Torrington is the most populated municipality and largest city in

Litchfield County, Connecticut Litchfield County is a County (United States), county in northwestern Connecticut, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 185,186. The county was named after Lichfield, in England. Litchfield Count ...

, United States, and the Northwest Hills Planning Region. It is also the core city of Greater Torrington, one of the largest micropolitan areas in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. The city population was 35,515 according to the 2020 census. The city is located roughly west 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 ...

, southwest of

Springfield, Massachusetts Springfield is the most populous city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, and its county seat. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers: the western Westfield River, the ea ...

, southeast of

Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It is located on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River. Albany is the oldes ...

, northeast of

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, and west of

Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

. Torrington is a former mill town, as are most other towns along the

Naugatuck River Valley The Naugatuck River Valley is the watershed area of the Naugatuck River in the western part of Connecticut. The Naugatuck Valley straddles parts of Litchfield County, New Haven, and Fairfield counties. The Route 8 corridor and Waterbury Branc ...

. Downtown Torrington is home to the

Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts Nutmeg is the seed, or the ground spice derived from the seed, of several tree species of the genus ''Myristica''; fragrant nutmeg or true nutmeg (''Myristica fragrans, M. fragrans'') is a dark-leaved evergreen tree cultivated for two spices de ...

, which trains

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

dancers and whose Company performs in the Warner Theatre, a 1,700-seat auditorium built in 1931 as a

cinema Cinema may refer to: Film * Film or movie, a series of still images that create the illusion of moving image ** Film industry, the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking ** Filmmaking, the process of making a film * Movie theate ...

by the

Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...

film studio. Downtown Torrington hosts the largest Lodge of Elks in New England. Downtown Torrington also hosts KidsPlay, a children's museum which was founded in 2012 and expanded their location in 2015 after purchasing the adjacent building. Torrington has two radio stations, WAPJ 89.9 FM, operated by the non-profit Torrington Community Radio Foundation, and

WSNG WSNG (610 AM broadcasting, AM) is a radio station licensed in Torrington, Connecticut, broadcasting a talk radio radio format, format. WSNG is simulcasting 1360 WDRC (AM), Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford. The stations use the slogan "The Talk o ...

610 AM, owned by Buckley Broadcasting. Torrington has two daily newspapers. The ''

Republican-American The ''Republican-American'' is a conservative-leaning newspaper based in Waterbury, Connecticut. It was established in 1990 through merger of two newspapers under the same ownership: ''Waterbury American'' and ''Waterbury Republican''. The public ...

'', which circulates a Litchfield County edition and has a bureau on Franklin Street, and ''The Register Citizen'', which serves Torrington and Winsted, in addition to most of the Northwest Corner. Charlotte Hungerford Hospital has also developed into an important health care resource for the area. In 2008, Torrington was named by

Bizjournals American City Business Journals, Inc. (ACBJ) is an American newspaper publisher based in Charlotte, North Carolina. ACBJ publishes ''The Business Journals'', which contains local business news for 44 markets in the United States with each market ...

as the number one "Dreamtown" ( micropolitan statistical area) out of ten in the United States to live in.

History

Beardsley Hotel with streetcar - postcard

Torrington was first settled in 1735 by Ebenezer Lyman, Jr., of

Durham, Connecticut Durham ( ) is a New England town, town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. Durham is a former farming village on the Coginchaug River in central Connecticut. The town is part of the Lower Connecticut Ri ...

. The downtown section of Torrington was known as Wolcottville, after the Wolcott family of Connecticut, which produced several governors between 1813 and 1881. Its early settlers resided on the hills west of the

Naugatuck River The Naugatuck River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 river in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Its waters carve out the Naugatuck River Valley in the w ...

where the first school, church, store, and tavern were constructed. Later, the eastern hill known as Torringford was settled, as it provided the best farmland. Torrington was given permission to organize a government and incorporate as 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 October 1740. The town is named after Torrington in

Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...

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 ...

. The fast moving waters of the

were used to power early nineteenth-century industries. Industrial growth skyrocketed when Frederick Wolcott constructed a woolen mill in 1813. The mill attracted a large workforce and created demands for goods, services, and housing. Israel Coe and Erastus Hodges began the construction of two

brass mill A brass mill is a mill which processes brass. Brass mills are common in England; many date from long before the Industrial Revolution. ;Examples of brass mills include: * Brassmill (Ross on Wye) * Saltford Brass Mill See also * Calamine brass ...

s on the Naugatuck River in 1834. This event sparked the beginning of the brass industry in Torrington, which later would spread throughout the entire

Naugatuck Valley The Naugatuck Valley Planning Region is a planning region and county-equivalent in Connecticut. It is served by the coterminous Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments (NVCOG). In 2022, planning regions were approved to replace Connecticut's c ...

