History Of Stamford, Connecticut
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Stamford, Connecticut Stamford () is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, outside of New York City. It is the sixth-most populous city in New England. Stamford is also the largest city in the Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut, Weste ...
was inhabited by
Siwanoy The Siwanoy () were an Indigenous American band of Munsee-speaking people, who lived in Long Island Sound along the coasts of what are now The Bronx, Westchester County, New York, and Fairfield County, Connecticut. They were one of the western ba ...
Native Americans, prior to
European European, or Europeans, may refer to: In general * ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe ** Ethnic groups in Europe ** Demographics of Europe ** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe and other West ...
colonization 475px, Map of the year each country achieved List of sovereign states by date of formation, independence. Colonization (British English: colonisation) is a process of establishing occupation of or control over foreign territories or peoples f ...
beginning in the mid-17th century. Stamford grew rapidly due to industrialization in the late-19th and early-20th century, and continued to grow rapidly throughout much of the mid-20th century. During the late-20th century, Stamford underwent a period of
urban renewal Urban renewal (sometimes called urban regeneration in the United Kingdom and urban redevelopment in the United States) is a program of land redevelopment often used to address real or perceived urban decay. Urban renewal involves the clearing ...
which saw much redevelopment in its
downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in American and Canadian English to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ( ...
. Stamford's population has continued to grow throughout the 21st century, with redevelopments in its downtown and the South End.


