Norfolk, Connecticut

Norfolk (locally /ˈnɔːrfɔːrk/)[2] is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 1,588 at the 2020 census.[1] The town is part of the Northwest Hills Planning Region. The urban center of the town is the Norfolk census-designated place, with a population of 553 at the 2010 census.[3]

Norfolk, Connecticut
Town
Town of Norfolk
Official seal of Norfolk, Connecticut
Seal
Norfolk's location within Litchfield County and Connecticut
Coordinates: 41°59′01″N 73°11′47″W
Country United States
U.S. state Connecticut
CountyLitchfield
RegionNorthwest Hills
Incorporated1758
Government
 • TypeSelectman-town meeting
 • First selectmanMatthew T. Riiska (D)
 • SelectmanSusan M. Dyer (D)
 • SelectmanAlexandra (Sandy) Evans (R)
Area
 • Total46.4 sq mi (120.2 km2)
 • Land45.3 sq mi (117.4 km2)
 • Water1.1 sq mi (2.9 km2)
Elevation
1,230 ft (375 m)
Population
 (2020)[1]
 • Total1,588
 • Density35/sq mi (13.5/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (Eastern)
ZIP code
06058
Area code(s)860/959
FIPS code09-53470
GNIS feature ID0213476
Websitewww.norfolkct.org

Norfolk is perhaps best known as the site of the Yale Summer School of Music—Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, which hosts an annual chamber music concert series in "the Music Shed", a performance hall located on the Ellen Battell Stoeckel estate to the west of the village green. Norfolk has important examples of regional architecture, notably the Village Hall (now Infinity Hall, a shingled 1880s Arts-and-Crafts confection, with an opera house upstairs and storefronts at street level); the Norfolk Library (a shingle-style structure, designed by George Keller, c. 1888/1889); and over thirty buildings, in a wide variety of styles, designed by Alfredo S. G. Taylor (of the New York firm Taylor & Levi) in the four decades before the Second World War.

History
Norfolk in 1897
Eldredge Gymnasium in early 20th century postcard, now Town Hall

Norfolk incorporated as a town in 1758. The town was named after Norfolk in England.[4]

The Norfolk Historic District includes the historic center of the village of Norfolk.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 46.4 square miles (120.2 km2), of which 45.3 square miles (117.4 km2) are land and 1.1 square miles (2.9 km2), or 2.38%, are water.[5] The town is located in the Litchfield Hills portion of the Appalachian mountain range. Norfolk's elevation is 1,230 feet (370 m) above sea level, and the town is sometimes called "the Icebox of Connecticut"[6] for its severe winters and particularly cool summers.

The town is bordered on the west by Canaan and North Canaan, Connecticut; on the north by New Marlborough and Sandisfield, Massachusetts; on the east by Colebrook and Winchester, Connecticut; and on the south by Goshen, Connecticut.

Principal communities

State parks

Norfolk is home to three state parks: Dennis Hill State Park, which includes the remnants of a lavish summer pavilion designed by Alfredo Taylor; Haystack Mountain State Park, with a stone tower at the mountain's summit; and Campbell Falls State Park Reserve, with an approximately 100-foot (30 m) natural waterfall.

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Norfolk has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.[7] This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. On February 16, 1943, the temperature fell to −37 °F (−38 °C), the lowest temperature ever recorded in Connecticut.

Climate data for Norfolk, Connecticut, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1942–present
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 62
(17)		 70
(21)		 81
(27)		 89
(32)		 89
(32)		 92
(33)		 93
(34)		 98
(37)		 93
(34)		 81
(27)		 75
(24)		 67
(19)		 98
(37)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 52.6
(11.4)		 52.0
(11.1)		 61.9
(16.6)		 77.7
(25.4)		 84.0
(28.9)		 86.6
(30.3)		 88.3
(31.3)		 86.6
(30.3)		 82.6
(28.1)		 72.9
(22.7)		 64.7
(18.2)		 55.2
(12.9)		 90.0
(32.2)
Average high °F (°C) 29.8
(−1.2)		 32.3
(0.2)		 40.4
(4.7)		 54.0
(12.2)		 65.3
(18.5)		 73.4
(23.0)		 78.4
(25.8)		 76.4
(24.7)		 69.0
(20.6)		 56.5
(13.6)		 44.8
(7.1)		 34.6
(1.4)		 54.6
(12.5)
Daily mean °F (°C) 21.9
(−5.6)		 23.9
(−4.5)		 31.6
(−0.2)		 44.0
(6.7)		 55.3
(12.9)		 64.0
(17.8)		 69.0
(20.6)		 67.3
(19.6)		 60.0
(15.6)		 48.1
(8.9)		 37.5
(3.1)		 27.9
(−2.3)		 45.9
(7.7)
Average low °F (°C) 14.1
(−9.9)		 15.4
(−9.2)		 22.8
(−5.1)		 34.0
(1.1)		 45.4
(7.4)		 54.5
(12.5)		 59.5
(15.3)		 58.1
(14.5)		 50.9
(10.5)		 39.7
(4.3)		 30.2
(−1.0)		 21.1
(−6.1)		 37.1
(2.9)
Mean minimum °F (°C) −5.7
(−20.9)		 −2.0
(−18.9)		 4.7
(−15.2)		 22.0
(−5.6)		 31.6
(−0.2)		 41.5
(5.3)		 49.8
(9.9)		 47.1
(8.4)		 36.8
(2.7)		 26.6
(−3.0)		 15.1
(−9.4)		 4.5
(−15.3)		 −8.0
(−22.2)
Record low °F (°C) −22
(−30)		 −37
(−38)		 −11
(−24)		 6
(−14)		 25
(−4)		 32
(0)		 41
(5)		 35
(2)		 26
(−3)		 17
(−8)		 3
(−16)		 −23
(−31)		 −37
(−38)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.97
(101)		 3.33
(85)		 4.21
(107)		 3.93
(100)		 4.13
(105)		 4.96
(126)		 4.77
(121)		 4.67
(119)		 4.90
(124)		 5.14
(131)		 4.07
(103)		 4.86
(123)		 52.94
(1,345)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 17.8
(45)		 17.5
(44)		 14.9
(38)		 3.9
(9.9)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 1.4
(3.6)		 4.4
(11)		 15.0
(38)		 74.9
(189.5)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 13.1 11.6 12.4 12.7 14.1 13.0 11.8 11.4 10.4 12.2 11.4 13.8 147.9
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 9.5 8.8 6.8 2.2 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 2.8 7.7 38.2
Source 1: NOAA[8]
Source 2: National Weather Service[9]

