East Windsor, Connecticut

East Windsor is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Capitol Planning Region. The population was 11,190 at the 2020 census.[2] The town has five villages: Broad Brook, Melrose, Scantic, Warehouse Point and Windsorville.

East Windsor, Connecticut
Town
Town of East Windsor
The dam and Opera House in the Broad Brook section of town
The dam and Opera House in the Broad Brook section of town
Official seal of East Windsor, Connecticut
Nickname: 
East Side
Motto(s): 
Unity, Strength
East Windsor's location within Hartford County and Connecticut
East Windsor's location within the Capitol Planning Region and the state of Connecticut
Coordinates: 41°55′00″N 72°33′28″W
Country United States
U.S. state Connecticut
CountyHartford
RegionCapitol Region
Settled1680
Incorporated1768
VillagesBroad Brook
Melrose
Scantic
Warehouse Point
Windsorville
Government
  TypeSelectman-town meeting
  First SelectmanJason E. Bowsza (D)
  SelectmenMarie DeSousa (D)
Alan Baker (D)
Sarah Muska (R)
Charlie Nordell (R)
Area
  Total26.8 sq mi (69.5 km2)
  Land26.3 sq mi (68.0 km2)
  Water0.6 sq mi (1.5 km2)
Elevation49 ft (15 m)
Population
 (2020)
  Total11,190
  Density420/sq mi (160/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern)
  Summer (DST)UTC-4 (Eastern)
ZIP Codes
06016, 06088
Area code(s)860/959
FIPS code09-24800
GNIS feature ID0212329[1]
Major highways
U.S. Routes
Websitewww.eastwindsor-ct.gov

History

In 1633, Settlers laid claim to the area now known as Windsor which included East Windsor. No English settlers lived on the east side of the river. The first English settler in what is today known as East Windsor, was William Pynchon, the founder of Springfield, Massachusetts. In 1636, he erected a warehouse for his settlement's transshipment of goods at what is now known as "Warehouse Point". Warehouse Point served as the southern border of Springfield, Massachusetts, for 132 years—until 1768—when Warehouse Point, Connecticut, was annexed by the Connecticut Colony. Pynchon selected the site of Warehouse Point because of its location near the Enfield Falls—the first major falls in the Connecticut River, the head of navigation where seagoing vessels were forced to terminate their voyages and transship to smaller shallops. By constructing a warehouse at Warehouse Point, Pynchon essentially forced all northern Connecticut River business to run through him and his settlement at Springfield.

Meanwhile, most of today's East Windsor was part of the prominent Windsor settlement on the east side of the river. Settlers avoided the East Side of the river due to the Podunk tribe who inhabited the area, particularly following King Philip's War in 1675. Simon Wolcott was the first settler in today's East Windsor. East Windsor also included today's Ellington and South Windsor. Eventually on May 10, 1768, The East Windsor parish was partitioned from Windsor. The center of town became what is now East Windsor Hill in today's South Windsor. The North Part of town center was Scantic.

In 1818, resident Solomon Ellsworth Jr, was blasting a hole for a well alongside his house in town. While in the process, he found some odd bones. These bones would later be sent to Yale University and eventually be identified as Dinosaur fossils, specifically one of an Anchisaurus. Though not the first fossils to be found, their discovery led to the dinosaur discovery craze later in the century as these were the first bones to be known as a dinosaur, four years before William Buckland determined it. The bones are still at Yale and the Ellsworth Homestead still stands on Rye Street near the South Windsor line.

In 1832, the Broad Brook Mill was created at the waterfall of the Mill Pond.