Colonial history

Stamford was known as Rippowam by the
Siwanoy The Siwanoy () were an Indigenous American band of Munsee-speaking people, who lived in Long Island Sound along the coasts of what are now The Bronx, Westchester County, New York, and Fairfield County, Connecticut. They were one of the western ba ...
Native American inhabitants to the region, and the very first
European European, or Europeans, may refer to: In general * ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe ** Ethnic groups in Europe ** Demographics of Europe ** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe and other West ...
settler A settler or a colonist is a person who establishes or joins a permanent presence that is separate to existing communities. The entity that a settler establishes is a Human settlement, settlement. A settler is called a pioneer if they are among ...
s to the area also referred to it that way. On July 1, 1640, Nathaniel Turner of the
New Haven Colony New Haven Colony was an English colony from 1638 to 1664 that included settlements on the north shore of Long Island Sound, with outposts in modern-day New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. The colony joined Connecticut Colony in 16 ...
signed an agreement to purchase the land comprising present-day Stamford, Darien, western
New Canaan New Canaan () is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 20,622 according to the 2020 census. The town is part of the Western Connecticut Planning Region. About an hour from New York City by train, the town ...
, and
Pound Ridge Pound Ridge is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 5,082 at the 2020 census. The town is located toward the eastern end of the county, bordered to the north and east by the town of Lewisboro, by Stamford, C ...
and
Bedford Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population was 106,940. Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire and seat of the Borough of Bedford local government district. Bedford was founded at a ford (crossin ...
in present-day
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
with Siwanoy Sagamores, Wascussee, and Ponus. The land was acquired by the New Haven colony for 12
coat A coat is typically an outer garment for the upper body, worn by any gender for warmth or fashion. Coats typically have long sleeves and are open down the front, and closing by means of buttons, zippers, hook-and-loop fasteners (AKA velcro), ...
s, 12 hoes, 12
hatchet A hatchet (from the Old French language, Old French , a diminutive form of ''hache'', 'axe' of Germanic origin) is a Tool, single-handed striking tool with a sharp blade on one side used to cut and split wood, and a hammerhead on the other side ...
s, 12 glass mirrors, 12
knives A knife (: knives; from Old Norse 'knife, dirk') is a tool or weapon with a cutting edge or blade, usually attached to a handle or hilt. One of the earliest tools used by humanity, knives appeared at least 2.5 million years ago, as evidenced ...
, two
kettle A kettle, sometimes called a tea kettle or teakettle, is a device specialized for boiling water, commonly with a ''lid'', ''spout'', and ''handle''. There are two main types: the ''stovetop kettle'', which uses heat from a cooktop, hob, and the ...
s, and four
fathom A fathom is a unit of length in the imperial and the U.S. customary systems equal to , used especially for measuring the depth of water. The fathom is neither an international standard (SI) unit, nor an internationally accepted non-SI unit. H ...
s of white
wampum Wampum is a traditional shell bead of the Eastern Woodlands tribes of Native Americans. It includes white shell beads hand-fashioned from the North Atlantic channeled whelk shell and white and purple beads made from the quahog or Western ...
. However, the Siwanoy parties to the agreement may not have fully understood the agreement, as that they did not buy nor sell land, and linguistic differences may have prevented them from fully understanding the deal. The deed was modified in 1655, 1662, and 1701, with each modification adding payments to the descendants of Ponus, but did not provide any clarifications as to the land deal itself. The first European colonists, Reverent Richard Denton of Wethersfield and his family, settled the area in mid-May 1641. Later on in the spring, 29
Puritan The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to rid the Church of England of what they considered to be Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should b ...
families from Wethersfield moved to the area. The group had formed "The Rippowam Company" on October 19, 1640, to purchase the area from the New Haven Colony, and to settle it under the New Haven Colony's jurisdiction. The name of the settlement was changed to Stamford on April 6, 1642, after the town in
Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (), abbreviated ''Lincs'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber regions of England. It is bordered by the East Riding of Yorkshire across the Humber estuary to th ...
,
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
, where more than 80% of New England's original English settlers hailed from. Denton and his family, alongside 17 other families, would leave Stamford for Hempstead, on
Long Island Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...
, in 1644. In 1642, Captain John Underhill settled in Stamford and the following year represented the town in the New Haven Colony General Court. Stamford was included in the creation of a New Haven confederation called the
United Colonies of New England The United Colonies of New England, commonly known as the New England Confederation, was a confederal alliance of the New England colonies of Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, Saybrook (Connecticut), and New Haven formed in May 1643, during the Engl ...
, alongside
New Haven New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is the third largest city in Co ...
, Guilford,
Milford Milford may refer to: Place names Canada * Milford (Annapolis), Nova Scotia * Milford (Halifax), Nova Scotia * Milford, Ontario England * Milford, Derbyshire * Milford, Devon, a place in Devon * Milford on Sea, Hampshire * Milford, Shro ...
, as well as Southold on Long Island. Shortly after the restoration of
Charles II of England Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was King of Scotland from 1649 until 1651 and King of England, Scotland, and King of Ireland, Ireland from the 1660 Restoration of the monarchy until his death in 1685. Charles II was the eldest su ...
, in a session of the Connecticut General Court held on October 9, 1662, the former New Haven "plantations" of Stanford (''sic''), Greenwich, Guilford, and even Southold were to be recognized as
Connecticut Colony The Connecticut Colony, originally known as the Connecticut River Colony, was an English colony in New England which later became the state of Connecticut. It was organized on March 3, 1636, as a settlement for a Puritans, Puritan congregation o ...
towns with constables sworn in. During the 1640s, a
mill Mill may refer to: Science and technology * Factory * Mill (grinding) * Milling (machining) * Millwork * Paper mill * Steel mill, a factory for the manufacture of steel * Sugarcane mill * Textile mill * List of types of mill * Mill, the arithmetic ...
was built on the
Rippowam River The Rippowam River is a river in Fairfield County, Connecticut and Westchester County, New York (United States). It drains a catchment area of and flows for from Ridgefield to Long Island Sound, which it enters in Stamford's harbor. Strea ...
, and a wooden
meeting house A meeting house (also spelled meetinghouse or meeting-house) is a building where religious and sometimes private meetings take place. Terminology Nonconformist (Protestantism), Nonconformist Protestant denominations distinguish between a: * chu ...
was built. The first public schoolhouse was built in Stamford in 1671, and has been described by a local historian as a "crude, unheated wooden structure only ten or twelve feet square". It was built when settlers tore down their original meeting house, which they had outgrown after three decades, and used some of the timbers to put up a school near the Old Town Hall on Atlantic Square. On the nearby common they built a new meeting house, which also served as the Congregational church. As Stamford expanded throughout the late 17th century, people settled farther and farther from the settlement's center, and had to travel farther to access public services. The predecessor to the
Boston Post Road The Boston Post Road was a system of mail-delivery routes between New York City and Boston, Massachusetts, that evolved into one of the first major highways in the United States. The three major alignments were the Lower Post Road (now U.S. Ro ...
, originally called King's Highway or County Road, was built in 1673. As a result, in 1680, people who settled in the far northern reaches of Stamford split off into the town of Bedford. A treaty in 1683 between
Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...
and New York set an agreed-upon border north of Stamford's main road, resulting in part of the settlement falling under New York's jurisdiction. Following the resignation of local
Reverend The Reverend (abbreviated as The Revd, The Rev'd or The Rev) is an honorific style (form of address), style given to certain (primarily Western Christian, Western) Christian clergy and Christian minister, ministers. There are sometimes differen ...
John Bishop, Reverend John Davenport assumed the role of Stamford's spiritual leader in 1694. Davenport, who ruled until his death in February 1731, governed in a conservative style, and under his rule, Stamford accepted few new inhabitants. Following Davenport's death, the
Congregational Church Congregationalism (also Congregational Churches or Congregationalist Churches) is a Reformed Christian (Calvinist) tradition of Protestant Christianity in which churches practice congregational government. Each congregation independently a ...
lost control over local
town meeting Town meeting, also known as an "open town meeting", is a form of local government in which eligible town residents can directly participate in an assembly which determines the governance of their town. Unlike representative town meeting where ...
s, and in 1737, the Canaan and Middlesex Parishes split off from Stamford to form new settlements. Further religious fractures emerged in subsequent years with the establishment of an
Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...
church in Stamford in 1742,
Baptist Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...
churches in 1773 and 1790, a
Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...
church in 1788, and a
New Light New Light, new light, New Lights or new lights may refer to: * New Light, North Carolina * New Light, Richland Parish, Louisiana * New Light (song), a song by John Mayer * ''New Light'' (EP), an EP by the band Moving Mountains * Old and New ...
preacher resulting from the
First Great Awakening The First Great Awakening, sometimes Great Awakening or the Evangelical Revival, was a series of Christian revivals that swept Britain and its thirteen North American colonies in the 1730s and 1740s. The revival movement permanently affected Pro ...
. One of the primary industries of the small colony was merchandising by water, which was possible due to Stamford's proximity to New York.


Revolutionary war

During the
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
, many towns in close proximity to Stamford were invaded by the
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
, and British loyalists, who were common throughout neighboring New York, often came to Stamford to harass and loot pro-independence residents. On 22 July 1781, during the
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
, Stamford was raided by the British, and
Fort Stamford The Fort Stamford Site, site of Fort Stamford, is a public park at 900 Westover Road in the Westover neighborhood of Stamford, Connecticut. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. It is the site of the archaeological r ...
was built as a result.


