Westport, Connecticut

Westport, Connecticut
—  Town  —

Flag
Location in Fairfield County, Connecticut
Coordinates:
Country United States
State Connecticut
NECTA Bridgeport-Stamford
Region South Western Region
Incorporated 1835
Government
 - Type Representative town meeting
 - First selectman Gordon F. Joseloff
 - Town meeting moderator Hadley C. Rose
Area
 - Total 33.3 sq mi (86.2 km2)
 - Land 20.0 sq mi (51.8 km2)
 - Water 13.3 sq mi (34.5 km2)
Elevation 26 ft (8 m)
Population (2005)[1]
 - Total 26,615
 - Density 1,331/sq mi (514/km2)
Time zone Eastern (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code 06880
Area code(s) 203
FIPS code 09-83500
GNIS feature ID 0213532
Website http://www.westportct.gov/

Westport is a coastal town located on Long Island Sound in Fairfield County, Connecticut, 47 miles north of New York City in the United States. The population was estimated at 26,615 in 2005.[1]

Westport is one of the most affluent communities in the United States and is home to the Westport Country Playhouse, a longtime regional theater, the Levitt Pavilion providing free concerts, an arts council, the Westport Public Library, and a heritage as a former artists' colony.

Contents

Politics

Westport Town Hall on Myrtle Avenue

The town government consists of a three-member Board of Selectmen, a Representative Town Meeting (RTM), a Board of Finance, a Board of Education, a Planning and Zoning Commission, and various other commissions, boards, and committees.

Geography and transportation

According to the United States Census Bureau, Westport has a total area of 33.3 square miles (86.3 km2).20.0 square miles (51.8 km2) or 60.02% of it is land and 13.3 square miles (34.5 km2) or 39.98% is water.

Much of the eastern side of town is considered unusually flat in comparison to the rest of Connecticut.

Westport is bordered by Norwalk on the west, Weston to the north, Wilton to the northwest, Fairfield to the east and Long Island Sound to the south. Interstate 95, the Merritt Parkway and U.S. 1, as well as the Saugatuck River, run through Westport.

Westport has two train stations, Green's Farms and Westport on the Metro-North Railroad's New Haven Line, which serves Stamford and Grand Central Terminal in New York City or New Haven-Union Station. This line is shared with Amtrak trains as it is part of the Northeast Corridor, but no Amtrak services stop at Green's Farms or Westport. The nearest Amtrak stations are at Bridgeport (10 miles) and Stamford (12 miles).

Westport station is the more widely used of the two, even among people living geographically closer to Green's Farms mainly because more trains stop there. The wait for a parking sticker at the Westport station is now nearly four years long.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 26,644 people, 9,586 households, and 7,170 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,286.7 people per square mile (496.8/km²). There were 10,065 housing units at an average density of 503.0/sq mi (194.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.16% White, 1.13% African American, 0.05% Native American, 2.43% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.40% from other races, and 0.81% from two or more races. 2.34% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 9,586 households out of which 38.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.1% were married couples living together, 6.8% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 25.2% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.10.

In the town the population was spread out with 27.9% under the age of 18, 2.7% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 28.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males.

According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the town was $147,391, and the median income for a family was $176,740. As of the 2000 Census, males had a median income of $100,000 versus $53,269 for females. The per capita income for the town was $73,664. 2.6% of the population and 1.5% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 2.7% are under the age of 18 and 2.1% are 65 or older.

Westport was named the fifth top-earning city in the US, with a median family income of $193,540 and median home price of $1,200,000 in July, 2008.[2]

Neighborhoods

Christ Church and rectory, from a postcard sent in 1907

Flooding

A total of 26 percent of town residents live within the 100-year-flood plain, and homes and businesses located near the water can become flooded in extremely intense storms. Many other communities along the Connecticut shoreline have flood-prone areas, but Westport has been cited as an example of a town that has taken more action than others in mitigating the problem.