. In 1849, the

railroad was completed, connecting Torrington with other population centers, ending its isolation, and stimulating further industrial growth. Soon, Torrington was producing a variety of metal products, including needles, brass, hardware, bicycles, and tacks. Torrington's growing industrial plants attracted English, Irish, and German immigrants throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Between 1880 and 1920, Torrington's population soared from 3,000 to 22,000 as immigration from southern and eastern Europe increased; most immigrants during this period were Poles, Czechs, Slovaks, and Italians. Torrington was chartered as a city in 1923. In 1955, a massive flood destroyed much of the

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 ( ...

area and other property in the region when Hurricanes

Connie Connie is a given name. It is often a pet form (hypocorism) of Concetta, Constance, Cornelia, Cornelius or Connor, Conrad, Constanza, Conception, Consuela, Consuelo, or Conner. Many Asian-American women were named after journalist Connie Chung i ...

and Diane caused local rivers to overflow. Torrington is home to several state parks, one of which is the very popular Burr Pond State Park. In 1851, Milo Burr placed a dam across the confluence of several mountain streams impounding water for power. The tannery and three active sawmills erected downstream consumed the finest pines and oaks for miles around to meet the needs of lumber production. The clearings became homesites, and Connecticut's industrial leadership was further strengthened. Burr Pond was designated as a state park in 1949. The pond itself has several small inlets and islands. The shore is rocky and there are deep drop-offs in several places, but the pond only has a maximum depth of thirteen feet. Fish species present include largemouth bass, chain pickerel, black crappie, yellow perch, bluegill, pumpkinseed, and brown bullhead.

Gail Borden Gail Borden Jr. (November 9, 1801 – January 11, 1874) was an American inventor and manufacturing pioneer. He was born in New York state and settled in Texas in 1829 (then part of Mexico), where he worked as a land surveyor, newspaper publish ...

, discoverer of the process of milk preservation by evaporation and condensation, built the world's first condensed milk factory here, in 1856. The new milk product proved to be of great value, particularly to the Union Army during the Civil War. Fire destroyed the mill in 1877. A bronze tablet marks its site, just below the falls. Torrington is the birthplace of abolitionist

John Brown John Brown most often refers to: *John Brown (abolitionist) (1800–1859), American who led an anti-slavery raid on Harpers Ferry, Virginia, in 1859 John Brown or Johnny Brown may also refer to: Academia * John Brown (educator) (1763–1842), Ir ...

. The birthplace accidentally burned in 1918. In the year 2000, the Torrington Historical Society acquired the property in merger with the John Brown Association. Plans are now being formulated to improve visitor services and to construct interpretive trails on the property. There was a 100-acre

University of Connecticut The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university system with its main campus in Storrs, Connecticut, United States. It was founded in 1881 as the Storrs Agricultural School, named after two benefactors. In 1893, ...

regional campus in Torrington. It closed in May 2016 due to low enrollment In 2018, the site was sold to Five Points Arts Gallery for $375,000.

Downtown redevelopment

Torrington is planning to revitalize its downtown area in an effort to attract residents and visitors to the city's shopping and cultural opportunities. These redevelopment plans are still in discussion and are not yet completed. The City of Torrington will receive $500,000 for improvements and streetscape enhancements to Torrington's Main Street and downtown. The grant, which will flow through the state, will be designated for downtown improvements on the east side of Main Street and will include, among other enhancements, new sidewalks. A $750,000 grant for downtown improvements secured earlier in 2012 for the west side of Main Street will make similar improvements. The following ideas have been discussed:

Coe Memorial Park restoration

The historic restoration and renovation to downtown Coe Memorial Park were completed in the beginning of 2004. The Coe Memorial Park Subcommittee and the City of Torrington, worked closely with Ferrero Hixon Associates, to restore the Park to a Victorian walking park, much as it was when it was first gifted to the Town in 1906. These renovations included new sidewalks and paths, and the relocation of memorials and monuments. In 2005, award-winning horticulturist, Gwenythe B. Harvey, owner of the firm The Garden Goddess, LLC, was hired to redefine, design and upgrade existing garden areas. Coe Memorial Park's Botanical Gardens has since become a well-known tourist destination.