19th century

Starting in 1825, Stamford was served by
steamboat A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. The term ''steamboat'' is used to refer to small steam-powered vessels worki ...
service to
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
by the Stamford Steamboat Company. The service ran three times a week, and carried local
produce In American English, produce generally refers to wikt:fresh, fresh List of culinary fruits, fruits and Vegetable, vegetables intended to be Eating, eaten by humans, although other food products such as Dairy product, dairy products or Nut (foo ...
and about 500 passengers. The densely settled portion of Stamford incorporated as a borough in 1830. In 1838, William Betts founded
Betts Academy Betts Academy was a well-known private academy in Stamford, Connecticut that operated from 1838 to 1908. History The school was founded in 1838 in North Stamford by James Betts, a Congregational Church deacon originally from Wilton, Connecticut ...
, a
private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...
all-boys academy in Stamford, which operated until it burned in 1908.
Train A train (from Old French , from Latin">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ... , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles th ...
service began in Stamford in 1848, and regular service along the
New Haven Line The New Haven Line is a commuter rail line operated by the Metro-North Railroad in the U.S. states of New York (state), New York and Connecticut. Running from New Haven, Connecticut, to New York City, the New Haven Line joins the Harlem Line ...
began on January 1, 1849. The introduction of train service in Stamford improved access to the city, helped develop its industry, and attracted
immigrants Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not usual residents or where they do not possess nationality in order to settle as permanent residents. Commuters, tourists, and other short- ...
. Stamford's population grew from about 5,000 in 1850 to 11,000 in 1880. Stamford's first major wave of immigration originated largely from
Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
, and Irish immigrants worked in the city's
mills Mills is the plural form of mill, but may also refer to: As a name * Mills (surname), a common family name of English or Gaelic origin * Mills (given name) *Mills, a fictional British secret agent in a trilogy by writer Manning O'Brine Places U ...
, as
day labor Day labor (or day labour in American and British English spelling differences, Commonwealth spelling) is work done where the worker is hired and paid one day at a time, with no promise that more work will be available in the future, and outside t ...
ers,
gardener A gardener is someone who practices gardening, either professionally or as a hobby. Description A gardener is any person involved in gardening, arguably the oldest occupation, from the hobbyist in a residential garden, the home-owner suppleme ...
s, and
coachmen A coachman is a person who drives a coach or carriage, or similar horse-drawn vehicle. A coachman has also been called a coachee, coachy, whip, or hackman. The coachman's first concern is to remain in full control of the horses (or other simil ...
. During this time, a sizeable Irish-American community called "
Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
" formed near the city's railroad tracks. However, some of Stamford's
Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
residents displayed prejudice against the city's Irish-American community, and believed that they were subservient to the
Pope The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...
. A
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
church, the
Basilica of Saint John the Evangelist The Basilica of Saint John the Evangelist is a Catholic parish church and minor basilica in Stamford, Connecticut, USA. It was founded in the 1850s and the current church was built in 1868 to meet the increasing needs of the congregation. It serve ...
, was built in Stamford in 1851. The church relocated to a larger building along Atlantic Street that was completed in 1886. Stamford's first school with defined grades, the Centre School, opened on Broad Street, near the location of Stamford's original schoolhouse, in 1852. The original Centre School building, which was made of
wood Wood is a structural tissue/material found as xylem in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulosic fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin t ...
, burned, and was replaced by a
brick A brick is a type of construction material used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a unit primarily composed of clay. But is now also used informally to denote building un ...
building in 1867. A private all-girls school, called Catherine Aiken, opened in Stamford in 1855. At one point
Georges Clemenceau Georges Benjamin Clemenceau (28 September 1841 – 24 November 1929) was a French statesman who was Prime Minister of France from 1906 to 1909 and again from 1917 until 1920. A physician turned journalist, he played a central role in the poli ...
taught
French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...
at the school, and married a student from the school,
Mary Plummer Mary Elizabeth Plummer (18 March 1849 – 13 September 1922) was an American-born pupil of and later the wife of Georges Clemenceau, Prime Minister of France during Third Republic. Plummer was a native of Springfield, Massachusetts. Clemenceau ...
. The school closed in the 1890s. By the 1860s, competition from train service forced steamboat service in Stamford to shutter. In 1873, Stamford's Town School Committee created Stamford High School, to be housed in a room of the Centre School. Originally, students had to pass an
exam An examination (exam or evaluation) or test is an educational assessment intended to measure a test-taker's knowledge, skill, aptitude, physical fitness, or classification in many other topics (e.g., beliefs). A test may be administered verba ...
ination to gain admission into the high school.
King School King School, formerly King Low-Heywood Thomas, is a private coeducational day school for pre-kindergarten through grade 12 in Stamford, Connecticut Stamford () is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, outside of New York ...
, another private all-boys school, opened in 1876. The school still exists in Stamford today, although it is now
coeducational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to ...
. Starting in 1866, there had been discussions about creating a horse-drawn streetcar company to service Stamford,
Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...
. A
charter A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the ...
for such a company was secured in 1870, but it expired before any plans could be made. A new charter such a service was licensed in 1886, creating the Stamford Horse Railroad Company. Beginning on January 31, 1887,
horse-drawn streetcars A horsecar, horse-drawn tram, horse-drawn streetcar (U.S.), or horse-drawn railway (historical), is a tram or streetcar pulled by a horse. Summary The horse-drawn tram (horsecar) was an early form of public rail transport, which developed ou ...
began running in Stamford. After going
bankrupt Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the de ...
in December 1888, the company was reorganized as the Stamford Street Railroad Company, and received approval to run
electric Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter possessing an electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by Maxwel ...
streetcars A tram (also known as a streetcar or trolley in Canada and the United States) is an urban rail transit in which Rolling stock, vehicles, whether individual railcars or multiple-unit trains, run on tramway tracks on urban public streets; some ...
. In 1890, a local chapter of the Ancient Order of Hibernians was established in Stamford, named after Irish-American
Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, 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.J ...
general
Philip Sheridan Philip Henry Sheridan (March 6, 1831 – August 5, 1888) was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. His career was noted for his rapid rise to major general and his close association with General-i ...
. In 1893, the central and denser portions of Stamford incorporated as a city. Beginning in 1894, electric streetcars began servicing Stamford. Horse-drawn streetcars were phased out during the 1890s. The
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , commonly known as The Consolidated, or simply as the New Haven, was a railroad that operated principally in the New England region of the United States from 1872 to 1968. Founded by the merger of ...
acquired a controlling stake in the Stamford Street Railroad Company on or about April 1, 1895. In 1896, a dedicated building for Stamford's high school was built, located on Forest Street. Starting in the late 19th century, New York residents built summer homes on the shoreline, and even back then there were some who moved to Stamford permanently and started commuting to Manhattan by train, although the practice became more popular later.


20th century

On Memorial Day, 1901, a cannon from the was placed in West Park (now Columbus Park) as a memorial to Civil War veterans. Cast at
West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...
in 1827, the cannon had also been used on the . The artillery piece sat in the park until 1942 when it was hauled away for scrap. In 1904, the Town Hall burnt down. A new building in the Beaux Arts style was constructed from 1905 (when the cornerstone was laid) to 1907 in the triangular block formed by Main, Bank and Atlantic streets. The building was eventually named Old Town Hall and held the mayor's office until about 1961, when Mayor William Kennedy moved to the Municipal Office Building which formerly stood further south on Atlantic Avenue. Nearly all municipal offices were moved to 888 Washington Boulevard in 1988. On September 26, 1905, the Consolidated Railway Company (the Connecticut Company) acquired the assets of the Stamford Company. On February 19, 1919, at the site of the present Cove Island Park, in the
Cove A cove is a small bay or coastal inlet. They usually have narrow, restricted entrances, are often circular or oval, and are often situated within a larger bay. Small, narrow, sheltered bays, inlets, creek (tidal), creeks, or recesses in a coast ...
section of Stamford, the Cove Mill factory of the Stamford Manufacturing Company burned to the ground in a spectacular conflagration. State Trade School, a
vocational A vocation () is an occupation to which a person is especially drawn or for which they are suited, trained or qualified. Though now often used in non-religious contexts, the meanings of the term originated in Christianity. A calling, in the reli ...
school now known as J.M. Wright Technical High School, opened in 1919 on Schuyler Avenue. The current building of Stamford High School, located on Strawberry Hill Avenue, was completed in 1928. Stamford is the birthplace of the electric dry shaver industry. By 1940 Colonel Jacob Schick employed almost 1,000 workers at the Schick Dry Shaver Company on Atlantic Street.


Ku Klux Klan in Stamford

The
Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to KKK or Klan, is an American Protestant-led Christian terrorism, Christian extremist, white supremacist, Right-wing terrorism, far-right hate group. It was founded in 1865 during Reconstruction era, ...
, which preached a doctrine of Protestant control of America and suppression of blacks, Jews and Catholics, had a following in Stamford in the 1920s. Across the state, the Klan's popularity peaked in 1925 when it had a statewide membership of 15,000. Stamford was one of the communities where the group was most active in the state, although
New Haven New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is the third largest city in Co ...
and
New Britain New Britain () is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago, part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from New Guinea by a northwest corner of the Solomon Sea (or with an island hop of Umboi Island, Umboi the Dampie ...
were also centers of support.DiGiovanni, the Rev. (now Monsignor) Stephen M., ''The Catholic Church in Fairfield County: 1666-1961,'' 1987, William Mulvey Inc., New Canaan, Chapter II: The New Catholic Immigrants, 1880-1930; subchapter: "The True American: White, Protestant, Non-Alcoholic," pp. 81-82; DiGiovanni, in turn, cites (Footnote 209, page 258) Jackson, Kenneth T., ''The Ku Klux Klan in the City, 1915-1930 (New York, 1981), p. 239'' During the 1924 election, one of the largest Klan meetings in the state took place in Stamford. Grand Dragon Harry Lutterman of Darien organized the meeting, attended by thousands of Klansmen. The Stamford Republican Party used its Lincoln Republican Club as a front for all Klan activities in the area. The ''
Stamford Advocate ''The Advocate'' is a seven-day daily newspaper based in Stamford, Connecticut. The paper is owned and operated by Hearst Communications, a multinational corporate media conglomerate with $4 billion in revenues. ''The Advocate'' circulates in ...
'' (as ''The Advocate'' of Stamford was then known) published an advertisement signed by local Democrats (who relied on the Catholic vote) protesting the meeting. The Klan published an advertisement in response, noting the "un-American" names of some of those who signed the Democrats' statement. By 1926, the Klan leadership in the state was divided, and it lost strength, although it continued to maintain small, local branches for years afterward in Stamford, as well as in
Bridgeport Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut and the fifth-most populous city in New England, with a population of 148,654 in 2020. Located in eastern Fairfield County at the mouth of the Pequonnock River on Long Is ...
, Darien,
Greenwich Greenwich ( , , ) is an List of areas of London, area in south-east London, England, within the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London, east-south-east of Charing Cross. Greenwich is notable for its maritime hi ...
and Norwalk.


New Deal era

Stamford's
electric Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter possessing an electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by Maxwel ...
trolley services ceased on November 11, 1933, when the last streetcar left Stamford for good at 11:35pm. This end was driven in part by increased competition from
bus A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a motor vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van, but fewer than the average rail transport. It is most commonly used ...
es. Due to the proliferation of
automobiles A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, peopl ...
in Stamford and elsewhere in the region beginning at the turn of the century, work began on the
Merritt Parkway The Merritt Parkway (also known locally as "The Merritt") is a controlled-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 k ...
in the north of Stamford in 1934. The Merritt Parkway was opened in 1938.


