Stafford, Connecticut

This article is about the town. For the village of Stafford, see Stafford Hollow, Connecticut.

Stafford, Connecticut
—  Town  —
Flag Seal
Location in Tolland County, Connecticut
Coordinates: 41°59′N 72°19′W / 41.983°N 72.317°W / 41.983; -72.317Coordinates: 41°59′N 72°19′W / 41.983°N 72.317°W / 41.983; -72.317
Country	United States
State	Connecticut
NECTA	Hartford
Region	None
Settled	1719
Government
– Type	Selectman-town meeting
– First Selectman	Michael Krol (D)
Area
– Total	58.8 sq mi (152.2 km2)
– Land	58.0 sq mi (150.2 km2)
– Water	0.8 sq mi (2.1 km2)
Elevation	627 ft (191 m)
Population (2000)
– Total	11,307
– Density	195.1/sq mi (75.3/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (UTC-5)
– Summer (DST)	Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code	06076
Area code(s)	860
FIPS code	09-72090
GNIS feature ID	0212349
Website	http://www.staffordct.org

Staffordville Lake

Stafford is a town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States, settled in 1719. The population was 11,307 at the 2000 census.

History

The Colonial Town of Stafford began as a rural agricultural community. The easy availability of water power from the tributaries of the Willimantic River led to industrialization, and this abundance of power helped generate local population growth. By the mid-19th century, Stafford was connected by railroad to markets across New England, and before the State Highway projects of the 1920s and 1930s, the town had a trolley connection to Rockville, CT. During the Civil War, factories in Stafford made cannonballs and other war supplies for the northern forces.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 58.8 square miles (152.2 km²), of which, 58.0 square miles (150.1 km²) of it is land and 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²) of it (1.38%) is water. At 58.8 square miles, Stafford is the 3rd largest town in Connecticut based on area.

Stafford is located at the intersection of Routes 190 and 32, in the northeastern region of the state. The community consists of the downtown area known as Stafford Springs and the more rural villages of Crystal Lake, Ellithorpe, Hydeville, Orcuttsville, Staffordville, Stafford Hollow, Village Hill, and West Stafford.

While the town has managed to maintain its New England mill-town charm and culture, it is rapidly becoming a bedroom commuter town feeding into larger area communities. Many residents drive into Hartford, Manchester, and Enfield, Connecticut, as well as Springfield, Massachusetts, all of which can be reached in about a 30-minute auto commute. It is also about a half-hour drive to the University of Connecticut's ^[1] main campus in Storrs.

Demographics

As of the census^[2] of 2000, there were 11,307 people, 4,353 households, and 3,086 families residing in the town. The population density was 195.1 people per square mile (75.3/km²). There are 4,616 housing units at an average density of 79.6 per square mile (30.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.90% White, 0.64% African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.91% Asian, 0.50% from other races, and 0.80% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.65% of the population.

There were 4,353 households out of which 34.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.3% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.1% were non-families. 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the town the population is spread out with 25.5% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 32.4% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there are 96.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 95.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $52,699, and the median income for a family was $61,694. Males had a median income of $42,157 versus $29,896 for females. The per capita income for the town was $22,017. About 4.3% of families and 5.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.8% of those under the age of 18 and 7.4% of those 65 and older.

Education

Pinney Grammar School, about 1909

At the present time there are three elementary, one middle and one high school in Stafford, in addition to a parochial K-8 school, Saint Edwards School ^[3].

Two of the elementary schools, West Stafford and Staffordville serve children pre-k through first grade;while the third elementary school, Stafford Elementary serves children second grade to fifth.

The school system serving pre-K through 12 has earned an excellent reputation.

Stafford High School ^[4] fields competitive teams in football, basketball, cross country, track, soccer, field hockey, baseball and softball and in more recent years wrestling, as well as offering an active intramural sports program. Each spring the music, arts, and drama departments of the high and middle schools put on plays and musical productions. A variety of extracurricular activities rounds out the school program.

