Darien, Connecticut Explained

Darien, Connecticut
Settlement Type:Town
Established Title:Incorporated
Established Date:1820
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:U.S. state
Subdivision Name1:Connecticut
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Fairfield
Subdivision Type3:Region
Subdivision Name3:Western CT
Government Type:Representative town meeting
Leader Title:First selectman
Leader Name:Jon Zagrodzky (R)
Leader Title1:Selectmen
Leader Name1:Michael Burke (D)
Marcy Minnick (R)
Monica McNally (R)
Sarah Neumann (D)
[1]
Unit Pref:Imperial
Area Water Km2:27.4
Area Total Sq Mi:23.4
Area Total Km2:60.6
Area Land Km2:33.4
Area Land Sq Mi:12.9
Population As Of:2020
Population Total:21499
Population Density Sq Mi:1666.6
Timezone:Eastern
Utc Offset:−5
Timezone Dst:Eastern
Utc Offset Dst:−4
Area Water Sq Mi:10.6
Elevation M:16
Elevation Ft:52
Coordinates:41.0511°N -73.4792°W
Postal Code Type:ZIP Code
Postal Code:06820
Area Code:203/475
Blank Name:FIPS code
Blank Info:09-18850
Blank1 Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank1 Info:0213416

Darien is a coastal town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. With a population of 21,499 and a land area of just under 13sqmi, it is the smallest town on Connecticut's Gold Coast.[2]

Situated on the Long Island Sound between the cities of Stamford and Norwalk, Darien is a commuter town for New York City.[3] There are two railroad stations in Darien, Noroton Heights and Darien, linking the town to Grand Central Terminal.

History

See main article: History of Darien, Connecticut. According to early records, the first clearings of land were made by men from the New Haven and Wethersfield colonies and from Norwalk in about 1641. It was not until 1739, however, that the Middlesex Society of the Town of Stamford built the first community church, now the First Congregational Church of Darien, which stands on the original site at the corner of Brookside Road and the Boston Post Road.[4]

Tories raided the town several times during the American Revolution; at one point, they took 26 men in the parish prisoner for five months, including the Reverend Moses Mather, pastor of the parish. The Loyalist-Patriot conflict in Darien is the setting for the novel Tory Hole, the first book by children's author Louise Hall Tharp. Middlesex Parish was incorporated as the Town of Darien in 1820.

According to the Darien Historical Society,[5] the name Darien was decided upon when the residents of the town could not agree on a name to replace Middlesex Parish, many families wanting it to be named after themselves. Some proposed naming the town "Belleville" in honor of Thaddeus Bell, a veteran of the revolutionary war. He apparently rejected the honor while supporting the Darien option.[6] A sailor who had traveled to Isthmus of Darien,[7] then part of the Spanish Empire, suggested the name Darien, which was eventually adopted by the people of the town. The town name is pronounced (like "Dairy-Ann"), with stress on the last syllable, and has been referred to as such at least as far back as 1913.[8]

It is a common misconception to pronounce the town name as "Dairy-Anne".[9] Darien was mostly white Protestant through the middle of the twentieth century,[10] but by the twenty-first century it had become a multi-ethnic town with residents of many religions and backgrounds. One of seven households report speaking a language other than English at home. The town's exclusive policies in the early 20th century were similar to other segregated suburbs of the time, including Beverly Hills, California, and Tuxedo Park, New York.[11] There were events involving anti-Black racism and anti-Semitism in the 1930s and 1940s, with Darien being a prototypical sundown town.[12]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of, of which is land and, or 13.41%, is water.

Darien is bordered on the west by Stamford, on the north by New Canaan, and on the east by Norwalk. On the south it faces Long Island Sound and the North Shore of Long Island. It is part of the Connecticut panhandle jutting into New York state. Highways include Interstate 95. It also has two Metro-North Railroad stations for commuter trains into New York City, Noroton Heights and Darien.

Sections of Darien

Climate

Darien has a humid continental climate, similar to that of New York City, with warm to hot summers and cold winters. The highest recorded temperature was 103 °F (39 °C) in July 1966, while the lowest recorded temperature was −15 °F (−26 °C) in 1968.[14] Snowfall is generally frequent in winter while average precipitation is most common in September.

Demographics

See also: List of Connecticut locations by per capita income.

