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This article covers the colonial and revolutionary history, the economic history, Savin Rock Park, and the 20th century history of West Haven, Connecticut.
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This article covers the colonial and revolutionary history, the economic history, Savin Rock Park, and the 20th century history of West Haven, Connecticut.
The Quinnipiac, Pequot, and Mohegan Native American tribes spent summers near the West Haven green and Morse Park, and as far inland as Maltby Lakes. Before New Haven was colonized in 1638 by five hundred settlers following Reverend John Davenport from the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Dutch trader Adriaen Block noted the high mounds of oyster shells along the shoreline while exploring in 1614. [1]
Settled in 1648, West Haven (then known as West Farms) was a part of the original New Haven Colony. [2] The historic crossing of the West River by horse bridge is commemorated in the 1938 mural, "Fording of the West River to Settle West Haven", in the main post office. [1] [3]
Colonists built both a Congregational meeting house and, in the early 18th century, Christ Episcopal Church, one of the first Episcopal churches in New England. The church was started with the help of Yale College and constructed next door to the meeting house. [1] The Congregational meeting house was the site for all town records, government, events, and housed the first public library in the state of Connecticut. [3]
In 1719, the hamlet separated from the Orange parish as West Haven.
In 1779 the British attacked New Haven Harbor and came ashore in West Haven. Thomas Painter, a militiaman watching for British ships from atop Savin Rock, is depicted on the city seal. The main commercial street, Campbell Avenue, is named for British Adjutant William Campbell, who stopped to help a minister who had been wounded, saving him from being killed, supposedly saying "We make war on soldiers, not civilians" Campbell himself was killed later that day (July 5, 1779) on Allingtown Hill. [4] Campbell is buried in the Allingtown section.
| Historical population of West Haven [5] | |
| 1930 | 25,808 |
| 1940 | 30,021 |
| 1950 | 32,010 |
| 1960 | 43,002 |
| 1970 | 52,851 |
| 1980 | 53,184 |
| 1990 | 54,021 |
| 2000 | 52,360 |
| 2002 | 52,733 (est.)] [6] |
From colonial times until at least World War II, West Haven was heavily involved in shipping. Ships from West Haven sailed to the West Indies and South America for spices, silks, rum, sugar and similar items in return for local timber. More than 35 ship owners, ship builders, masters and captains from West Haven have been identified with that trade. Tall-masted trade ships were built in town by Scandinavian boat builders, and in World War II, pontoon craft and light weight Chris Craft were built in the community. [3]
Industry was also a major part of the local economy, starting with the West Haven and American Buckle Shops, which produced buckles, buttons, clips, and braces during the American Civil War. These factories were later joined by piano and organ companies. During World War II, Armstrong Rubber Company manufactured tires and rafts for the military. [3]
Savin Rock became a popular vacation spot by the 1870s, when ferries and horse-drawn cars from New Haven created easier access to the site. The New Haven Harbor beachside resort had a playground and carousel. [7] Savin Rock Amusement Park thrived in the 1940s and '50s and was closed in the 1960s. One of the last reminders of the area is Jimmies of Savin Rock, a restaurant known for its seafood and split hot dogs.
West Haven and North Milford joined to become Orange (incorporated as a town in 1822). In 1921, West Haven split from Orange to become a separate town. It was incorporated as a city in 1961 and is known as "Connecticut's Youngest City." [8]
In 1927, Lender's Beigel Bakery was founded in the city by Polish immigrant Harry Lender. His customers were primarily Jewish delicatessens in New York City. Lender's sons, Murray and Marvin, later ran the business, specializing in "flash-frozen" bagels, a process that allowed the bagels to be sold nationwide. The business had grown to 600 employees by 1984, when it was sold to Kraft Foods.
West Haven has a mayor-City Council form of government. John M. Picard, the city's tenth mayor, was elected in 2005. There are three independent fire districts served by the West Haven, West Shore and Allingtown fire departments.
East Haven is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 27,923. The town is located 3 miles (5 km) east of New Haven, and is part of the South Central Connecticut Planning Region. East Haven is 35 miles (56 km) from Hartford, 82 miles (132 km) from New York City, 99 miles (159 km) from Providence, Rhode Island, and 140 miles (230 km) from Boston.
Orange is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the South Central Connecticut Planning Region. The population was 14,280 at the 2020 census. The town is governed by a Board of Selectmen.
West Haven is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, located on the coast of Long Island Sound. The city is part of the South Central Connecticut Planning Region. At the 2020 census, the population of the city was 55,584.
Ithiel Town was an American architect and civil engineer. One of the first generation of professional architects in the United States, Town made significant contributions to American architecture in the first half of the 19th century. His work, in the Federal and revivalist Greek and Gothic revival architectural styles, was influential and widely copied.
The New Haven Colony was a small English colony in Connecticut from 1638 to 1664, with outposts in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.
