Enfield, Connecticut
|
Enfield (CT) Shaker Village |
Enfield is a town in
Hartford County,
Connecticut,
United States. The population was 45,212 at the 2000 census. It sits on the border with
Longmeadow, Massachusetts to the north,
Somers to the east,
East Windsor and
Windsor Locks to the south and the
Connecticut River to the west.
Enfield was settled in
1679 by settlers from
Salem, Massachusetts. Enfield was incorporated in Massachusetts in
1683. In
1750, the town seceded and became part of Connecticut.
The modern town of Enfield was formed through the merging of Enfield,
Thompsonville, and
Hazardville. Hazardville was named for Colonel Augustus George Hazard (1802-1868) who, during the
American Civil War, manufactured gun powder in a part of the town known as Powder Hollow. In fact, in the 1989 film
Glory boxes of gun powder can be seen with the words
Enfield, CT printed on the sides.
|
Enfield (CT) Shaker Village in c. 1910 |
Enfield (CT) Shaker Village:In
1793, a historic
Shaker village, one of nineteen scattered from
Maine to
Kentucky, was established in the town. The
utopian religious sect practiced celibate,
communal living, and are today renowned for their simple
architecture and
furniture. Membership eventually dwindled, however, and the village disbanded. The property has since been redeveloped by the
Enfield Correctional Institution, still located on "Shaker Road."
*
Enfield (CT) Shaker Village'', Shaker Historic TrailEnfield, Connecticut is the namesake of
Enfield, Nova Scotia.
Enfield is home to the U.S. headquarters of Danish plastic building toy manufacturer
LEGO, which is also the town's largest employer. In June 2006, the company announced that they would be laying off over 290 employees and begin outsourcing jobs.
Hallmark Cards is the second-largest employer.
In the past, Enfield manufactured
carpet and
gunpowder.
Historical neighborhoods in Enfield are:
Enfield Historical District- Listed in the National Register of Historical Districts, the Enfield Historical District runs along
Enfield Street (
U.S. Route 5). Many old homes dating back to the mid-1700s were built from 1106-1492 Enfield Street. Varying
styles of architecture are noted including
Late Victorian,
Georgian and
19th Century Revival. The
Enfield Town Hall museum as well as one of the oldest
Congregational Churches in America can be found here.
Hazardville - Named after General Hazard, this neighborhood encompasses a few smaller burbs, including Powder Hollow, and more recently, the center of Enfield has began to encroach on this historical area. The center of Hazardville is located between the streets of Park Street and North Street on Hazard Avenue. When walking around, you'll be surprised by the eclectic group of shops, from Smoke n' Leather, to pizza shops, to parks, a good area to live in, with a pretty low crime rate, and reputable schools nearby.
North Thompsonville - Mostly residential and partially commercial area of Enfield with many parks and schools.
Scitico - Scitico is on the eastern end of town. Green Manor is considered part of Scitico. This is a suburb in the purest sense, with winding roads, sidewalks, parks, and cul-de-sacs.
Shaker Pines - Neighborhood mostly consists of tall pine trees towering above the quaint lakeside houses. Low crime rate and lower property values relative to most of the rest of town.
Sherwood Manor Southwood Acres - A village contained within the town of Enfield. This neighborhood is almost entirely residential.
Thompsonville - Named after
Orrin Thompson, Thompsonville is the town center of Enfield with a more urban environment. In the past few years, there has been an attempt to revitalize the downtown area. On the southbound portion of Pearl Street there are many old
Victorians. There are also many boat launches onto the bordering
Connecticut River. Planning has started for renovating an old building into a
commuter rail station on the not yet built
New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Line.
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 88.6
km² (34.2
mi²). 86.5 km² (33.4 mi²) of it is land and 2.1 km² (0.8 mi²) of it (2.43%) is water.
As of the
census² of 2000, there were 45,212 people, 16,418 households, and 11,394 families residing in the town. The
population density was 523.0/km² (1,354.3/mi²). There were 17,043 housing units at an average density of 197.1/km² (510.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 89.74%
White, 5.61%
African American, 0.20%
Native American, 1.34%
Asian, 0.02%
Pacific Islander, 1.57% from
other races, and 1.54% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 3.74% of the population.
There were 16,418 households out of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were
married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.6% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 34.2% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 110.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 112.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $52,810, and the median income for a family was $60,528. Males had a median income of $42,335 versus $31,082 for females. The
per capita income for the town was $21,967. About 2.8% of families and 4.0% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.
Elementary
The Enfield Elementary School System runs from kindergarten through grade 6.
* Approximate enrollment counts as of 2005
** Thomas G. Alcorn School originally a high school until it was converted to an elementary school when the current high school was opened. It was later extensively renovated in 1993.
Junior High School
The Enfield School Junior High School System runs from grade 7 through grade 8.
| School Name | Students* | Namesake | | John F. Kennedy [10] | 1,087 | Former U.S. President John F. Kennedy |
* Approximate enrollment count as of 2005
High school
The Enfield School Senior High School System runs from grade 9 through grade 12.
| School Name | Students* | Namesake | | Enfield High School [11] | 922 | The town itself |
| Enrico Fermi High School [12] | 1,196 | Italian physicist Enrico Fermi |
* Approximate enrollment counts as of 2005
*
Town of Enfield, Connecticut Official Website*
Enfield Historical Society*
Enfield Public Schools Official Website*
Enfield School District Information*
National Register of Historical Districts, Hartford County, Connecticut*
Central Regional Tourism District