As of the census of 2000, there were 19,607 people, 6,592 households, and 5,385 families residing in the town. The population density was 1525.2sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 6,792 housing units at an average density of 203.9 inhabitants/km2 (528.3 persons/sq mi). The racial makeup of the town was 95.97% White, 0.45% African American, 0.04% Native American, 2.42% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.30% from other races, and 0.80% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.19% of the population. In 2019, the median household income was $232,523 and the per capita income for the town was $116,564.[15]

Arts and recs

Annual events

Library

Darien's library was founded in 1894. Andrew Carnegie offered funds for a library, and was rejected.[19] The Darien Library is the most heavily utilized library in Connecticut.[20]

Landmarks

Parks and recreation

The Darien Ice House is an ice rink.[21]

Founded in 1928, Noroton Yacht Club runs the largest junior sailing program in the United States.[13]

Government

See main article: Government and politics of Darien, Connecticut.

Elected bodies in the town government are a five-member Board of Selectmen, a nine-member Board of Education, a seven-member Board of Finance, a six-member Planning and Zoning Commission, three-member Board of Assessment Appeals, and a 100-member, nonpartisan Representative Town Meeting. The town has several elective offices as well: the town clerk, probate judge, registrar of voters, tax collector and treasurer.[22] The Board of Finance approves financial measures, including the town budget; the Board of Education controls the town's public schools; the Representative Town Meeting is the main legislative body of the town.

United States Congress

SenatorsNamePartyAssumed officeLevel
 Senate Class 1Richard BlumenthalDemocratic2011Senior Senator
 Senate Class 3Chris MurphyDemocratic2013Junior Senator
RepresentativesNamePartyAssumed office
 District 4Jim HimesDemocratic2009

Connecticut General Assembly

Connecticut State Senate

DistrictNamePartyAssumed office
 25Bob DuffDemocratic2001
 26Ceci MaherDemocratic2023
 27Patricia Billie MillerDemocratic2021

Connecticut House of Representatives

DistrictNamePartyAssumed office
 125Tom O'DeaRepublican2013
 141Tracy MarraRepublican2023

Education

Darien is served by the Darien Public Schools, and Darien High School was ranked No. 1 in the "U.S. News Best High Schools in Connecticut" in 2019. The school also ranked in the top 150 in the national rankings, and in the top 50 in STEM high schools in the United States.[23] Darien has five elementary schools: Hindley School, Holmes School, Ox Ridge School, Royle School, and Tokeneke School. A $27 million addition was completed in 2000 to the town's middle school, Middlesex Middle School, and a new $73 million campus for Darien High School was completed in the fall of 2005.[13] Darien sports teams go by the name of the "Blue Wave".

Pear Tree Point School, originally named Plumfield School, was a private school on Long Neck, educating students in pre-kindergarten through Grade 5. The school was closed in summer 2018.[24] [25]

Media

Darien is served by a local print/online weeklies, the Darien Times, four exclusively online local news websites, Darienite,[26] HamletHub Darien,[27] the Darien Patch,[28] and The Daily Voice, Darien.[29] A monthly magazine known as New Canaan and Darien Magazine is also published covering Darien, New Canaan, and Rowayton (a section of the city of Norwalk).[30] Sound Watch Magazine.[31] is another monthly publication, founded in 2019, dedicated to local news and history of the area. Most public meetings are filmed and broadcast live, and recorded for later broadcast by Cablevision's Channel 79 Government Access.[32]

Film

Films at least partially filmed in Darien with release date include:

Infrastructure

Emergency

Ambulance

An ambulance service, known as "Darien EMS – Post 53" is the only ambulance service in the nation staffed and run entirely by high school student volunteers, covers one of the deadliest stretches of Interstate 95, and responds to over 1,500 emergency calls annually.[36] The Explorer post is chartered under the Connecticut Yankee Council, and is considered a scouting unit. The service provides emergency care at no cost to the patient, funded entirely by private donations from town residents. Teenagers are allowed to perform patient care due to the fact that Connecticut is one of the few states in the nation which allows emergency medical technicians to be certified at age 16.[37] The town is served by two train stations, Noroton Heights and Darien station. The Connecticut Turnpike (Interstate 95) and Post Road (U.S. Route 1.) pass through Darien. Interstate 95 has rest stops in Darien for the southbound and northbound lanes.[38]

Notable people

See main article: List of people from Darien, Connecticut.