Retail expansion

Torrington hopes to attract a wide variety of merchants into its downtown setting. Empty and abandoned buildings would be converted into a mix of retail, office, and residential space. A potential plan discusses the possibility of a national clothing retailer or bookstore chain constructing a location at the top of Water Street on the site of the

Kelley Bus Company Kelley may refer to: * Kelley (name), a given name and surname Places ;United States * Kelley, Iowa * Kelley Hill in Fort Benning, Georgia * Kelley Park, in San Jose, California * Kelley Square, in Worcester, Massachusetts * Kelley Township, R ...

. This plan had come under fire by some because it involves the demolition of the former Torrington railroad station, which is considered by many to be historical. Despite this, the 113-year-old former Torrington railroad station was demolished, as a safety hazard, on January 4, 2011. The historical society was able to save a few pieces, including the ticket window and some of the terra-cotta ornaments from the outside of the building.

Accessibility

parking garage A multistorey car park (Commonwealth English) or parking garage (American English), also called a multistorey, parking building, parking structure, parkade (Canadian), parking ramp, parking deck, or indoor parking, is a building designed fo ...

is slated to be constructed in the heart of downtown on either Main Street or Water Street. The municipal parking lot next to the Torrington Library would also serve as a downtown parking area. Because the downtown redevelopment project emphasizes pedestrian access, brick sidewalks lined with trees, benches, and bike racks would be constructed along Main Street.

Roads and traffic

To relieve congestion, the city plans to convert the Main Street/Water Street/East Main Street downtown intersection into a "+" shape, rather than its current criticized setup. The city expects to convert Main Street into a

one-way road One-way traffic (or uni-directional traffic) is traffic that moves in a single direction. A one-way street is a street either facilitating only one-way traffic, or designed to direct vehicles to move in one direction. One-way streets typicall ...

with parking lining one side of the street. The neighboring Prospect Street would also be converted into a

with traffic flowing in the opposite direction. Most of the roads are in medium to poor condition and filled with pot holes.

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 city has a total area of 40.4 square miles (104.6 km). Approximately 39.8 square miles (103.1 km) of this area is land and 1.5 km (0.6 sq mi or 1.41%) is water. The eastern and western sides of the city, at its borders, are at the tops of peaks, while the downtown and central sections of the city are in the

. This provides some interesting views from the higher locations, with the city lights as a backdrop below. Due to the lack of suitable highways and bypass routes in an east–west direction, crossing the city requires driving down into the valley and back up the other side.

Principal communities

*Burrville *Drakeville *Newfield *Torringford (part of which has been named the Torringford Street Historic District) * Downtown Torrington *West Torrington *Wrightville

Climate

This

climatic Climate is the long-term weather pattern in a region, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteorolog ...

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, Torrington 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. The climate data is taken from a weather station in Bakerville, CT 5 miles east of Torrington.

Demographics

As of the

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 ...

of 2000, there were 35,202 people, 14,743 households, and 9,125 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 16,147 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 93.03%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 2.15%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.20% Native American, 1.83% Asian, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 1.31% from other races, and 1.47% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 3.30% of the population. There were 14,743 households, out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.7% 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, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.1% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.96. In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.0% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $41,841, and the median income for a family was $54,375. Males had a median income of $37,702 versus $28,418 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 city was $21,406.

Government

Torrington is governed by a mayor and a six member Board of Councilmen. Torrington also elects a board of education, a board of public safety, city clerk, and a city treasurer.

Members

* Mayor Elinor Carbone, Chairman * Anne L. Ruwet, Member * Drake L. Waldron, Member * Molly E. Spino, Member * David L. Oliver, Member * Paul Cavagnero, Member * Stephen Ivain, Member

The Board of Councilmen Committees

Transportation

Three primary highways meet in downtown Torrington: Route 8, Route 4, and Route 202. Other major roads include Route 183 and Route 272. The city is served by buses of the

Northwestern Connecticut Transit District The Northwestern Connecticut Transit District (NWCTD) is an agency that provides local service in Litchfield County, Connecticut Litchfield County is a County (United States), county in northwestern Connecticut, United States. As of the 202 ...

Northeast Transportation Company The North East Transportation Company (abbreviated as NET, sometimes written as Northeast Transportation) is a bus operator based in the Naugatuck Valley area of Connecticut. NET currently serves as a contractor under CT Transit providing local b ...

operates connecting service to Waterbury. There is freight rail service operated by the Naugatuck Railroad extending up the

Waterbury Branch The Waterbury Branch is a 28.5-mile (46 km) long branch of the Metro-North Railroad's New Haven Line, running north from a junction in the Devon section of Milford, Connecticut, Milford to Waterbury, Connecticut. Originally built as the Naug ...

to Torrington.

