Ashford, Connecticut

Ashford is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States.[2] The town is part of the Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region. The population was 4,191 at the 2020 census.[3] It was founded in 1714. Eastford was a part of Ashford until 1847, when the former split off to organize its own town.[4] For this reason North Ashford is located in northeast Eastford.

Ashford, Connecticut
Town
Center of town in 1838
Center of town in 1838
Official seal of Ashford, Connecticut
Seal
Ashford's location within Windham County and Connecticut
Coordinates: 41°53′N 72°10′W
Country United States
U.S. state Connecticut
CountyWindham
RegionNortheastern CT
Incorporated1714
Government
 • TypeSelectman-Town meeting
 • First SelectmanWilliam R. Falletti (R)
 • SelectmanCathryn E. Silver-Smith (D)
 • SelectmanRoger T. Phillips (R)
Area
 • Total102.3 km2 (39.5 sq mi)
 • Land100.5 km2 (38.8 sq mi)
 • Water1.8 km2 (0.7 sq mi)
Elevation
213 m (699 ft)
Population
 (2020)[1]
 • Total4,191
 • Density41/km2 (110/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (Eastern)
ZIP code
06278
Area code(s)860/959
FIPS code09-01430
GNIS feature ID212409[2]
Major highways
WebsiteOfficial website

Ashford is home to the largest boy scout camp in Connecticut, the June Norcross Webster Scout Reservation; to Paul Newman's Hole in the Wall Gang Camp for children with cancer and other serious illness; to the Salvation Army CONNRI Lodge and Conference Center;[5] and to the Evangelical Christian Center, a retreat, camp and conference center.[6]

History

President George Washington, returning from his tour of the country in the fall of 1789, was chagrined to be involuntarily abandoned in the village on a Sunday. It was contrary to law to hire a conveyance on that day, which was observed by villagers, to Washington's great annoyance.[7]

New Ashford in Massachusetts is named after Ashford, as it was settled in 1762 by people from Ashford.

On July 17, 2018, an EF0 tornado—the first tornado to touch down in Windham County since 1992—struck Ashford Lake and the surrounding neighborhoods, downing trees, damaging homes, and killing three household rabbits.[8]

National Register of Historic Places listings

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 39.5 square miles (102 km2), of which, 38.8 square miles (100 km2) of it is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km2) of it (1.80%) is water. The Mount Hope River flows through the middle of the town, from north to south, while Bigelow Brook flows along the town's eastern border with Eastford. Ashford has several lakes and ponds, notably Ashford Lake, Lake Chaffee, Knowlton Pond, Rychlings Pond, Halls Pond, Poole Pond (Also known as Pearson Pond),[9] and Morey Pond. The community of Lake Chaffee surrounds the lake of the same name.

Boston Hollow, a deep ravine, is located in Ashford, in the Yale-Myers Forest. Parts of Natchaug State Forest and Nipmuck State Forest are also located in Ashford, and both the Natchaug Trail and the Nipmuck Trail runs through the town. Joshua's Tract Conservation and Historic Trust has several nature preserved in town. Snow Hill located in the northwest corner of the town, is the highest point in Windham County at 1,210 feet.

Flora and fauna
Ashford Oak

Ashford is located in the northeastern coastal forests, which is a temperate broadleaf and mixed forest ecoregion. Ashford is home to the Yale-Myers Forest, which is used by the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies for scientific research and education. The most famous tree in town is the Ashford Oak, a very large and old Northern Red Oak with a trunk that is 8 meters in circumference.

The last recorded sighting of periodic cicadas belonging to Brood XI of the 17-year variety occurred in Ashford in 1954 along the Fenton River.

Demographics
See also: List of Connecticut locations by per capita income
Historical population
YearPop.±%
18302,661—    
18402,651−0.4%
18501,295−51.2%
18601,231−4.9%
18701,241+0.8%
18801,041−16.1%
1890778−25.3%
1900757−2.7%
1910668−11.8%
1920673+0.7%
1930726+7.9%
1940704−3.0%
1950845+20.0%
19601,315+55.6%
19702,156+64.0%
19803,221+49.4%
19903,765+16.9%
20004,098+8.8%
20104,317+5.3%
20204,191−2.9%
Source:

As of 2010 Ashford had a population of 4,317. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 94.1% white, 1.0% black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 1.3% Asian, 1.1% from some other race, 2.1% from two or more races and 3.5% Hispanic or Latino of any race.[10]

As of the census[11] of 2000, there were 4,098 people, 1,578 households, and 1,084 families residing in the town. The population density was 105.6 inhabitants per square mile (40.8/km2). There were 1,699 housing units at an average density of 43.8 per square mile (16.9/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 95.71% White, 1.00% African American, 0.27% Native American, 1.02% Asian, 0.44% from other races, and 1.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.00% of the population.

There were 1,578 households, out of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.5% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were non-families. 20.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.6% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $55,000, and the median income for a family was $61,693. Males had a median income of $42,117 versus $31,942 for females. The per capita income for the town was $26,104. About 3.4% of families and 5.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.1% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.