Medical

Johnson Memorial Medical Center ^[5] is a 90-bed acute care facility, located on Route 190 in Stafford, The Hospital offers inpatient and outpatient services, including medical and surgical, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, mental health, intensive/coronary care, oncology, physical rehabilitation and emergency care. The facility was built in 1975. It has an adjoining professional building which houses the practices of area doctors.

Evergreen Health Care Center ^[6] opened in 1989, is a nursing facility located on the hospital campus consisting of 120 long term care beds and a 30-bed sub-acute rehabilitation unit and a 30-bed Memory Support Unit for residents with Alzheimer's Disease. Evergreen and JMH serve several area towns.

Family Birth Suites at the Nirenberg Center ^[7] is a state of the art birthing center featuring six private birthing suites designed to accommodate patients throughout their stay, for labor, delivery, recovery, and postpartum care.

Evergreen, JMH, and the Nirenberg Center serve several area towns.

Stafford hosts offices of a number of physicians, dentists, optometrists, chiropractors, physical therapists and other health professionals. The Stafford Veterinary Center serves the needs of animals, both large and small.

Recreation

The town has several tennis courts, ball fields, soccer fields, and several parks. In addition, there are private hunting and fishing clubs, as well as recreational swimming and tennis clubs. During the spring and summer there is an active Little League program, youth softball, adult softball for men and women, and a summer recreational program offering swimming lessons and martial arts instruction for children. There are programs for youth football, basketball, soccer and hockey.

The Stafford Motor Speedway attracts tens of thousands of spectators every year and is a fixture of spring and summer. There is a small public beach on Staffordville Lake ^[8] which is a summertime destination for many residents. Stafford also has (limited) access to Sandy Beach on Crystal Lake in Ellington. Plans are being developed to provide hiking and multi-use trails within Stafford. There are two bed and breakfasts as well as a few campgrounds (Sun Valley ^[9], Roaring Brook ^[10] and Mineral Springs ^[11]) that provide accommodation for visitors.

Government

Stafford is governed by a Board of Selectmen consisting of three members, elected by town voters on odd years for a two-year term. The town has no charter, but is governed in general by Connecticut General Statutes (laws) and specifically by ordinances voted upon at town meetings.

Stafford is served by the Connecticut State Police through the Resident State Trooper program. The State Police Troop C Barracks is located nearby, just off I-84 in Tolland. There are also full-time and part-time constables that serve with resident troopers. Two volunteer fire departments cover Stafford with strategically located firehouses (West Stafford Fire ^[12], Staffordville Fire #1 ^[13]). The Town also hosts a volunteer ambulance organization ^[14], which serves the area.

The new Stafford Public Library ^[15] continually offers public service programs and unique special events for the community.

A modern sewer plant, constructed in 1972, services approximately one-third of the town, including the commercial and industrial area in the Service District. Curbside pick-up of municipal refuse and recyclables to be recycled is available within the Stafford Springs Service District.

In the Connecticut General Assembly, Stafford is represented by State Rep. Penny Bacchiochi and State Sen. Tony Guglielmo.

Notable residents, past and present

• Jack Arute (1952?-), sports commentator and president Stafford Motor Speedway.
• Penny Bacchiochi (1961?-), current Connecticut House of Representatives legislator was raised in town.
• Moses G. Leonard (1809–1899), US Congressman for New York was born in town.
• Erasmus D. Peck (1808–1876), US Congressman for Ohio was born in town.
• Charles Lewandoski (1985-), Current NASCAR Nationwide Series driver.

References

1. ^ University of Connecticut
2. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
3. ^ Saint Edwards School
4. ^ Stafford High School
5. ^ Johnson Memorial Medical Center
6. ^ Evergreen Health Care Center
7. ^ Family Birth Suites at the Nirenberg Center
8. ^ Staffordville Lake
9. ^ Sun Valley
10. ^ Roaring Brook
11. ^ Mineral Springs
12. ^ West Stafford Fire
13. ^ Staffordville Fire #1
14. ^ http://www.staffordambulance.com
15. ^ http://www.staffordlibrary.org

External links

Connecticut portal

• Town government Web site
• Central Regional Tourism District
• Live Webcam on Routes 190 & 32
• Stafford Public Schools Website
• View of Stafford Springs in 1878