Bradley International Airport Bradley International Airport – historically known as Bradley Field – is a public international airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, Windsor Locks, Connecticut, United States. Owned and operated by the Connecticut Airport Authority, Con ...

( BDL) in

Windsor Locks Windsor Locks is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Capitol Planning Region. As of the 2020 census, its population was 12,613. It is the site of Bradley International Airport, which serves the Greate ...

is the closest major commercial airport to Torrington.

Infrastructure

Main Street Marketplace

Main Street Marketplace (MSMP) was created in 2009 by founders Steve Criss, Rose Ponte, Jessica Hodorski and the 2009 ACT Commissioners. The original idea for MSMP was to create an event to bring families together downtown to support the local merchants. Since 2009, MSMP brings in about 3,000 visitors a night, has 40–45 exhibitors, 15–20 food vendors, non-profit exhibitors, and a variety of different types of performers every night. It was a multi-week event that ran consecutively during the summer on a specified weeknight from 5 to 9 o'clock. Main Street was shut down and the marketplace extended from Water Street to Alvord Street.

City financial report (2004)

The City of Torrington typically collects 100% of taxes owed through the use of private tax collectors. The 2004

General Fund Fund accounting is an accounting system for recording resources whose use has been limited by the donor, grant authority, governing agency, or other individuals or organisations or by law.Leon E. Hay (1980). ''Accounting for Governmental and Nonp ...

budgetary fund balance was $5.8 million. The city has bonded debt outstanding of $36.8 million for governmental activities and $4.2 million for business type (WPCA). All current outstanding bonded debt will be retired by the year 2021 (current estimate). Torrington's bond rating is A1. In 2004, total revenue was $88,444,157: Property Taxes (64.40%), Board of Education Grants (23.44%), Federal & State Grants (7.06%), General Government (3.67%), Public Safety (0.64%), Public Works (0.53%), Invest Income (0.26%), and Recreation (0.01%). Total expenditures and encumbrances were $88,679,873: Board of Education (53.41%), Public Safety (12.97%), Pension & Miscellaneous (10.58%), Public Works (8.34%), Debt Services (7.69%), General Government (3.49%), Public Health & Social Services (1.99%), Operating Transfers Out (0.85%), Recreation (0.40%), Second Part Budget (0.29%).

Crime and law enforcement

The number of violent crimes recorded by the

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...

in 2003 was 139. The number of homicides was 0. The violent

crime rate In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in Can ...

was 3.9 per 1,000 people. In 1984–1985, Torrington's Police Department was sued by Tracey Thurman, who was nearly killed in 1983 by her estranged husband Charles "Buck" Thurman. In ''

Thurman v. City of Torrington ''Thurman v. City of Torrington'', United States District Court for the District of Connecticut, DC, 595 F.Supp. 1521 (1985) was a court decision concerning Tracey Thurman, a Connecticut homemaker who sued the city police department in Torrington ...

'' (finalized 1985), the federal court levied a $2.3 million judgment against the city for refusing to enforce its previous restraining orders because the perpetrator was married to the victim. Thurman's abuse, attempted murder and lawsuit were later depicted in a 1989 made-for-TV movie '' A Cry for Help: The Tracey Thurman Story'', starring

Nancy McKeon Nancy Justine McKeon (born April 4, 1966) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Jo Polniaczek on the NBC sitcom '' The Facts of Life'' and Jinny Exstead on ''The Division''. Early life and family Nancy Justine McKeon was born on ...

. In March 2013, Torrington received a degree of national notoriety for a statutory rape case involving three teen-aged boys accused of sexually assaulting two 13-year-old girls. Joan Toribio and Edgar Gonzalez, both 18, were among the accused. Both were popular high school football players, who claimed that the encounters were consensual. The third male, Dylan Rodriguez, was underage himself. Several dozen Torrington High School students rallied around the accused and allegedly aggressively bullied the victims online. One of the victims was called a “hoe” on her Facebook page and blamed for "ruining the lives" of the accused. Despite receiving national criticism, Torrington High School students continued to use social media to support the defendants, posting online photos while diminishing the validity and severity of the victim's claims.

