Capt Gilbert Wyatt and Mr. Darnell Clark were Chosen, Selectmen.
On December 28, 1713, Samuel Northam, Thomas Day, and Ebenezer Colman were chosen for a school committee ensuing year.
At a town meeting on June 12, 1716, it was voted to finish the schoolhouse where the foundation of the said house was the only partly standing.
The selectmen Committee for the school has agreed with Nathaniel Loomis Jr. (He and his family are from
Windsor) to keep school for twelve months and give him twenty-five pounds and ten shillings. He began to keep building the school. On December 8, 1729, Ensign Foote, Ensign Wells, and Israel Newton were chosen as Selectmen. The constables were selected at the same meeting, being Joseph Chamberlain and Isaac Jones.
On June 3, 1774, Stephen Goodwin wrote to the
Hartford Courant
The ''Hartford Courant'' is the largest daily newspaper in the U.S. state of Connecticut, and is advertised as the oldest continuously published newspaper in the United States. A morning newspaper serving most of the state north of New Haven and ...
that he had a runaway slave. The slave was named Jefferey and rode away on horseback. A reward was said to be given out if said horse or Jefferey was found (6 dollars for Jeffery and 4 for the horse).
In 1756 Colchester's population was 2,300 people. In 1761 Michael Taintor built Taintors Farm, which stayed in the family until the early 20th century.
The
Nathaniel Hayward house was built in 1775 for Dudley Wright;
The house was lived in by Dr. John Watrous and his wife (who was Dudley Wright's daughter). The house was later sold in 1848 and lived in by
Nathaniel Hayward. The lawn of this house was the original town green. In 1777 Breed's Tavern was built, which is most known for being one of the two remaining sites associated with the Wooster Masonic Lodge.
In 1782 Colchester had 3,300 inhabitants.
Several men went into the
revolutionary war, many of them died. One of which was Ephraim Little Jr., son of the 2nd Reverend of Colchester. In 1783 Colchester rejoined
New London County after being within
Hartford County.
On Thursday, January 29, 1784,
Congress
A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
suggested a tax, and the representatives of Colchester (Capt. Buckley and Col. Worthington) voted not to have it go into effect. In 1785 the Foote Family house was built by Nathaniel Foote and was lived in by his family. The
Henry Champion House was built in 1790 by architect William Sprat. for
Colonel Henry Champion who was active in the revolution and a military figure.
Starting in the mid-1700s, Colchester was a hub for the making
bed rugs, heavy embroidered bed covers that were both decorative and served to keep
New Englanders
New Englanders, also called Yankees, are the inhabitants of the New England region in the Northeastern United States. Beginning with the New England Colonies, the name "New Englander" refers to those who live in the six New England states or thos ...
warm in the cold winters. Colchester bed rugs are important for their strong designs and complex embroidery.
Several women from the Foote family, including Mary Foote, Abigail Foote, and Jerusha Foote Johnson, all have bed rugs attributed to them.
The 1800s
On October 13, 1803, the town of
Marlborough
Marlborough or the Marlborough may refer to:
Places Australia
* Marlborough, Queensland
* Principality of Marlborough, a short-lived micronation in 1993
* Marlborough Highway, Tasmania; Malborough was an historic name for the place at the sou ...
,
Hartford County was created from parts of the towns of Colchester,
Glastonbury
Glastonbury ( , ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonbury is less than across the River ...
,
Hartford County, and
Hebron
Hebron (; , or ; , ) is a Palestinian city in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Hebron is capital of the Hebron Governorate, the largest Governorates of Palestine, governorate in the West Bank. With a population of 201,063 in ...
,
Tolland County.
In the 1807 election for governor of Connecticut, Colchester voted 105 for
Trumbull and 12 for Hart, a majority for
Trumbull.
On May 27, 1807, heavy cattle losses were reported because of stray dogs biting them.
The following year (1808), Colchester voted for
Trumbull’s re-election (135 to 24). In 1810 Colchester voted for the governor, 82 for
Treadwell, 61 for
Griswold, and 16 for Spalding.
On March 6, 1821, John Turner sold the southern green to
Bacon Academy Trustees for $100 ($2,800 in 2018).
A hatter came in 1828.
In 1836, a town description was written in "Connecticut Historical Collections" stating that excellent quality iron ore was found. Colchester was hilly and stony in some parts of town.
Hebron
Hebron (; , or ; , ) is a Palestinian city in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Hebron is capital of the Hebron Governorate, the largest Governorates of Palestine, governorate in the West Bank. With a population of 201,063 in ...
’s furnaces later used the ore in 1899. In "Connecticut Historical Collections" the school for colored children is mentioned; considering this book was released in 1836, the school could not have been more than 43 years old. Unbeknownst to
John Barber (the writer of this book), he got to see it only four years before its ending. On August 8, 1844, Special Park Committee meeting reported costs to acquire acres of land plus costs of posts and rails to line the perimeter for $398 (about $13,000).
In March 1850, The borough petitioned for a special meeting for land donation by
Nathaniel Hayward. His proposal was a donation of land if the borough laid a tax of $1,000 to defray expenses of fences and grading land (about $32,000).
The proposal was approved. In 1851 Work was completed for the new Town Park. The borough passes ordinances to ban cows from the park.
Borough records showed the town immediately designated the park as a source of income. This included land rental for circus, shows, and sales of grasses and hay.
Colchester Bank
The first known mention of the bank, was on June 19, 1856, when the
Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
agreed to pass a bill incorporating the bank.
On October 11, 1856, the bank's stockholders met and decided on a board of directors. They are as follows, Albert B. Isham, Stephen Brainard Day (Isaac's Buell's brother), William G. Buell, and Samuel F. Jones Jr. (who would later be the main accomplice in the Colchester bank scandal).