Yale and Towne strike

By the end of
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, manufacturing accounted for a majority of employment in Stamford. The largest employer in this sector was Yale & Towne, a lock manufacturer which employed more than 3,000 of the city's 65,000 residents. During the war, the company's production shifted towards the war effort, and the company reluctantly recognized a
workers' union A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...
affiliated with the
International Association of Machinists The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) is an AFL–CIO/ CLC trade union representing over 600,000 workers as of 2024 in more than 200 industries with most of its membership in the United States and Canada. Origi ...
. On March 21, 1945, the company's contract with the union expired, and months of tense negotiations followed. Major points of contention during the negotiations included the company's demands for an
open shop An open shop is a place of employment at which one is not required to join or financially support a union ( closed shop) as a condition of hiring or continued employment. Open shop vs closed shop The major difference between an open and closed ...
, and no wage increase. After Yale & Towne fired the union's chief steward on September 21st, the Stamford factory's 3,000-plus workers walked off the job for several days in a
wildcat strike A wildcat strike is a strike action undertaken by unionised workers without union leadership's authorization, support, or approval; this is sometimes termed an unofficial industrial action. The legality of wildcat strikes varies between countries ...
. Yale & Towne responded by declaring the strike had terminated its contract with the union, and the company union in turn then officially declared a strike on November 7, 1945. In the first weeks of the strike, the union picketed outside of the plant, at one point preventing the company president, W. Gibson Carey, from entering the plant. The picket sometimes turned physical, and police forces in Stamford declined Yale & Towne's request to forcefully break up the picket line. The company then appealed to the state's Republican governor Raymond E. Baldwin to send in the
state police State police, provincial police or regional police are a type of sub-national territorial police force found in nations organized as federations, typically in North America, South Asia, and Oceania. These forces typically have jurisdiction o ...
to break up the strike, which he did. The state police's violent break up of the strike picket in late December 1945 led to the union to call for a day of action on January 3, 1946.


General strike and aftermath

On January 3, 1946, approximately 10,000 people in Stamford engaged in a
general strike A general strike is a strike action in which participants cease all economic activity, such as working, to strengthen the bargaining position of a trade union or achieve a common social or political goal. They are organised by large coalitions ...
to support the striking Yale & Towne Factory workers. Instead of showing up for work, many workers rallied in Downtown Stamford, shutting down much of its stores, theaters, and its transit. Solidarity strikes were held by an addition 2,000 to 3,000 workers in Greenwich, Norwalk, and
Port Chester Port Chester is a administrative divisions of New York#Village, village in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and the largest part of the town of Rye (town), New York, Rye in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County by populati ...
. The general strike led to widespread national attention, and accelerated progress on the contract negotiation process.
AFL AFL may refer to: Education * Angel Foundation for Learning, a Canadian Roman Catholic charity * Ankara Science High School, a high school in Ankara, Turkey, natively referred to as ''Ankara Fen Liesi'' * Assessment for learning Military * ...
and CIO locals began pooling resources for a strike support fund. Eight days after the general strike, the Stamford Retail Merchants Associated paid for a full-page advertisement in the ''Stamford Advocate'' in which it declared it would also support the strike fund. Yale & Towne proposed a 14% wage increase for workers, but reiterated its demand for an open shop. An official from the
Department of Labor A ministry of labour (''British English, UK''), or labor (''American English, US''), also known as a department of labour, or labor, is a government department responsible for setting labour standards, labour dispute mechanisms, employment, workfor ...
proposed a compromise settlement which would send most of the dispute to
arbitration Arbitration is a formal method of dispute resolution involving a third party neutral who makes a binding decision. The third party neutral (the 'arbitrator', 'arbiter' or 'arbitral tribunal') renders the decision in the form of an 'arbitrati ...
, saying "if the company doesn't follow along this suggestion...it will be clear to my mind that they are trying to bust the union". Yale & Towne rejected the proposal. Stamford's Mayor, Charles Moore, also denounced Yale & Towne's actions, writing to the company "You haven't shown the spirit of the American way. You've put forth every argument as much as to say that you won't negotiate a contract". Despite this major shift in opinion, the strike continued through the early months of 1946, and incidents of violence and arrests continued. In mid-March, the AFL and CIO weighed another city-wide demonstration to try to further hasten the end of the strike. It wasn't until April 5th that the company and the union reached a settlement, with the aid of federal and state officials. The agreement ensured the future existence of the union at the factory, wage increases, and union security.