Sports teams/events

Baseball

A professional baseball team and two collegiate baseball teams have played their home games at Fuessenich Park. The Torrington Titans played in the

Futures Collegiate Baseball League The Futures Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL) is a collegiate summer baseball league that began play in 2011. Entering the 2025 season, the league has two active franchises in Massachusetts, two in Connecticut, and one each in New Hampshire and ...

(FCBL) of New England. They played their inaugural season in the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League (ACBL), a collegiate summer baseball league. After leading the ACBL in attendance in 2010, the team was sold to the Carminucci Sports Group (CSG), which transferred their affiliation to the Futures League. CSG also owns or owned the Brockton Rox of the professional

Can-Am League The Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball, commonly known as the Can-Am League, was a professional baseball league with teams in Eastern Canada and Northeastern United States. Founded in 2005 in Dayton, Ohio, the league was for ...

and the

Martha's Vineyard Sharks The Martha's Vineyard Sharks is a collegiate summer baseball team based on Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. It was a charter member of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL), a wood-bat league comprising seven teams from New Hampshire ...

of the FCBL. In 2009, an organization called Our Baseball Haven, introduced a unique concept and proposal through which a collegiate baseball team could once again call Torrington its home. The concept, called "crowdsourcing" was supported by some five hundred individuals and the Peekskill (NY) Robins of the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League (ACBL) were moved to Torrington and their name changed to the Torrington Titans. The Titans capped their successful 2010 inaugural season by winning the Kaiser Division. The Titans did not return for the 2017 season The Torrington Twisters were a member of the

New England Collegiate Baseball League The New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) is a 13-team collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league founded in 1993 and sanctioned by the NCAA and Major League Baseball. Each NECBL team plays an eight-week, 44-game schedule during June ...

(NECBL) from 1997 to 2008. Torrington twice played host to the league All-Star Game (1998, 2008) and generally placed high in their division each season. The organization made an abrupt move to Massachusetts after 2008. A professional baseball team once located in the city was known as the Torrington Braves, and were a member of the Colonial League. After just one season, 1950, they disbanded.

Running

The Torrington Road Race is a five-mile (8 km) run, which coincides with Donor's Week in August. Starting at Coe Memorial Park, the course extends to the farther reaches of the valley, including Riverside Avenue, Migeon Avenue, Prospect Street and others. The race, which started in 1972, primarily includes runners from around Connecticut and has also attracted some runners each year from Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and others. The record time for the race was 24:22 by Evance Rotich in 2008. Chris Chisholm holds the record for number of times winning the race with six (1984, 2002–2003, 2013–2015), and Anne Curi-Preisig holds the record for most first-place woman finishes with six (1990–1991, 1993–1996). Rosa Moriello is the only woman to finish as the overall winner of the race, with a time of 27:55 in 2012.

High school sports

Torrington High School Torrington High School is the lone public high school in the city of Torrington, Connecticut, United States. The current high school building opened in 1963 and was renovated in 2000. Community Torrington is the commercial, industrial, and fin ...

typically offers football, soccer, volleyball, cross country, swimming, basketball, track, baseball, softball, tennis, and golf, as well as cheerleading and dance. The Torrington High School Athletic Hall of Fame has elected more than 100 individuals since 1998. In 2006, the Torrington High School Men's Basketball team captured their first Connecticut State Championship since 1944, beating rival high school Holy Cross of Waterbury.

On the National Register of Historic Places

* Downtown Torrington Historic District—Roughly bounded by Church and Alvord Sts., Center Cemetery, Willow St., E. Main St., Litchfield St., and Prospect St. (added 1988) * Fyler-Hotchkiss Estate—192 Main St. (added 1987) * James Alldis House—355 Prospect St. (added 1982) * Migeon Avenue Historic District—Roughly along Migeon Ave. and parts of Forest St. (added 2002) * Paugnut Forest Administration Building—385 Burr Mountain Rd. (added 1986) * Skee's Diner—589 Main St. (added 2002) * South School—362 S. Main St. (added 1986) * Torringford Street Historic District—Torringford St. from East Main St. to W. Hill Rd. (added 1991) * Torrington Fire Department Headquarters—117 Water St. (added 1987) * Villa Friuli—58 High St. (added 1991) * Warner Theatre—68-82 Main St. (added 1984) * Warrenton Woolen Mill—839 Main St. (added 1987) * Water Street Historic District—Roughly along Water St., from Church St. to Prospect St. (added 2003)

Notable people

(1800–1859),

abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the political movement to end slavery and liberate enslaved individuals around the world. The first country to fully outlaw slavery was Kingdom of France, France in 1315, but it was later used ...