In popular culture

See also

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Hersh . Mollie . November 8, 2023 . Zagrodzky Elected As Darien's First Selectman After Running Unopposed, Unofficial Results Show . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240801200117/https://www.darientimes.com/news/article/darien-election-first-selectman-zagrodzky-18467553.php . August 1, 2024 . August 1, 2024 . The Darien Times.
  2. Web site: Census - Geography Profile: Darien Town, Connecticut . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240930080131/https://data.census.gov/akam/13/6c19aaf6 . September 30, 2024 . November 28, 2021 . United States Census Bureau.
  3. News: Capuzzo . Jill P. . December 5, 2018 . Living in Darien, Conn.: Darien, Conn.: An Old New England Town with a Busy Social Life . https://web.archive.org/web/20240126201331/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/05/realestate/darien-conn-an-old-new-england-town-with-a-busy-social-life.html . January 26, 2024 . October 31, 2023 . The New York Times.
  4. Adapted from:
  5. Web site: The Darien Historical Society, Inc. . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20060720070242/http://historical.darien.org/ . July 20, 2006 . May 26, 2006 . Historical.Darien.org.
  6. Web site: December 6, 2016 . Darien Historical Society 2016 Membership Brochure . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240930080031/https://issuu.com/darienhistoricalsociety/docs/dhs_membership_mailer_2016 . September 30, 2024 . July 22, 2020 . Issuu . en.
  7. Book: The Connecticut Magazine: An Illustrated Monthly . Connecticut Magazine Company . 1903 . 331 . September 12, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231001190413/https://books.google.com/books?id=qoEyAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA331#v=onepage&q&f=false . October 1, 2023 . live . Google Books.
  8. Web site: Jenkins . Stephen . Darien: Stephen Jenkins . March 28, 2007 . USGenWeb Project . . New York.
  9. Web site: The Grapevine - The Town Name That Sounds Like a Milk Maid . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070928114750/http://www.fairfieldcbj.com/archive/071006/0710060007.php . September 28, 2007 . September 30, 2024 . The Fairfield County Business Journal . Westfair Communications.
  10. Web site: Prevost . Lisa . July 20, 2013 . Snob Zones: Fear, Money and Real Estate . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130723014629/http://www.salon.com/2013/07/20/snob_zones_fear_money_and_real_estate . July 23, 2013 . September 30, 2024 . Salon.com.
  11. Book: Loewen, James W. . James W. Loewen . Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism . . 2005 . 156584887X . New York . 218 . September 30, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240930080131/https://books.google.com/books?id=FPxJ_aG_B-8C&pg=PT147#v=onepage&q&f=false . September 30, 2024 . live . Google Books.
  12. Book: Loewen, James W. . James W. Loewen . Lies Across America: What Our Historic Sites Get Wrong . 1999 . . 1-56584-344-4 . 408–413 . September 30, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240930080034/https://books.google.com/books?id=zRtFAAAAQBAJ&q=Darien#v=snippet&q=Darien&f=false . September 30, 2024 . live . Google Books.
  13. News: Prevost . Lisa . December 14, 2003 . A Haven for Both Sailors and Commuters . https://web.archive.org/web/20160305074217/http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/14/realestate/14LIVI.html?ei=5070&en=d93153b9c1d1e1da&ex=1153022400&pagewanted=print&position= . March 5, 2016 . April 10, 2008 . The New York Times.
  14. Web site: Average Weather for Darien, CT . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240930080138/https://weather.com/weather/monthly/l/37.7795,-122.4195 . September 30, 2024 . February 1, 2014 . Weather.com.
  15. Web site: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Darien CDP, Connecticut . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240521095015/https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/dariencdpconnecticut/PST045219 . May 21, 2024 . June 11, 2021 . Census.gov . . en.
  16. Web site: Hersh . Mollie . May 30, 2023 . In Photos: Darien's Annual Memorial Day Parade Marches to Spring Grove Veteran's Cemetery . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20240410055043/https://www.darientimes.com/news/article/darien-memorial-day-parade-ceremony-18118758.php . April 10, 2024 . April 10, 2024 . The Darien Times.
  17. Web site: June 17, 2017 . Weed Beach Festival Is Saturday . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20180613234205/https://www.darientimes.com/86823/weed-beach-festival-is-coming-soon/ . June 13, 2018 . September 10, 2019 . The Darien Times.
  18. Web site: Annual Easter Egg Hunt: Friday, April 7 at 10 AM – Sold Out . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20230925032831/https://dariendca.org/moms-morning-in-childrens-activities/ . September 25, 2023 . July 22, 2020 . Darien Community Association . en-US. }