Downtown redevelopment

In the years following World War II, Stamford's manufacturing industry began to decline. Existing factories in the area, many well over a half century old, were too small and outdated compared to newly-built facilities. Yale & Towne, a sizable employer in town, began reducing the size of its workforce in Stamford in 1948. On April 15, 1949, the central portion of Stamford, which was incorporated as a city, and the peripheral portion of Stamford, which was incorporated as a town, consolidated into one single city. During the 1950s, as traffic continued to grow along the Post Road and elsewhere, work began on the
Connecticut Turnpike The Connecticut Turnpike (officially the Governor John Davis Lodge Turnpike) is a freeway and former toll road in the U.S. state of Connecticut; it is maintained by the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT). Spanning approximately ...
, which was locally part of
Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, north to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the ...
. In 1956, Interstate 95, which runs through Stamford from west to east, was opened. UConn Stamford opened in 1951 as a two-year college. By the early 1950s, Stamford's urban core began experiencing
urban blight Urban decay (also known as urban rot, urban death or urban blight) is the sociological process by which a previously functioning city, or part of a city, falls into disrepair and decrepitude. There is no single process that leads to urban decay. ...
in former manufacturing areas. The town leaders at the time sought federal and state funding to launch a revitalization effort that would restore the core of the city to a vital urban center. The city formed the Urban Redevelopment Commission, meant to reverse its now-declining economic base. Early on, the Urban Redevelopment Commission aimed to redevelop sites which formerly hosted
heavy industry Heavy industry is an industry that involves one or more characteristics such as large and heavy products; large and heavy equipment and facilities (such as heavy equipment, large machine tools, huge buildings and large-scale infrastructure); o ...
to be suitable for
light industry Light industry are Industry (economics), industries that usually are less Capital intensity, capital-intensive than heavy industry, heavy industries and are more consumer-oriented than business-oriented, as they typically produce smaller consum ...
and
research and development Research and development (R&D or R+D), known in some countries as OKB, experiment and design, is the set of innovative activities undertaken by corporations or governments in developing new services or products. R&D constitutes the first stage ...
facilities. The city's heavy industry continued to decline throughout the mid and late 1950s. Yale & Towne downsized its operations in 1955, and closed down its Stamford facilities in 1959. Rippowam High School opened on High Ridge Road in 1961. A third high school, Westhill High School, opened on Roxbury Road in 1971. On January 27, 1960, the City of Stamford and its redevelopment arm, the Urban Redevelopment Commission, entered into a contract with the Stamford New Urban Corporation, a subsidiary of the locally based and nationally active construction contractor the F.D. Rich Company that would lead to a dramatic altering of the face of downtown Stamford. The Rich Company, led by Frank D. Rich Jr., Robert N. Rich and Chief Legal Counsel Lawrence Gochberg, actively building in 25 of the 50 United States at the time, was selected out of a field of 10 developers vying for the opportunity to become the city's sole redeveloper of the section of the central downtown area known as the Southeast Quadrant. More than $100 million in Federal, State and city funds were invested in a massive property acquisition, relocation, demolition and infrastructure creation program that paved the way for one of the most sweeping urban renewal efforts ever carried out in the United States. The redevelopment was highly contentious since its inception. The plan involved
eminent domain Eminent domain, also known as land acquisition, compulsory purchase, resumption, resumption/compulsory acquisition, or expropriation, is the compulsory acquisition of private property for public use. It does not include the power to take and t ...
takings, the demolition of nine city blocks, the relocation of 110 families and 400 businesses. A group of Stamford residents unsuccessfully tried to use legal action to prevent it from taking place. F.D. Rich bought large swathes of land downtown, following the destruction of existing buildings on the site. The company stated it paid between $50,000 to $200,000 per
acre The acre ( ) is a Unit of measurement, unit of land area used in the Imperial units, British imperial and the United States customary units#Area, United States customary systems. It is traditionally defined as the area of one Chain (unit), ch ...
of land, land which local real estate experts would value at over $2,000,000 per acre just a decade later. Following delays, construction commenced in 1968 with the St. Johns Towers, three round apartment towers designed by Victor H. Bisharat. Upon its completion, the St. Johns Towers contained 360 apartments and originally served as relocation housing for some of the displaced residents. Most of the deteriorated buildings were razed to make way for the new downtown, resulting in a lack of historic buildings and a downtown that looks more contemporary and modern as compared to some its New England counterparts. During the 1960s and 1970s, a large number of corporations relocated offices to Stamford and other more suburban environments, and F.D. Rich responded by building large quantities of office buildings. F.D. Rich opened High Ridge Park, a large suburban office complex near North Stamford, in 1967. The complex was designed by Victor H. Bisharat. In 1973, F.D. Rich completed construction on the headquarter building for telecom company
GTE GTE Corporation, formerly General Telephone & Electronics Corporation (1955–1982), was the largest independent telephone company in the United States during the days of the Bell System. The company operated from 1926, with roots tracing furth ...
, and One Landmark Square, both in downtown and also designed by Bisharat. The completion of the GTE World Headquarters in 1973 became the catalyst for downtown office development, setting an example for other corporations seeking a less expensive labor pool, a more favorable income tax structure and lower operating costs. In 1977, F.D. Rich built the 505-room Stamford Marriott. The building was designed by Victor H. Bisharat, and has a
revolving restaurant A revolving restaurant or rotating restaurant is a tower restaurant designed to rest atop a broad circular revolving wikt:platform, platform that operates as a large turntable. The building remains stationary and the diners are carried on the rev ...
overlooking
Long Island Sound Long Island Sound is a sound (geography), marine sound and tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies predominantly between the U.S. state of Connecticut to the north and Long Island in New York (state), New York to the south. From west to east, ...
at the top. Many of F.D. Rich's constructions during this time drew heavy criticism for being autocentric and hostile to pedestrians. Many of the buildings along Tresser Boulevard, parallel to Interstate 95, had little but street-level lobby spaces, garage entrances and exits accessing the street, although they presented a modern, glittering glass facade to travelers along the highway. Tresser Boulevard became notorious among many architecture and urban design critics. These pedestal-style buildings feature above-ground parking structures, as the high water table in the area prohibited the development of multiple levels of underground parking. These podiums for the office buildings also provide the opportunity for a view over the adjacent highway embankment to the south. The lack of retail along the Tresser Blvd. frontage is attributable to a prohibition on retail being developed in this area by the Planning Board of the City who did not want to dilute the retail existing and planned elsewhere in the renewal area. F.D. Rich's leadership has stated that the company intentionally designed much of the area to be actively inaccessible to pedestrians, and continued to defend such practices even decades after the construction of these buildings. Robert Rich, the then-President of F.D. Rich told a
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
reporter in 1985 in response to criticism over its pedestrian-hostile designs that ''Downtown Stamford isn't going to be another
Madison Avenue Madison Avenue is a north-south avenue in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, New York, that carries northbound one-way traffic. It runs from Madison Square (at 23rd Street) to meet the southbound Harlem River Drive at 142nd Stree ...
", "but what we are seeing here is a new kind of environment. I think it's a big success". He added that "it would have been nice to make a pedestrian paradise, but we discovered early on that we had no ability to do that. The corporations demand parking galore. If they are going to move from New York, they want a suburban, campuslike setting. And if they are coming to downtown Stamford, they want access by automobile and only automobile". In 1999, Robert Rich told another New York Times that ''the streets were never meant to be for pedestrians'', and that ''GTE came here because they were bombed in New York. Crime was a problem in the city. That's why the buildings were designed to be impenetrable". By the mid-2000s, F.D. Rich began making alterations to their properties in an effort to make it more accessible for people using modes of transportation other than private cars. In 1980 F.D. Rich completed 10 Stamford Forum, a office building designed by Steven M. Goldberg of the New York office of Mitchell/Giurgola. In 1980, Stamford released plans for a new
train station A train station, railroad station, or railway station is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight, or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track, and a station building providing suc ...
, construction of which began in 1983. The station, known as the
Stamford Transportation Center Stamford station, officially known as the Stewart B. McKinney Transportation Center or the Stamford Transportation Center, is a major railroad station in the city of Stamford, Connecticut, serving passengers traveling on Metro-North Railroad's ...
, opened in 1987. The
Stamford Town Center Stamford Town Center is an urban shopping mall located in Downtown Stamford, Downtown Stamford, Connecticut. The mall is the eighth largest in Connecticut, with space for about 130 stores and restaurants. The mall's three anchors are a Macy's, ...
shopping mall, which was built by F.D. Rich and
Taubman Centers Taubman Centers, Inc. is an American real estate investment trust headquartered in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. The company invests in shopping centers, and is a subsidiary of Simon Property Group since 2020. History The company was founded in 19 ...
, was opened in 1982. Other major buildings completed by F.D. Rich during the 1980s included 4 Stamford Forum (designed by
César Pelli César Pelli (October 12, 1926 – July 19, 2019) was an Argentine architect who designed some of the world's tallest buildings and other major urban landmarks. Three of his most notable buildings are the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, the Wo ...
), 6 Stamford Forum (designed by
Arthur Erickson Arthur Charles Erickson (June 14, 1924 – May 20, 2009) was a Canadian architect and urban planning, urban planner. He studied at the University of British Columbia and, in 1950, received his B.Arch. (Honours) from McGill University. He is kn ...
), and 8 Stamford Forum (designed by
Hugh Stubbins Hugh Asher Stubbins Jr. (January 11, 1912 – July 5, 2006) was an architect who designed several high-profile buildings around the world. Biography Hugh Stubbins was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and attended the Georgia Institute of Technology ...
). Later in the decade, F.D. Rich built 300 Atlantic Street (designed by Aldo Giurgola), and 177 Broad Street. During a 42-day
strike Strike may refer to: People *Strike (surname) * Hobart Huson, author of several drug related books Physical confrontation or removal *Strike (attack), attack with an inanimate object or a part of the human body intended to cause harm * Airstrike, ...
among
Metro-North The Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company , also branded as MTA Metro-North Railroad and commonly called simply Metro-North, is a suburban commuter rail service operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), a public authority of ...
workers in 1983, various private shuttle and bus services from Stamford to New York City and elsewhere emerged, although some disbanded after the end of the strike. During the late 1980s and 1990s, low real estate prices severely slowed new construction projects in Stamford's downtown, the city was hit with a wave of corporate relocations out of Stamford, and prominent retail outlets closed. During this time, F.D. Rich was heavily indebted, and had to surrender about 80% of its real estate portfolio to banks. In 1994, Stamford's South End was designated as an "enterprise zone", which aimed to draw development by offering tax breaks and credits. The city's economy rebounded by the late 1990s, fueled by a rebound in office occupancy rates, and an increasing diversification of the downtown's economy. A large trading floor for
Swiss Bank Corporation Swiss Bank Corporation (French language, French: ''Société de banque suisse''; German language, German: ''Schweizerischer Bankverein'') was a Swiss Investment banking, investment bank and financial services company located in Switzerland. Prio ...
was constructed, UConn Stamford rebuilt its campus, the city's Palace Theater was expanded, and a number of large apartment complexes were built. F.D. Rich began work on the Majestic movie theater on Summer Street. The city and developers also began considering pedestrians when creating new developments.