, was born in Torrington * Josiah Bunting III (born 1939), author, educator, soldier and Superintendent of the

Virginia Military Institute The Virginia Military Institute (VMI) is a public senior military college in Lexington, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1839 as America's first state military college and is the oldest public senior military college in the U.S. In k ...

* W. G. Curtis (1857–1913), a homesteader and politician, lived in Torrington, Connecticut, and later founded and named the town of

Torrington, Wyoming Torrington is a city in and the county seat of Goshen County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 6,119 at the 2020 census, down from 6,501 at the 2010 census. It is the home of Eastern Wyoming College, and is the surrounding region's ...

after his former residence *

Bill C. Davis William Clarke Davis (August 24, 1951February 26, 2021) was an American playwright and actor. He was best known for his 1980 play '' Mass Appeal''. Other noted works of his include ''Dancing in the End Zone'', ''Wrestlers'', ''Spine'', ''Avow'' ...

(1961–2021), playwright, was living in Torrington at the time of his death *

Dick Ebersol Duncan Richard Ebersol (; born July 28, 1947) is an American television executive and a senior adviser for NBC Universal Sports & Olympics. He had previously been the chairman of NBC Sports, producing large-scale television events such as the ...

(born 1947), chairman of NBC Universal Sports, was born in Torrington * Frank Fixaris (1934–2006),

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

sportscaster, was born in Torrington and grew up at 600 Prospect Street * Aline Huke Frink (1904–2000), mathematician, professor at

Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsyl ...

, born in Torrington * Ellen Maria Huntington Gates (1835–1920), hymn writer and poet * Horace Holley (1887–1960), prominent follower of the Baha'i Faith was born in Torrington * Samuel John Mills (1783–1818), Congregationalist

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thoma ...

Wendell Phillips Norton Sr. Wendell Phillips Norton Sr. (May 14, 1861 – August 8, 1955) was the inventor of a mechanical gear shift on the Hendy-Norton lathe. Biography He was born on May 14, 1861, in Plainville, Connecticut, to John Calvin Norton and Harriet Hotchkiss. ...

(1861–1955), inventor of a mechanical gear shift on the Hendy-Norton lathe *

Lyman Cornelius Smith Lyman Cornelius Smith (1850–1910) was an American innovator and industrialist. He is buried in a mausoleum in Oakwood Cemetery (Syracuse, New York), Oakwood Cemetery in Syracuse, New York. Early business ventures L.C. Smith's first business v ...

(1850–1910), an industrialist and founder of the L.C. Smith & Brothers Typewriter Company, which grew into the Smith-Corona Company, was born here *

William L. Shirer William Lawrence Shirer (; February 23, 1904 – December 28, 1993) was an American journalist, war correspondent, and historian. His '' The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich'', a history of Nazi Germany, has been read by many and cited in schol ...

, Author of “The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich”, lived on the 40 acre estate on Stillwater Pond Road (formerly, Brass Mill Dam Rd.); once the location of Torrington’s first dairy farm. *

Steven Strogatz Steven Henry Strogatz (; born August 13, 1959) is an American mathematician and author, and the Susan and Barton Winokur Distinguished Professor for the Public Understanding of Science and Mathematics at Cornell University. He is known for his wor ...

, American mathematician and popularizer of mathematics, born in Torrington *

Karl Swenson Karl Swenson (July 23, 1908 – October 8, 1978) was an American theatre, radio, film, and television actor. Early in his career, he was credited as Peter Wayne.

(1908–1978), actor, who died in Torrington * Tracey Thurman, a victim of

domestic violence Domestic violence is violence that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes r ...

who drew national attention in 1985 *

Patricia Wald Patricia Ann McGowan Wald (; September 16, 1928 – January 12, 2019) was an American lawyer and jurist who served as the chief judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 1986 until 1991. She was the Cou ...

(1928–2019), first female judge of the Washington, D.C., circuit, was born and raised in Torrington * Jordan Williams (born 1990), basketball center for the

Maryland Terrapins The Maryland Terrapins, commonly referred to as the Terps, consist of 19 men's and women's college sports in the United States, varsity intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Maryland, College Park in National Collegiate ...

and the

New Jersey Nets New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...

* Jocko Willink (born 1971), US Navy SEAL Lt. Commander, Author, Podcaster. Born in Torrington

References

External links

Torrington City Government Website

Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce

Torrington Public School System
{{authority control Cities in Connecticut Cities in Litchfield County, Connecticut Cities in the New York metropolitan area Cities in Northwest Hills Planning Region, Connecticut