In one storm on December 11, 1992, when a Nor'easter struck the state, many cars parked at the Westport railroad station were immersed in water. "Very strong easterly gales of 55 mph (89 km/h) created by the storm caused severe coastal flooding in Westport and several other communities," according to the Association of State Floodplain Managers. "The Compo Beach and Saugatuck Shores areas of Westport were especially hard hit with virtually every building in both areas being inundated." [3]

A total of 22 homes were raised higher starting in the mid-1990s with some help from state grants, and the town has taken other flood protection measures, including the installation of 16 combination staff gauges and evacuation signs, as well as the publication of a disaster preparedness brochure. These made Westport "the first community in Connecticut to have an approved Hazard Mitigation Plan" for flooding.[3]

The town also has enacted tough regulations on home renovation and construction in flood-prone areas. Homeowners or businesses that build additions or renovations to their buildings in flood-prone areas must elevate the structure to one foot above the Base Flood Elevation if their renovations or additions exceed 50 percent of the fair market value of the property in any five-year period.[3]

Another flood which hit the town on October 20, 1996, resulted in no damage to the original seven elevated homes, although several dozen others, not elevated, were flooded again. Ideas for preventing more flooding, such as construction of a berm near Compo Beach, were shelved in the mid-1990s, as they were considered too expensive. To this day, employees of the town's Guests Services division of the Parks and Rec office place sandbags along Soundview Drive twice a year to prevent any further flooding.

History

Postcard showing Main Street in 1913
Postcard showing Post Road in 1937
Postcard from 1912 showing Minuteman statue, looking towards historic home(William Scribner ca.1854), still standing
Postcard showing trolley to beach in early 1900's and view with only house in area, today 1 Compo Beach
Postcard from 1920 showing trolley which ran between Compo Beach and the downtown
Postcard from 1912 showing swimmers at Compo Beach
Historical
population
of Westport
[1]
1840 1,803
1850 2,651
1860 3,293
1870 3,361
1880 3,477
1890 3,715
1900 4,017
1910 4,259
1920 5,114
1930 6,073
1940 8,258
1950 11,667
1960 20,955
1970 27,318
1980 25,290
1990 24,410
2000 25,749
2005 26,615

Although colonists settled along the Saugatuck River in 1639, Westport was officially incorporated as a town in 1835 with land taken from Fairfield, Weston and Norwalk. For several decades after that, Westport was a prosperous agricultural community, which distinguished itself as the nation's leading onion-growing center. Westport's Compo Beach was the site of a British expeditionary force's landing, in which about 2,000 British soldiers marched to Danbury and razed it, resulting in the Battle of Ridgefield. They were attacked on the way and attacked upon landing by Minutemen from Westport and the surrounding areas. A statue of a Minuteman, rifle in hand, is located near Compo Beach. The statue has its back towards the beach to symbolize the Minutemen's strategy of waiting for the British to land and then attacking them from behind.

It wasn't until after the turn of the century that Westport gained the reputation as artist's colony and cultural center. While Westport still retains its cultural roots, the town is no longer an artist's colony. Despite the small-town charm, Westport is a thriving business center and home to approximately 15 corporate headquarters and more than 660 retailers.

Timeline

Twenty-first century

On September 11, 2001, two Westport residents were killed in the terrorist attacks of that day: Jonathan J. Uman, 33, and Bradley H. Vadas, 37. Both were in the World Trade Center.[4] The state's 9/11 memorial was put in Sherwood Island State Park in Westport.

On the National Register of Historic Places

Education

Westport Public Schools

Total enrollment in Westport Public Schools as of October 1, 2005 was 5,492 students. All schools have their own Web sites, each of which is a subdomain of westport.k12.ct.us.

Staples High School, Westport's only public high school, was ranked by Newsweek magazine in 2005 as 452nd on a list of the best 1,000 high schools in the country[6] (Grades 9 to 12) with 1,800 students. In the 2008-2009 school year Staples was also ranked the #1 school in Connecticut by Connecticut Magazine.[7] In September 2009, Bedford Middle School was awarded the government-honored Blue Ribbon Award. [2]

The district has two middle schools (Grades 6 to 8) – Bedford Middle School and Coleytown Middle School – with a total of 1,321 students.