21st century

On September 11, 2001, nine city residents lost their lives in the
9/11 attacks The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
, all at the World Trade Center: Alexander Braginsky, 38; Stephen Patrick Cherry, 41; Geoffrey W. Cloud, 36; John Fiorito, 40; Bennett Lawson Fisher, 58; Paul R. Hughes, 38; Sean Rooney, 50 (whose widow, Beverly Eckert, became a leading 9/11 family activist); Randolph Scott, 48; and Thomas F. Theurkauf Jr., 44. A total of 65 Connecticut residents lost their lives on that day. In 2003, the
Stamford Transportation Center Stamford station, officially known as the Stewart B. McKinney Transportation Center or the Stamford Transportation Center, is a major railroad station in the city of Stamford, Connecticut, serving passengers traveling on Metro-North Railroad's ...
was renovated. In 2005, the company opened its 115-room Courtyard by Marriott Hotel at the corner of Summer and Broad Streets. One of the biggest fires in Stamford's history occurred April 3, 2006 in the South End. The fire started in a piano store in a building that was part of the former Yale & Towne lock factory complex. It spread to a neighboring building housing antiques dealers. Eight businesses were destroyed and others were damaged. City fire marshals never determined the cause, but said an unfixed sprinkler system helped the fire spread. Firefighters used 1 million gallons () of water in three hours and then had to pump water from Long Island Sound when the water mains ran out. Dark mushroom clouds formed over the scene, visible for miles along
Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, north to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the ...
. About 200 residents from homes on Pacific and Henry streets were evacuated. In July 2006, more than 100 antiques dealers filed a class-action lawsuit against the owner, Antares Real Estate Services of Greenwich. In the early afternoon of August 3, 2006, one of the hottest days of the year when air conditioning raised electricity consumption, downtown Stamford experienced a blackout after underground electricity cables on Summer Street overheated and caught fire. Many offices were forced to close down. A concert (part of the Alive@Five series) with Hootie & the Blowfish continued at Columbus Park early that evening, but many restaurants had to throw out their food beforehand. On October 11, 2007, a freak storm dumped of rain in about four hours in Stamford and nearby communities of
New Canaan New Canaan () is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 20,622 according to the 2020 census. The town is part of the Western Connecticut Planning Region. About an hour from New York City by train, the town ...
, Darien and Norwalk. The storm flooded streets and basements and caused the loss of electricity to 700 homes, with about 20 people needing to be evacuated from their cars and 40 others removed from their homes to an emergency shelter. The Federal Emergency Management Agency later said 41 homes in Stamford (and 11 in Darien and New Canaan) had about $167,000 in damage. City sewers and drains were clogged. The city was sued in 2009 by homeowners who asserted that a city employee failed to start a pumping station on Dyke Street soon enough, but a city lawyer called the event a "100-year storm" that simply overwhelmed municipal resources. F. D. Rich, with partners
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
and
Louis R. Cappelli Louis may refer to: People * Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name * Louis (surname) * Louis (singer), Serbian singer Other uses * Louis (coin), a French coin * HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy See also * ...
, built the
Trump Parc Stamford Park Tower Stamford (formerly known as Trump Parc Stamford, and temporarily as Parc Stamford) is a 36-story condominium property located at 1 Broad Street in Stamford, Connecticut. Real estate developers Thomas Rich and Louis R. Cappelli began pl ...
, a 170-unit, 34-story condominium tower which was the tallest building in the city at the time of its opening in 2009, eclipsing One Landmark Square by more than in height. In 2012, Stamford's population officially eclipsed Hartford's as Connecticut's third-largest city. Much of Stamford's population growth during the 2000s and 2010s came from Harbor Point, a major development in Stamford's South End. In 2016, Stamford's oldest extant house, the
Hoyt-Barnum House The Hoyt-Barnum House at 1508 High Ridge Road in Stamford, Connecticut, is a Cape Cod cottage style house that was built around 1699, and is the oldest extant house in the city of Stamford. History The Hoyt-Barnum house was built by Samuel Hoy ...
, was relocated from Bedford Street, near
downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in American and Canadian English to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ( ...
, to a location next to the
Stamford History Center The Stamford History Center is an independent non-profit organization located in Stamford, Connecticut and a member of the New England Museum Association. History The Stamford History Center was founded in 1901 and incorporated in 1909 as the St ...
in North Stamford. In 2018, the Cappelli Organization opened up the first of its two Atlantic Station towers, next to the
United States Post Office–Stamford Main The Stamford Main Post Office, also known as US Post Office–Stamford Main, is a historic post office building at 421 Atlantic Street in Stamford, Connecticut. The building, built in 1916 is prominent sited in downtown Stamford, being in view of ...
, which hosts 325 residential units and is tall. The second tower was opened on July 29, 2021. In 2020, Stamford's population surpassed
New Haven New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is the third largest city in Co ...
as Connecticut's second-largest city.


