| Bolton, Connecticut | |
| Settlement Type: | Town |
| Motto: | "A Town for All Seasons" |
| Coordinates: | 41.7642°N -72.4375°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | U.S. state |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Tolland |
| Subdivision Type3: | Region |
| Subdivision Name3: | Capitol Region |
| Established Title: | Incorporated |
| Established Date: | 1720 |
| Government Type: | Selectman-town meeting |
| Leader Title: | First selectman |
| Leader Name: | Pam Sawyer (R) |
| Leader Title1: | Selectmen |
| Leader Name1: | Robert R. Morra (R) Michael W. Eremita (R) Kimberly A. Miller (D) Nicole Sullivan (D) |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Total Km2: | 38.1 |
| Area Land Km2: | 37.3 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.8 |
| Elevation M: | 222 |
| Elevation Ft: | 728 |
| Population Footnotes: | [1] |
| Population Total: | 4858 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone: | Eastern |
| Utc Offset: | -5 |
| Timezone Dst: | Eastern |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -4 |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP Code |
| Postal Code: | 06043 |
| Area Code: | 860/959 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 09-06260 |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 0213393 |
| Blank3 Name: | List of auxiliary Interstate Highways |
| Blank4 Name: | U.S. Highways |
| Blank5 Name: | State Routes |
Bolton is a small rural town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 4,858 as of the 2020 census.[2] Bolton was incorporated in October 1720 and is governed by town meeting, with a first selectman and board of selectman as well as other boards serving specific functions. Bolton was named after a town of the same name in England, also located near Manchester.[3]
Originally part of the town of Hartford, the area was referred to as Hartford Mountains or Hanover, until incorporation in October 1720. On November 11, 1723, Jonathan Edwards was installed as the pastor of Bolton.[4]
Bolton was known for its high quality schist stone in the 18th century, and many tombstone carvers such as Gershom Bartlett and Jonathan Loomis sourced their stone from Bolton quarries.
Bolton was removed from Hartford County when Tolland County was originally formed on October 13, 1785. The northern half of Bolton was set aside in 1808 to form the town of Vernon. Quarries played a significant role in the area's developing economy, and Bolton Notch became the location of the small community of Quarryville. Prior to the railroad, granite was taken by oxcart to the Connecticut River where it was then shipped to major cities on the East Coast.
The Bolton historical society has been actively purchasing sites throughout the town in their effort to preserve the town's history and rural character. The most recent of these purchases was Rose's Farm, a several hundred-acre site where the Comte de Rochambeau camped with his troops.
Bolton has several restrictive ordinances designed to protect high housing prices for existing homeowners and to restrict new construction. Ordinances protecting existing businesses from competition also exist, such as those limiting the types and number of businesses. There is also a requirement that all new residential lots be no smaller than one acre, further keeping house prices artificially higher than they otherwise would likely be. The town features numerous parks, open spaces and trails.[5]
Interstate 84 was originally planned to cut through the town on its way to Providence, going through Bolton Notch and the Hop River valley. Due to environmental concerns in both Rhode Island and in the Hop River valley, the highway would be cancelled in 1983. The segment that was built beforehand in the northwestern section of town, from CT 85 to US 6/US 44 would be redesignated at Interstate 384.[6] [7]
Bolton today is primarily residential with an economy made up mostly of small businesses. It is part of the Greater Hartford metro and contains many suburban homes, especially in its western side.
Bolton, like much of Tolland County, straddles the humid continental climate (Dfa) and (Dfb) line.
Bolton High School is a public school with about two to three hundred students. It underwent major renovations and expansion during 2011, including a new outdoor seating area for the cafeteria, a larger and more technologically advanced library, computer labs and media center, and a new science wing and larger administrative offices. Several other improvements were made including parking, bus lanes and the board of education offices being moved to the location.
The school has a student-teacher ratio of about 12:1 and a combined math and reading proficiency level of 92.5%.[8] U.S. News & World Report ranked it #27 in Connecticut and #1030 in the United States, and it earned a Silver Award in 2012.[9]
Bolton High is affiliated with the NCCC athletic conference.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 14.7sqmi, of which 14.4sqmi is land and 0.3sqmi (1.91%) is water. This includes the Bolton Green Historic District and may include land owned or leased by the State of Connecticut and the U.S. federal government. Bolton does not have any unincorporated land .
See also: List of Connecticut locations by per capita income. As of the census of 2010, there were 4,980 people, 1,915 households, and 1,438 families residing in the town.[10] The town's residents are primarily middle-class, with some working class and upper middle-class families/individuals and small businesses. There are also a few larger commercial entities, notably the Simoniz corporation, specializing in automotive and car wash cleaning supplies.
The population density in 2010 was 346 people per square mile (133.5/km). There were 2,015 housing units in the town, of which 100, or 5.0%, were vacant. 86.7% of the occupied units are owned and 13.3% are rented.[10]
The racial makeup of the town was 95.7% White, 1.1% African American, 0.1% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 0.2% some other race, and 1.5% two or more races. 3.00% of the population identified as Latino or Hispanic of any race (the US Census Bureau does not consider Latino a race).[10]
The median age in 2010 was 45.4. 49.4% of the population were male and 50.6% female.[10]
For the period 2012–2016, the estimated median household income was $91,087, and the median family income was $118,958. About 3.2% of the population are living below the poverty line.[11]
| Voter registration and party enrollment [12] | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Active voters | Inactive voters | Total voters | Percentage | ||||||
| Democratic | align = center | 1,047 | align = center | 68 | align = center | 1,115 | align = center | 29.84% | ||
| Republican | align = center | 975 | align = center | 63 | align = center | 1,038 | align = center | 27.78% | ||
| Unaffiliated | align = center | 1,408 | align = center | 109 | align = center | 1,517 | align = center | 40.60% | ||
| Minor Parties | align = center | 59 | align = center | 7 | align = center | 66 | align = center | 1.76% | ||
| Total | align = center | 3,489 | align = center | 247 | align = center | 3,736 | align = center | 100% | ||
| Presidential Election Results[13] [14] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Democratic | Republican | Third Parties | |
| 2020 | 52.5% 1,727 | 45.1% 1,482 | 2.4% 79 | |
| 2016 | 46.4% 1,385 | 48.0% 1,436 | 5.6% 169 | |
| 2012 | 49.24% 1,433 | 49.26% 1,434 | 1.5% 44 | |
| 2008 | 55.7% 1,692 | 42.6% 1,300 | 1.7% 54 | |
| 2004 | 50.5% 1,542 | 47.7% 1,459 | 1.8% 56 | |
| 2000 | 49.3% 1,368 | 45.0% 1,210 | 5.7% 159 | |
| 1996 | 47.6% 1,210 | 37.9% 964 | 14.5% 369 | |
| 1992 | 36.7% 1,023 | 34.9% 976 | 28.4% 792 | |
| 1988 | 42.7% 972 | 55.9% 1,278 | 1.4% 33 | |
| 1984 | 32.8% 699 | 66.9% 1,430 | 0.3% 8 | |
| 1980 | 33.5% 665 | 48.5% 964 | 18.0% 359 | |
| 1976 | 42.5% 817 | 57.0% 1,097 | 0.5% 10 | |
| 1972 | 35.1% 668 | 64.2% 1,226 | 0.7% 15 | |
| 1968 | 38.8% 630 | 55.4% 904 | 5.8% 96 | |
| 1964 | 59.5% 859 | 40.5% 586 | 0.00% 0 | |
| 1960 | 37.3% 524 | 62.7% 880 | 0.00% 0 | |
| 1956 | 26.0% 311 | 74.0% 888 | 0.00% 0 | |