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18201,422—
18501,643—
18601,8039.7%
18701,641−9.0%
18801,418−13.6%
18901,5469.0%
19001,6144.4%
19101,541−4.5%
19201,229−20.2%
19301,2985.6%
19401,3332.7%
19501,57217.9%
19601,82716.2%
19702,07313.5%
19802,1564.0%
19902,060−4.5%
20001,660−19.4%
20101,7093.0%
20201,588−7.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[10]
See also: List of Connecticut locations by per capita income

As of the census[11] of 2000, there were 1,660 people, 676 households, and 461 families residing in the town. The population density was 36.6 inhabitants per square mile (14.1/km2). There were 871 housing units at an average density of 19.2 per square mile (7.4/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.11% White, 0.48% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.54% Asian, 0.60% from other races, and 1.02% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.96% of the population.

There were 676 households, out of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.3% were married couples living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% were non-families. 24.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.7% under the age of 18, 4.3% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 29.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $58,906, and the median income for a family was $67,500. Males had a median income of $41,654 versus $36,442 for females. The per capita income for the town was $34,020. About 1.8% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Norfolk is a member of Regional School District 7, which also includes, Barkhamsted, Colebrook, and New Hartford. Public school students attend Botelle Elementary School for grades K–6, Northwestern Middle School for grades 7–8, and Northwestern Regional High School for grades 9–12.

Transportation

The main thoroughfares of the town are U.S. Route 44 (going east–west, also known as Greenwoods Road) and Connecticut Route 272 (going north–south, with 272N also known as North Street and 272S also known as Litchfield Road). US 44 leads west 7 miles (11 km) to North Canaan and southeast 10 miles (16 km) to Winsted, while CT 272 leads south 15 miles (24 km) to Torrington.

Notable locations
Norfolk Public Library (1888–1889), George Keller, architect

Notable people, past and present
The Alders, built in 1898, designed by Ehrick Rossiter

Notable residents have included:

Nearby Attractions

References
  1. "Census - Geography Profile: Norfolk town, Litchfield County, Connecticut". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  2. Kelly, Michael (2014). "You Say Norfork, I Say Norfolk." Norfolk Now.
  3. https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/cph-2-8.pdf
  4. The Connecticut Magazine: An Illustrated Monthly. Connecticut Magazine Company. 1903. p. 333.
  5. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001), Norfolk town, Litchfield County, Connecticut". American FactFinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  6. "Northern Connecticut prepare for bitter cold winter weather for holiday weekend". fox61.com. January 14, 2022. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  7. Climate Summary for Norfolk, Connecticut, weatherbase.com; accessed January 1, 2015.
  8. "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station:". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  9. "NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS". National Weather Service. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  10. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  11. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  12. Morgan, Barbara (2002). "Kendall, Marie Hartig (1854–1943)". In Commire, Anne (ed.). Women in World History: A Biographical Encyclopedia. Waterford, Connecticut: Yorkin Publications. ISBN 0-7876-4074-3.
  13. "Mrs. Barbara Morgan, 83, Dies; A Specialist in Mental Testing". The New York Times. 1971. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  14. "Seed & Spoon Culinary Farm Stay: A Taste of the Farming Life". Rural Chatter. June 23, 2021. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
  • A. Havemeyer & R. Dance, Alfredo Taylor in Norfolk (Norfolk: Norfolk Hist. Soc., 2005)
  • A. Havemeyer & R. Dance, The Magnificent Battells (Norfolk: Norfolk Hist. Soc., 2006)
  • T.W. Crissey, History of Norfolk, Litchfield County, Connecticut (Everett, MA: Massachusetts Pub. Co., 1900)
  • A.V. Waldecker [ed.], Norfolk, Connecticut 1900–1975 (Norfolk: Norfolk Bicen. Comm., 1976)
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