  19. Web site: Library History . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20220309220627/https://www.darienlibrary.org/history . March 9, 2022 . January 10, 2024 . DarienLibrary.org.
  20. Web site: Lyons . Ray . Lance . Keith Curry . November 8, 2012 . LJ Index 2012: The Star Libraries . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121118015248/http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2012/11/industry-news/lj-index-2012-the-star-libraries/#1M4M . November 18, 2012 . November 17, 2012 . Lj.LibraryJournal.com.
  21. Web site: Darien Ice House . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240912062845/https://www.darienicehouse.com/home . September 12, 2024 . July 22, 2020 . DarienIceHouse.com . en-us.
  22. "Darien Government Guide: 2006", a brochure published by the League of Women Voters of Darien
  23. Web site: Shultz . Susan . May 1, 2019 . Darien Named Top High School in Connecticut by U.S. News & World Report . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20200722153023/https://www.darientimes.com/news/community/article/Darien-named-top-high-school-in-Connecticut-by-14051349.php . July 22, 2020 . July 22, 2020 . The Darien Times.
  24. Web site: September 27, 2017 . Updated: Pear Tree Point School to Close at End of This Academic Year – DarieniteDarienite . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240407044234/https://darienite.com/pear-tree-point-school-close-end-academic-year-26627 . April 7, 2024 . September 12, 2024 . darienite.com.
  25. Web site: Pear Tree Point School, Darien, CT – Home . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070402220958/http://www.ptpschool.org/ . April 2, 2007 . April 4, 2007 . PTPSchool.org.
  26. Web site: About Us . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200819050052/https://darienite.com/about-us . August 19, 2020 . September 10, 2020 . Darienite . en-US.
  27. Web site: Satin . Nate . Darien's HamletHub Team . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200917155917/https://news.hamlethub.com/darien/archive/7776-dariens-hamlethub-team . September 17, 2020 . September 10, 2020 . HamletHub.com . en-gb.
  28. Web site: Darien, CT Patch - Breaking News, Local News, Events, Schools, Weather, Sports and Shopping . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200906162934/https://patch.com/connecticut/darien . September 6, 2020 . September 10, 2020 . Darien, CT Patch . en.
  29. Web site: Darien Daily Voice - Community News and Information for Darien, CT . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200915091725/https://dailyvoice.com/connecticut/darien/ . September 15, 2020 . September 10, 2020 . dailyvoice.com.
  30. Web site: New Canaan-Darien & Rowayton Magazine – New Canaan, Darien, Rowayton CT Luxury Lifestyle: Community, Real Estate & Travel – New Canaan-Darien Magazine . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240912063016/https://mofflylifestylemedia.com/category/newcanaandarienmag/ . September 12, 2024 . September 12, 2024 . newcanaandarienmag.com.
  31. Web site: Current Events | Sound Watch News | Darien | Rowayton |United States . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240828192205/https://www.soundwatchnews.com/ . August 28, 2024 . September 12, 2024 . Sound Watch News.
  32. Web site: Welcome to the Town of Darien, Connecticut – Darien Government Access Television . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080926183924/http://darienct.gov/tv79/ . September 26, 2008 . May 8, 2007 . DarienCT.gov.
  33. News: Getz . Dana . Who's Diane Hart on 'Gypsy'? Jean's Alias Is an Unsolved Mystery . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20191224093355/https://www.bustle.com/p/whos-diane-hart-on-gypsy-jeans-alias-is-unsolved-mystery-66781 . December 24, 2019 . July 13, 2017 . Bustle . en.
  34. News: Barone . Meg . August 30, 2012 . Westport Showcased in Town Native's Film, 'Hello I Must Be Going' . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20211026012339/https://www.westport-news.com/news/article/Westport-showcased-in-town-native-s-film-Hello-3827549.php . October 26, 2021 . September 12, 2024 . Westport News . One of the big houses used for filming was in Darien, 'a beautiful part of Darien on the water,' Koskoff said..
  35. Web site: April 20, 2009 . Darien, CT Home Transformed for "Revolutionary Road" Movie . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20191223190456/https://www.zillow.com/blog/darien-ct-home-transformed-for-revolutionary-road-movie-7917/ . December 23, 2019 . September 12, 2024 . Zillow.
  36. Web site: Post 53 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20050827230701/http://www.post53.org/ . August 27, 2005 . October 2, 2005 . Post53.org.
  37. Web site: Connecticut Department of Health Emergency Medical Technician Application Form . https://web.archive.org/web/20070619231211/http://www.dph.state.ct.us/Licensure/apps/emsapp2.pdf . June 19, 2007 . May 2, 2007.
  38. News: Ginocchio . Mark . I-95 Ramp in Darien May Close for Work . . 1, A4.

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