In the same meeting, Isaac Biglow Buell (the cousin of Harvey Post Buell, a successful druggist, and pharmacist in Colchester) was chosen as president. The bank reportedly began the same day.
The 1900s
The Great New England Hurricane of 1938
On September 21 and 22, 1938, Colchester was slammed by a hurricane. The state of Connecticut was inundated with between 5-10 inches of rain and wind gusts of anywhere from 100–125 miles per hour. Reportedly, the Colchester Town Green resembled a "small lake with cascading streams"
At the time, the town had a number of Dutch Elm trees that were planted in 1850. While the root systems of Dutch elms are extensive, they are also quite shallow. As the hurricane hit on September 21, the shallow root systems were ineffective at keeping the trees rooted in the already saturated ground. These trees fell on many buildings, vehicles, and power lines across town. This blocked roads and left many people without homes.
The 2000s
In July 2005, Colchester was named by CNN's Money Magazine, the 57th best place in the U.S. to live in and is celebrated every year with a festival on the last Saturday of September called 57 Fest.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 1.49%, is water. Among the many waterways are the
Salmon River,
Jeremy River, and Dickinson Creek, which is spanned by the
Lyman Viaduct.
Principal communities
*
Colchester center
*
Golden Hill Paugussett Reservation
*North Westchester
*Westchester
Climate
This
climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the
Köppen Climate Classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
system, Colchester has a
humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...
, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.
Activities
The
Salmon River State Forest provides opportunities for fishing, hiking, and hunting.
Landmarks
Formerly an incorporated
borough
A borough is an administrative division in various English language, 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
...
, the town center of Colchester is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
as a
historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains historic building, older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal p ...
, known as the
Colchester Village Historic District. The walkable center includes a town green with a veterans' memorial. Retail stores and restaurants are located here.
Schools
Colchester has four schools: Colchester Elementary School (Pre K-2), Jack Jackter Intermediate School (Grades 3–5), William J. Johnston Middle School (Grades 6–8),
Bacon Academy (Grades 9–12).
Demographics
Population
Source:
As of the 2000
census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
the population density was and 5,407 housing units at an average density of .
There were 5,247 households as of 2000, out of which 43.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.9% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.5% were non-families. 18.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the town in 2000, the population was spread out, with 29.8% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 36.5% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 9.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $64,807, and the median income for a family was $62,346. Males had a median income of $47,123 versus $29,250 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the town was $24,038. About 6.1% of families and 2.7% 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 1.6% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.
Notable people
*
John Adams
John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Before Presidency of John Adams, his presidency, he was a leader of ...
(1772–1863), founder of
Phillips Exeter Academy
Phillips Exeter Academy (often called Exeter or PEA) is an Independent school, independent, co-educational, college-preparatory school in Exeter, New Hampshire. Established in 1781, it is America's sixth-oldest boarding school and educates an es ...
, was the principal of the Bacon Academy here from 1803 to 1810
*
William Adams (1807–1880), born in Colchester, noted clergyman and president of
Union Theological Seminary (New York)
*
Stephen F. Austin (1793–1836), "Father of Texas", attended Bacon Academy in 1803
*
Edward Sheffield Bartholomew
Edward Sheffield Bartholomew (c. 1822 - May 2, 1858) was an American sculptor active in the Papal State and later in Italy.
Bartholomew was born in Colchester, Connecticut. After apprenticeships as a bookbinder and dentist, his first employment ...
(1822–1858), sculptor
*
Jehiel C. Beman (1791–1858) African-American 19th-century minister and abolitionist; born in Colchester
*
Eliphalet Adams Bulkeley (1803–1872), Bacon Academy graduate (1819), state senator, state's attorney and founder of
Aetna
Aetna Inc. ( ) is an American managed health care company that sells traditional and consumer directed health care insurance and related services, such as medical, pharmaceutical, dental, behavioral health, long-term care, and disability plans, ...
Insurance Company (1846)
*
Jonathan Coulton
Jonathan William Coulton (born December 1, 1970), often called "JoCo" by fans, is an American folk/comedy singer-songwriter, known for his songs about geek culture and his use of the Internet to draw fans. Among his most popular songs are "Cod ...
(born 1970), singer-songwriter, whose first EP ''Where Tradition Meets Tomorrow'' is named after Colchester's town motto
*
John B. Day (1847-1925), tobacco merchant and first owner of the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
baseball team
*
Rick Derringer (born 1947), rock artist and producer
*
Henry C. Deming (1815–1872), mayor of
Hartford
Hartford is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The city, located in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County, had a population of 121,054 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ce ...
, mayor of
New Orleans
New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
, colonel in the
Union Army and
U.S. congressman
*
Alfred Ely (1815–1892), US congressman of New York and taken prisoner after the
*
Ezra Hall Gillett (1823–1875), author, clergyman, and professor
*
Nathaniel Hayward (1808–1865), Inventor, Business Owner
*
Prince Saunders (1775–1839), attorney general of the
Republic of Haiti
*
Lyman Trumbull (1813–1896), born in Colchester, Bacon Academy graduate (1829), became influential as a U.S. senator representing the state of
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
during the Civil War and Reconstruction
*
Abigail Goodrich Whittelsey (1788–1858), editor
*
Denison Worthington (1806–1880),
Wisconsin
Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...
state senator
*
Ron Wotus (born 1961),
Bacon Academy graduate (1979),
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
bench coach
*
Tokyo's Revenge (born 1998) Hip Hop Artist
References
External links
Town of Colchester official websiteColchester Historical Society
{{authority control
Towns in New London County, Connecticut
Towns in Connecticut
Towns in Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut