Simsbury, town (1990 pop. 22,023), Hartford co., N Conn.; inc. 1670. Although the town is mainly residential, it produces ordnance, machinery, and chemicals. The Westminster School, the Ethel Walker School, and the International Skating Center are located in the town. Gifford Pinchot, the forester and public official, was born there.

Simsbury is a suburban town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 23,234 at the 2000 census. The town was incorporated as Connecticut's twenty-first town in May 1670.

History

Early History

Simsbury was settled in 1670 by a group of English settlers from Windsor, Connecticut. At the time, it was seen as a frontier settlement. After six years of living in Simsbury, the settlers went back to Windsor due to the high population of American Indians that surrounded them. After the settlers left, the Indians burned most of the buildings and completely destroyed the town, so that when the settlers returned in 1676, they could not find the original location of the town.

The first steel mill in the history of the United States opened in Simsbury in 1728. Granby, Connecticut was originally the northern part of Simsbury, but became independent in 1786.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 34.3 square miles (88.9 km²), of which, 33.9 sq mi (87.7 km²) is land and 0.4 sq mi (1.1 km² or 1.25%) is water.

Simsbury lies in the northern end of the Farmington Valley. The east side of Simsbury is flanked by Talcott Mountain, part of the Metacomet Ridge, a mountainous traprock ridgeline that stretches from Long Island Sound to nearly the Vermont border. Notable features of the Metacomet Ridge in Simsbury include Heublein Tower, Talcott Mountain State Park, Penwood State Park, and the Tariffville Gorge of the Farmington River. The Metacomet Trail traverses the ridge. At the western foot of the mountain, near the Farmington River, grow the Pynchot Sycamores, two massive specimens of near champion tree status.

Principal communities

There are four census-designated places in Simsbury: Simsbury Center, Tariffville, Weatogue, and West Simsbury.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 23,234 people, 8,527 households, and 6,591 families residing in the town. The population density was 685.7 people per square mile (264.8/km²). There were 8,739 housing units at an average density of 257.9/sq mi (99.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.3% White, 1.17% African American,, 0.09% Native American, 2.12% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.26% from other races, and 1.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.54% of the population.

There were 8,527 households out of which 41.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.1% were married couples living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.7% were non-families. 19.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the town the population was spread out with 29.5% under the age of 18, 3.6% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $82,996, and the median income for a family was $97,008. Males had a median income of $70,519 versus $42,136 for females. The per capita income for the town was $39,710. About 1.0% of families and 2.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.6% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.

Annual events

• Talcott Mountain Music Festival, where the Hartford Symphony Orchestra performs
• Eggstock, an annual environmental awareness festival held at Flamig Farm
• Septemberfest which is held on Iron Horse Boulevard
• St. Mary's Carnival, held in Weatogue, has delighted several generations of Simsburyenites
• Valley Classic WheelsCar Show which is held on Iron Horse Boulevard the 2nd weekend in July

Notable facts

The Ethel Walker School, The Master's School and Westminster School are private schools both located in Simsbury. The International Skating Center of Connecticut is also located in Simsbury.

Three of the four state parks in Hartford County: Penwood State Park, Stratton Brook State Park, and Talcott Mountain State Park are located in Simsbury.

Simsbury's sister city is Wittmund, Germany.

The first unauthorized coins minted in the American colonies, and the first in Connecticut, were struck by Dr. Samual Higley from copper mined from his own mine. This all took place in North Simsbury, now called Granby after those traitors seceded from the rest of the town.

Notable people, past and present

Skaters

• Shizuka Arakawa (荒川 静香, born December 29, 1981) a Japanese figure skater who won the gold medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics, has trained at the International Skating Center of Connecticut in town.
• Sasha Cohen (born October 26, 1984) the reigning U.S. National Champion figure skater and silver medalist at the 2006 Olympics, trained in Simsbury with Russian coach Tatiana Tarasova, starting in the summer of 2002.
• Ekaterina Gordeeva, winner of two Olympic gold medals (1988 and 1994), moved to Simsbury in the 1990s.
• Alexei Yagudin (born March 18, 1980, St Petersburg), 2002 Olympic champion and four time World Champion, lived and trained in Simsbury from 1998 to 2005 with Tatiana Tarasova.

Others

• Sean Burke, NHL Goalie (former Hartford Whaler)
• Robert Calderon, inventor of the slap bracelet
• Rob Dibble, former MLB player
• Justin Foley, Drummer of the bands Killswitch Engage and Blood Has Been Shed.
• Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968), worked on a tobacco farm in Simsbury during the summer of 1944 to earn money for college.
• George McLean (1857-1932), was a U.S. senator and Simsbury resident who founded the 4,200-acre McLean Game Refuge in town.
• Elisha Phelps (1779-1847), was a United States Representative from Connecticut.
• Jennifer Weiner, author
• Jessica Biel, actress, attended elementary school in Simsbury,CT
• Sigourney Weaver, actress attended Ethel Walker School in Simsbury, CT
• Gifford Pinchot (August 11, 1865 – October 4, 1946), first Chief of the United States Forest Service (1905–1910) and the Governor of Pennsylvania (1923–1927, 1931–1935) was born in Simsbury in 1865.

On the National Register of Historic Places

• Amos Eno House — Off U. S. 202 on Hopmeadow Rd. (added May 3, 1975)
• Capt. Elisha Phelps House — 800 Hopmeadow St. (added October 22, 1972)
• Drake Hill Road Bridge — Drake Hill Rd. at Farmington River (added August 19, 1984)
• East Weatogue Historic District — Roughly, properties on East Weatogue St. from just N of Riverside Dr. to Hartford Rd., and Folly Farm property to S (added August 19, 1990)
• Eno Memorial Hall — 754 Hopmeadow St. (added May 2, 1993)
• Heublein Tower — Talcott Mountain State Park (added July 30, 1983)
• Horace Belden School (Now the Town Hall/Police Station) and Central Grammar School — 933 Hopmeadow St. and 29 Massaco St. (added April 25, 1993)
• John Humphrey House — 115 E. Weatogue St. (added December 15, 1990)
• Massaco Forest Pavilion — Off Old Farms Rd., Stratton Brook State Park (added October 4, 1986)
• Robert and Julia Darling House — 720 Hopmeadow St. (added February 3, 1991)
• Simsbury Bank and Trust Company Building — 760-762 Hopmeadow St. (added December 20, 1986)
• Simsbury Center Historic District — Roughly, Hopmeadow St. from West St. to Massaco St. (added May 12, 1996)
• Simsbury Railroad Depot — Railroad Ave. at Station St. (added April 26, 1976)
• Simsbury Townhouse — 695 Hopmeadow St. (added May 2, 1993)
• Tariffville Historic District — Roughly bounded by Winthrop St., Main St., Mountain Rd., Laurel Hill Rd. and Elm St. (added May 2, 1993)
• Terry's Plain Historic District — Roughly bounded by Pharos, Quarry and Terry's Plain Rds. and the Farmington R. (added 1993)

Public Safety

Law enforcement is provided by the Simsbury Police Department. The Department has a sworn strength of 35 police officers and several civilian employees. There are two divisions within the department: Patrol Division and Administrative Division, each headed by a Captain. Some units within the Department include Community Services, Detective Unit, and Training and Professional Standards Unit. The town 911 dispatch center is located at the Police Department. It is responsible for dispatching police and EMS, as well as coordinating with other local police departments, town highway/public works, and the fire department.

Fire protection is provided by the Simsbury Volunteer Fire Company. The Fire Company has 6 stations located throughout the town and a dispatch center housed at the Main Station. Volunteer firefighters are dispatched via pagers for emergency calls. The Company has several engines, two aerial trucks, two heavy rescues, and a special command vehicle.

Emergency medical services is provided by the Simsbury Volunteer Ambulance Association. The Association has a primary ambulance staffed twenty-four hours a day by volunteer EMTs. There is a back-up ambulance which can be staffed by off-duty EMTs for calls when the primary ambulance is out. The Association also has a paramedic response vehicle that is staffed twenty-four seven by career paramedics. The organization has a career strength of seven paramedics and a volunteer EMT staff of 36. The total call volume of the Association is approximately 1,500 per year.

Simsbury Public Library

The Simsbury Public Library serves more than 800 residents daily and offers many programs and services including homebound delivery, public computers, a museum pass program, a Business Resource Center, and 24/7 reference assistance. The library can trace its history back to 1872 as the Town’s Social and Literary Club. In 1890 the town built a library as part of the Town’s center and it operated until the present library was constructed nearby in 1985. Ground breaking ceremonies for a renovated and expanded library were held in early May 2007. In the year ending June 30, 2006, the library maintained a collection of 163,000 print, audio, and video items, offered the contents of 40 databases, circulated 436,000 items, answered 57,000 requests for information, and offered 756 programs to the various constituencies that the Library serves. In the last five years, the Simsbury Public Library has ranked among the top five of Connecticut’s Public Libraries according to Hennen’s American Public Library Ratings In 2002, it ranked among the top 100 in the country (out of 9,000).

Schools in Simsbury

Public high schools in Simsbury:

• Simsbury High School (Students: 1,457; Location: 34 FARMS VILLAGE RD.; Grades: 09 - 12) Private high schools in Simsbury:

• Westminster School (Students: 353; Location: 995 HOPMEADOW STREET; Grades: 9 - 12)

• Ethel Walker School (Students: 185; Location: 230 BUSHY HILL ROAD; Grades: 7 - 12; Girls only)

• The Master's School (Students: 400; Location: WESTLEDGE ROAD; Grades PK - 12)

Public primary/middle schools in Simsbury:

• Central School (Students: 479; Location: 29 MASSACO ST.; Grades: PK - 06)

• Latimer Lane School (Students: 623; Location: 33 MOUNTAIN VIEW RD.; Grades: 01 - 06)

• Squadron Line School (Students: 849; Location: 44 SQUADRON LINE RD.; Grades: KG - 06) • Tariffville School (Students: 280; Location: 42 WINTHROP ST.; Grades: 01 - 06)

• Tootin' Hills School (Students: 537; Location: 25 NIMROD RD.; Grades: KG - 06)

• Henry James Memorial School (Students: 798; Location: 155 FIRETOWN RD.; Grades: 07 - 08)

• Homebound (Location: 933 HOPMEADOW STREET; Grades: PK - 12)

Private primary/middle schools in Simsbury:

• St. Mary School (Students: 264; Location: 946 HOPMEADOW STREET; Grades: KG - 8)

• The Cobb School Montessori (Students: 145; Location: 112 SAND HILL RD; Grades: PK - 5)

References

External links

• Simsbury Public Library's Website
• Town of Simsbury
• Simsbury Community Television
• Simsbury Volunteer Fire Company
• Simsbury Volunteer Ambulance Association
• Simsbury Connecticut's Community Website
• Simsbury local e-bulletin board
• Central Regional Tourism District