Gallery

File:PostcardStamfordCTMasseeSchoolForBoys1921.jpg, Massee School for Boys, about 1921 File:PostcardOnTheRippowamStamfordCt1905.jpg, Rippowam River, about 1905 File:PostcardAtlanticSqAndTownHallStamfordCT1908.jpg, Atlantic Square, ca. 1908


On the National Register

* Agudath Shalom Synagogue—29 Grove St. (added June 11, 1995) * Benjamin Hait House—92 Hoyclo Road (added December 30, 1978) * C. J. Starr Barn and Carriage House—200 Strawberry Hill Ave. (added October 14, 1979) * Church of the Holy Name—305 Washington Blvd. (added 1987) * Cove Island Houses—Cove Road and Weed Avenue (added June 22, 1979) * Deacon John Davenport House—129 Davenport Ridge Road (added May 29, 1982) * Downtown Stamford Historic District—Atlantic, Main, Bank, and Bedford Sts. (added November 6, 1983) * Downtown Stamford Historic District (Boundary Increase 2)—Roughly, Bedford Street between Broad and Forest Streets (added February, 2003) * Fort Stamford Site (added October 10, 1975) * Gustavus and Sarah T. Pike House—164 Fairfield Ave. (added June 24, 1990) * Hoyt-Barnum House—713 Bedford St. Moved 2016 new location 1508 High Ridge Road (added July 11, 1969) * John Knap House—984 Stillwater Road (added April 5, 1979) * Linden Apartments—10-12 Linden Place (added September 11, 1983) * Long Ridge Village Historic District—Old Long Ridge Road bounded by the New York State Line, Rock Rimmon Road, and Long Ridge Road (state Route 104) (added July 2, 1987) * Main Street Bridge—Carries Main Street over the Rippowam River (added June 21, 1987) * Marion Castle, Terre Bonne—1 Rogers Road (added August 1, 1982) * Nathaniel Curtis House—600 Housatonic Ave. (added May 15, 1982) * Octagon House—120 Strawberry Hill Ave. (added September 17, 1979) * Old Town Hall—between Atlantic, Bank, and Main Streets (added July 2, 1972) * Revonah Manor Historic District—Roughly bounded by Urban Street, East Avenue, Fifth, and Bedford Streets (added August 31, 1986) * Rockrimmon Rockshelter (added September 5, 1994) * South End Historic District—Roughly bounded by Metro-North railroad tracks, Stamford Canal, Woodland Cemetery, and Washington Boulevard (added April 19, 1986) * St. Andrew's Protestant Episcopal Church—1231 Washington Blvd. (added 1983) * St. Benedict's Church—1A St. Benedict's Circle (added 1987) * St. John's Protestant Episcopal Church—628 Main St. (added 1987) * St. Luke's Chapel—714 Pacific St. (added 1987) * St. Mary's Church—540 Elm St. (added 1987) * Stamford Harbor Lighthouse—South of breakwater, Stamford Harbor (added May 3, 1991) * Suburban Club—6 Suburban Ave./580 Main St. (added September 10, 1989) * Turn-of-River Bridge—Old North Stamford Road at Rippowam River (added August 31, 1987) * US Post Office-Stamford Main—421 Atlantic St. (added 1985) * Unitarian Universalist Society in Stamford—20 Forest St. (added 1987) * Zion Lutheran Church—132 Glenbrook Road (added 1987)


Footnotes

{{reflist, 2


External links


Stamford Historical Society links


Stamford Historical Society Web site
by Estelle F. Feinstein Stamford Historical Society "Condensed History of Stamford" online articles:
"History of Stamford through the 18th Century"
Stamford