The town has five sections of town, Warehouse Point, Broad Brook, Scantic, Melrose, and Windsorville. The oldest section of town is Warehouse Point, which, as mentioned, was first used by William Pynchon in the 1630s, and later settled as part of Springfield in the 1680s. The Scantic section of town was the center of town until the mills were built. The Windsorville section of town was once its own community, featuring a church, post office, mini-mart, and a park. Mulnite Farms is a tobacco farm on Graham Road, established in 1905. In 1897, the town's voluntary fire department was created in the mill. The Broad Brook Elementary school was established in 1951. In 1961 the town hall burned down. The new town hall is on Rye Street across from the elementary school. The new voluntary fire department building and senior center was built on the same site of the old town hall. On Memorial Day Weekend, in 1986, the Broad Brook Mill caught on fire during renovations, with the mill and the tire shop (on the site of the mill) burned down and the smoke being seen as far as Bradley International Airport and Hartford. A new mini strip mall was built on the site of the mill.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 26.8 square miles (69.5 km2), of which 26.3 square miles (68.0 km2) is land and 0.58 square miles (1.5 km2), or 2.11%, is water.[3]

Tobacco field in the Windsorville section of town

East Windsor is bordered by the town of Enfield to the north, South Windsor to the south, Ellington to the east, and Windsor Locks and Windsor to the west, across the Connecticut River.

By virtue of its location on the Connecticut River, Windsor functioned as a vital port. Merchants on both sides of the river shipped timber products, brick, livestock, wheat, tobacco and other produce to supply plantations in the West Indies, importing sugar, molasses, salt, and British manufactured textiles, ceramics, hardware and glass on return trips. Windsor's Hooker and Chaffee mercantile firm maintained a store and packing houses right off Windsor's Palisado Green. Small scale shipbuilding took place at the mouth of the Scantic River in what is now South Windsor, Warehouse Point in what is now East Windsor, and along the Farmington from as far upriver as today's village of Poquonock.

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
18203,400
18403,600
18502,633−26.9%
18602,580−2.0%
18702,88211.7%
18803,0194.8%
18902,890−4.3%
19003,1589.3%
19103,3626.5%
19203,74111.3%
19303,8152.0%
19403,9674.0%
19504,85922.5%
19607,50054.4%
19708,51313.5%
19808,9254.8%
199010,08113.0%
20009,818−2.6%
201011,16213.7%
202011,1900.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[4]

As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 9,818 people, 4,078 households, and 2,556 families residing in the town. The population density was 373.5 inhabitants per square mile (144.2/km2). There were 4,356 housing units at an average density of 165.7 per square mile (64.0/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 91.47% White, 4.09% African American, 0.16% Native American, 2.00% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.83% from other races, and 1.41% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.11% of the population.

There were 4,078 households, out of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.7% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.3% were non-families. 30.0% 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 2.34 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.2% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 33.1% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $51,092, and the median income for a family was $60,694. Males had a median income of $39,785 versus $33,446 for females. The per capita income for the town was $24,899. About 3.5% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 30, 2012[6]
Party Active Voters Inactive Voters Total Voters Percentage
Democratic 2,369 106 2,475 31.94%
Republican 1,460 48 1,508 19.46%
Unaffiliated 3,499 218 3,717 47.96%
Minor parties 49 1 50 0.65%
Total 7,377 373 7,750 100%