Politics
Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 29, 2019[12]
Party Active voters Inactive voters Total voters Percentage
Democratic 964 79 1,043 34.12%
Republican 625 47 672 21.98%
Unaffiliated 1,126 176 1,302 42.60%
Minor Parties 32 7 39 1.27%
Total 2,747 309 3,056 100%

The town of Ashford is heavily Democratic and has been since the 1930s. Ashford was one of only 8 towns in Connecticut that voted for George McGovern over Richard Nixon in the 1972 election. In recent elections, Ashford has become one of the few remaining blue towns in Windham County, which has shifted rightward at the federal level.[13] In 2016, Ashford was one of only 3 Windham County towns, along with Windham and Pomfret, to back Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump, albeit with a plurality.[14] In 2020, Joe Biden increased the Democratic vote total in the town while the county at large stayed red.[15]

Presidential Election Results[16][17]
Year Democratic Republican Third Parties
2020 52.3% 1,330 45.6% 1,160 2.1% 54
2016 47.8% 1,112 44.8% 1,042 7.4% 171
2012 61.3% 1,331 36.9% 803 1.8% 39
2008 61.4% 1,422 36.1% 837 2.5% 58
2004 57.0% 1,311 40.7% 937 2.3% 54
2000 53.4% 1,093 36.0% 737 10.6% 216
1996 50.5% 977 28.9% 559 20.6% 398
1992 44.9% 918 25.3% 519 29.8% 611
1988 55.0% 921 43.7% 731 1.3% 21
1984 43.1% 685 56.1% 891 0.8% 13
1980 44.3% 638 35.4% 510 20.3% 292
1976 56.6% 768 42.5% 577 0.9% 13
1972 56.6% 708 42.5% 532 0.9% 12
1968 47.8% 373 42.6% 333 9.6% 75
1964 68.6% 472 31.4% 216 0.00% 0
1960 55.5% 374 44.5% 300 0.00% 0
1956 47.8% 287 52.2% 314 0.00% 0

Religion
United Baptist Church in the Warrenville section of Ashford

Several churches exist in Ashford. They include the St Philip-Apostle Church (Catholic), Living Proof Church (formerly United Baptist Church of Ashford), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Westford Congregational Church.

Education

Elementary and middle school-aged residents attend Ashford School, the town's only school, built in 1951 to replace the old Ashford Academy schoolhouse. This school educates students from Pre-K through grade eight. In February 1979, the town's board of education considered closing the school in response to a budget crisis.[18] [19]

High school-aged residents may attend E. O. Smith High School in Mansfield, CT, part of Regional School District 19. They also can go to Windham Technical High School, ACT. and Ellis Technical High School.

Notable people

References
  1. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved November 7, 2020.
  2. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Ashford
  3. "Census - Geography Profile: Ashford town, Windham County, Connecticut". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 25, 2021.
  4. Ashford 1714-1989, Moments from History, p69-70
  5. "Salvation Army CONNRI Lodge and Conference Center". Archived from the original on October 30, 2015. Retrieved October 25, 2015.
  6. "Evangelical Christian Center Web Site". Retrieved October 25, 2015.
  7. Flexner, James Thomas (1984). Washington, The Indispensable Man. New York City: Signet Books. pp. 229. ISBN 0-451-12890-7.
  8. Rondinone, Nicholas; Dempsey, Christine (July 18, 2018). "Weather Service Confirms Tornado Touched Down In Eastern Connecticut". The Hartford Courant. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  9. "Pearson Pond | Hole in the Wall Gang | the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp".
  10. 2010 race and Hispanic or Latino by place chart for Connecticut from the US Census
  11. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  12. "Registration and Party Enrollment Statistics as of October 29, 2019" (PDF). Connecticut Secretary of State. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  13. https://authoring.ct.gov//SOTS/Election-Services/Statement-Of-Vote-PDFs/General-Elections-Statement-of-Vote-1922
  14. https://authoring.ct.gov/-/media/SOTS/ElectionServices/StatementOfVote_PDFs/2016StatementofVotepdf.pdf
  15. https://authoring.ct.gov/-/media/SOTS/ElectionServices/StatementOfVote_PDFs/2020-SOV.pdf
  16. "General Election Statements of Vote, 1922 – Current". CT Secretary of State. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  17. "Election Night Reporting". CT Secretary of State. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  18. The Hartford Courant, Hartford, Conn. Feb 8, 1979, page 46. by Mark McGrath. "Board May Close Ashford
  19. The New York Times, Saturday, February 10, 1979, Page 24. "Connecticut Town to Close School in Budget Indecision; Children Seem Unconcerned" by Matthew L. Wald
  20. "Emeline Horton Cleveland". Encyclopædia Britannica.
  21. "Cleveland, Emeline Horton (1829–1878)". Encyclopedia,com. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  22. Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who. 1963.
  23. Puckett, Linda (2013). Post. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing. p. 14. ISBN 978-0-7385-9630-3.
  24. Staff. "Mystery Plot: Whodunit in Newark?", The New York Times, August 26, 1994. Accessed February 6, 2012. "Ms. Wilson Wesley grew up in Ashford, Conn., and now lives in Montclair, N.J., with her husband and two daughters. But she lived in nearby East Orange in the early 1970s, and Tamara's yellow-and-green Cape Cod is modeled on her old house."
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