There are five elementary schools (Kindergarten to Grade 5) with a total of 2,556 students:

Students of Long Lots, Saugatuck, and Greens Farms elementary schools generally graduate into Bedford Middle School, and Coleytown Elementary and King's Highway Elementary usually feed into Coleytown Middle School. Students of Bedford and Coleytown Middle School will go to Staples High School

There are a number of preschools in Westport, including Stepping Stones Pre-school, Greens Farms Nursery School, Saugatuck Nursery School and Earthplace Nursery School.

For the 2009-10 fiscal year, the school district's adopted budget is $110.6 million.[13]

The school district had an estimated $109.1 million budget for the 2009-10 fiscal year, giving it an average per pupil expenditure of $16,266.[14] The average class size in the school system as a whole was 21 students.

Former schools

Former public schools in Westport include Burr Farms Elementary School, which has been torn down, Bedford Elementary School, which is now the site of Westport Town Hall, and Hillspoint Elementary School, which now houses several nursery schools. The original Staples High School building was torn down and replaced by the former Bedford Junior High School, which is now the current Saugatuck Elementary School. The current Bedford Middle School, located adjacent to Staples High School on North Avenue, opened 2001. The current Long Lots Elementary School was originally a junior high school.

Private education

Attractions

Mother Bear and Cubs, at Earthplace, Westport, Connecticut

Theater & Culture

Westport is known for its excellent theatrical opportunities for both the audience and for the performer.

Recreation

Compo Beach is the town's main municipal beach on Long Island Sound. The 29 acre park includes bathhouses, a boardwalk and pavilion, playing fields, a playground, a concession stand, a marina and a boat launch area. The 2 acre Burying Hill Beach features a restroom, changing area and picnic tables. Out-of-town visitors can purchase a day pass for either beach.

The 169 acre Longshore Club Park includes the town’s golf course, public swimming pools, tennis courts, a marina, and an outdoor ice rink in the winter. The private Longshore Sailing School rents sailboats, kayaks and canoes.

Winslow Park is located at the intersection of the Post Road and North Compo Road. The north part of the park features an off-leash section for walking dogs.

Famous Places and Events of Westport

Media

Economy

At one point Business Express Airlines had its headquarters in Westport.[16]

Notable people past and present

For a much longer list, see: List of people from Westport, Connecticut

Among the many famous actors, singers and other entertainers who have lived in town is Paul Newman (until his death in 2008).[17] Fala (1940–1952), President Franklin D. Roosevelt's dog, was an early Christmas gift from Mrs. Augustus G. Kellogg, a town resident. Actress Gene Tierney grew up in Greens Farms.

Movies filmed in Westport

The following films have at least partially been filmed in Westport.[18]

Prominent companies

Significant nonprofit institutions

Major Clubs and Service Organizations

Sister cities

Westport currently has four sister cities:

For further reading

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates
  2. CNN
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Floods.org a page on the Web site of the Association of State Floodplain Managers accessed on July 4, 2006.
  4. Associated Press listing as it appeared in The Advocate of Stamford on September 12, 2006 ("State residents killed on September 11, 2001"), page A4
  5. Westport Historical Socierty
  6. Msn.com Web page listing high schools in Newsweek survey, accessed September 5, 2006
  7. WestportNow WestportNow article about Connecticut Magazine cover, accessed July 19, 2010
  8. Coleytown Elementary School
  9. King's Highway Elementary School
  10. Green's Farms Elementary School
  11. Saugatuck Elementary School
  12. Long Lots Elementary School
  13. WestportCT.gov Westport 2010-2011 Fiscal Year Budget
  14. Westport School District General information about the district incl. number of enrolled students
  15. Westport Arts Center
  16. "Business Express plans to go Public." The Buffalo News. April 4, 1992. Retrieved on May 31, 2009.
  17. Harmetz, Aljean (September 28, 2008). "Paul Newman, a Magnetic Titan of Hollywood, Is Dead at 83". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/28/movies/28newman.html. Retrieved April 6, 2010. 
  18. http://www.imdb.com/search/title?endings=on&&locations=Westport,+Connecticut,+USA
  19. Internet Movie DataBase Web site's page for Saugatuck, Connecticut, accessed on July 2, 2006
  20. Westport Weston Family Y
  21. Westport Sunrise Rotary
  22. Westport Young Woman's League
  23. Westport Woman's Club
  24. League of Women Voters

External links