East Rock is a neighborhood in the city of New Haven, Connecticut, named for nearby East Rock, a prominent trap rock ridge. The area is home to a large group of Yale students, staff, and faculty, as well as many young professionals and families. Writing in the Times Literary Supplement, Hirsh Sawhney describes East Rock as a "yuppie enclave", which is "increasingly composed of wealthy professionals and graduate students, most of whom are affiliated with Yale University, whose lavish campus lies just over a mile away" East Rock is also a popular destination for cyclists, as a city bike lane runs along Orange Street, the neighborhood's spine. East Rock is the safest neighborhood in New Haven County. East Rock is home to East Rock Park, which is frequently visited by families and tourists.
Lender's Bagels is a brand of bagels that pioneered the pre-packaged bagel industry in the United States. Established in 1927 in New Haven, Connecticut, by the Lender family, it became a North American leader in the marketing, distribution and sales of bagels. Lender's introduced frozen bagels and sold the first packaged bagels in supermarkets, eventually becoming the world's biggest bagel producer. The company was sold to Kraft Foods in 1984. In 2003, it became part of Pinnacle Foods. In 1994 it began production of room-temperature fresh bagels. In 2012, Lender's revenue was about $70 million.
Cos Cob is a neighborhood and census-designated place in the town of Greenwich, Connecticut, United States. It is located on the Connecticut shoreline in southern Fairfield County. It had a population of 6,873 at the 2020 census.
The history of Norwalk, Connecticut ranges from pre-contact cultures and Native Americans to the 21st century.
Green's Farms is the oldest neighborhood in the town of Westport in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It was first listed as a census-designated place at the 2020 census.
Cedar Hill is a neighborhood in New Haven, Connecticut. It includes portions of the city-designated neighborhoods of East Rock, Quinnipiac Meadows, and Mill River. Cedar Hill was named for cedar trees that were once plentiful there in 1665. The area was divided from the local surroundings by the construction of I-91 in the 1960s. Cedar Hill's boundary runs from James Street, up the Mill River, to Rice Field, over Indian Head Rock, to the Hamden town line, across to Middletown Avenue, to the Eastern side of State Street, back up to James Street.
David Hoadley was an American architect who worked in New Haven and Middlesex counties in Connecticut.
Mill Hill Historic Park in Norwalk, Connecticut, is a living history museum composed of three buildings: the circa 1740 Governor Thomas Fitch IV "law office", the c. 1826 Downtown District Schoolhouse, and the 1835 Norwalk Town Hall; as well as a historic cemetery also called the Town House Hill Cemetery. The museum is also known as the Mill Hill Historical Complex in some references and the sign at the parking lot reads Norwalk Mill Hill Museum.
West Haven Green is the town green of the New England town of West Haven, Connecticut. The green is bordered by Church Street on the south, Savin Avenue on the west, Main Street on the north and Campbell Avenue on the east. The green and surrounding buildings are part of the West Haven Green Historic District.
Tryon's Raid occurred in July 1779, during the American Revolutionary War, in which 2700 men, led by British Major General William Tryon, raided the Connecticut ports of New Haven, Fairfield, and Norwalk. They destroyed military and public stores, supply houses, and ships as well as private homes, churches, and other public buildings. The raids were ineffectually resisted by militia forces.
Portland is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region. The population was 9,384 at the 2020 census. The town center is listed as a census-designated place (CDP). It is situated across the Connecticut River from Middletown.
Savin Rock was an American amusement park in West Haven, Connecticut. It was previously called The White City and was established in the 1870s. The park included a number of roller coasters, other rides and numerous funhouses.
Sidney Mason Stone was a prominent Connecticut architect and builder known for designs of churches, institutional buildings and residences. His creations incorporated Greek Revival, Romanesque, Gothic, Italianate and other styles popular in the 19th century. He served in several civic capacities in the city of New Haven and statewide and as mentor to Yale students prior to the establishment of that university's School of Architecture. He was the father of Harriet Mulford Stone, better known to readers of children's literature as Margaret Sidney, creator of the Five Little Peppers series.
The Burning of Fairfield refers to the action of the American Revolutionary War at Fairfield, Connecticut on July 7, 1779 after a British landing force under the command of General William Tryon attacked the town, engaged and dispersed its militia forces, and burned down the vast majority of its buildings. Much of the action took place in areas that are now part of Bridgeport, Southport, and Westport.
Mount Carmel is a neighborhood in the northeastern portion of the town of Hamden, Connecticut. It was the site of the first meeting house in what is now Hamden. Its founders named the area due to the resemblance of a range of hills nearby to the Mount Carmel mentioned in the Bible. The hills are better known today as the Sleeping Giant, site of a large state park known for its system of hiking trails. The neighborhood also contains the principal campus of Quinnipiac University. It is primarily residential with single-family homes. Commercial development is mostly along its principal street, Whitney Avenue.