Elections

East Windsor town vote
by party in presidential elections[7][8]
Year Democratic Republican Third Parties
2020 53.22% 3,008 44.96% 2,541 1.82% 103
2016 46.05% 2,441 49.16% 2,606 4.79% 254
2012 56.84% 2,857 42.02% 2,112 1.13% 57
2008 58.81% 3,106 39.77% 2,100 1.42% 75
2004 54.34% 2,571 43.84% 2,074 1.82% 86
2000 54.60% 2,313 39.50% 1,673 5.90% 250
1996 52.42% 2,104 32.26% 1,295 15.32% 615
1992 39.25% 1,891 33.17% 1,598 27.58% 1,329
1988 48.36% 1,940 50.52% 2,027 1.12% 45
1984 38.45% 1,454 61.26% 2,317 0.29% 11
1980 41.82% 1,572 43.31% 1,628 14.87% 559
1976 53.26% 1,926 46.29% 1,674 0.44% 16
1972 44.48% 1,536 54.24% 1,873 1.27% 44
1968 50.22% 1,595 42.79% 1,359 6.99% 222
1964 69.37% 2,172 30.63% 959 0.00% 0
1960 54.28% 1,673 45.72% 1,409 0.00% 0
1956 37.15% 1,039 62.85% 1,758 0.00% 0
Election results from statewide races
Year Office Results
2018 Governor Stefanowski 52.06–41.47%
U.S. Senator Murphy 52.44–46.50%
U.S. Representative Larson 53.54–45.15%
2016 President Trump 49.16–46.05%
U.S. Senator Blumenthal 58.72–38.88%
U.S. Representative Larson 54.91–42.65%
2014 Governor Foley 53.71–44.71%
U.S. Representative Larson 54.57–43.42%
2012 President Obama 56.8–42.0%
U.S. Senator Murphy 52.3–45.4%
U.S. Representative Larson 65.1–32.7%
2010 Governor Foley 56.0–42.0%
U.S. Senator Blumenthal 50.7–47.4%
U.S. Representative Larson 53.1–45.3%
2008 President Obama 58.8–39.8%
U.S. Representative Larson 69.6–27.1%
2006 Governor Rell 63.8–34.7%
U.S. Senator Lieberman 46.8–39.8–12.5%
U.S. Representative Larson 71.7–28.3%
2004 President Kerry 54.3–43.8%
U.S. Senator Dodd 66.8–31.1%
U.S. Representative Larson 56.8–43.2%

Education

Elementary

East Windsor Elementary School System serves students in pre-kindergarten through grade 4. The Connecticut Children's Place runs from Grade 4 through Grade 12. Its principal is Joyce Welch. Homebound schooling runs from Pre-K through 12. The Broad Brook Elementary School principal is Laura Foxx.

Middle school

East Windsor Middle School serves students in grades 5 through 8. Its principal is Timothy Field.

High school

East Windsor High School serves students in grades 9 through 12. Its principal is Allison Anderson.

Transportation

U.S. Route 5 runs through the town from the border with South Windsor to Enfield.

East Windsor is halfway between Hartford and Springfield, each 12 miles (19 km) away. Interstate 91 serves East Windsor with exits 44 and 45. Windsor Locks station is the nearest passenger train station.

Bradley International Airport is 5 miles (8 km) away. Skylark Airport is a small airstrip to help young aviators learn how to fly.

Crime

Graph of East Windsor Crime Statistics

East Windsor crime, according to city-data.com[9] is relatively low against U.S. averages. Between 1999 and 2004, not including 2003, there was one murder, 26 rapes, 43 robberies, 41 assaults, 254 burglaries, 1248 thefts, and 177 car thefts.

The Woods near the Scantic River

Points of interest

Notable people

References

  1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: East Windsor, Connecticut
  2. "Census - Geography Profile: East Windsor, Hartford County, Connecticut". Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  3. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): East Windsor town, Hartford County, Connecticut". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
  4. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  5. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  6. "Registration and Party Enrollment Statistics as of October 30, 2012" (PDF). Connecticut Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 30, 2012. Retrieved October 2, 2006.
  7. "General Elections Statement of Vote 1922". CT.gov - Connecticut's Official State Website.
  8. "Election Night Reporting". CT Secretary of State. Archived from the original on April 28, 2016. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
  9. "East Windsor, Connecticut (CT 06016) profile: population, maps, real estate, averages, homes, statistics, relocation, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, moving, houses, news, sex offenders". www.city-data.com.
  10. Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who. 1963.
  11. Buel, Richard (1999). "Wolcott, Erastus (1722-1793), influential Connecticut political leader and judge". American National Biography. doi:10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.0101002. ISBN 978-0-19-860669-7. Archived from the original on June 5, 2018. Retrieved February 20, 2021.

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