| Norfolk, Connecticut | |
| Official Name: | Town of Norfolk |
| Settlement Type: | Town |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | U.S. state |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Litchfield |
| Subdivision Type3: | Region |
| Subdivision Name3: | Northwest Hills |
| Established Title: | Incorporated |
| Established Date: | 1758 |
| Government Type: | Selectman-town meeting |
| Leader Title: | First selectman |
| Leader Name: | Matthew T. Riiska (D) |
| Leader Title1: | Selectman |
| Leader Name1: | Susan M. Dyer (D) |
| Leader Title2: | Selectman |
| Leader Name2: | Alexandra (Sandy) Evans (R) |
| Area Total Km2: | 120.2 |
| Area Land Km2: | 117.4 |
| Area Water Km2: | 2.9 |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 1588 |
| Population Density Km2: | 13.5 |
| Timezone: | Eastern |
| Utc Offset: | -5 |
| Timezone Dst: | Eastern |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -4 |
| Elevation M: | 375 |
| Elevation Ft: | 1230 |
| Coordinates: | 41.9836°N -73.1964°W |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code |
| Postal Code: | 06058 |
| Area Code: | 860/959 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 09-53470 |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 0213476 |
Norfolk is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 1,588 at the 2020 census.[1] The town is part of the Northwest Hills Planning Region. The urban center of the town is the Norfolk census-designated place, with a population of 553 at the 2010 census.[2]
Norfolk is perhaps best known as the site of the Yale Summer School of Music—Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, which hosts an annual chamber music concert series in "the Music Shed", a performance hall located on the Ellen Battell Stoeckel estate to the west of the village green. Norfolk has important examples of regional architecture, notably the Village Hall (now Infinity Hall, a shingled 1880s Arts-and-Crafts confection, with an opera house upstairs and storefronts at street level); the Norfolk Library (a shingle-style structure, designed by George Keller, /1889); and over thirty buildings, in a wide variety of styles, designed by Alfredo S. G. Taylor (of the New York firm Taylor & Levi) in the four decades before the Second World War.
Norfolk incorporated as a town in 1758. Although the town was named after Norfolk in England, the name of the town may be pronounced various ways by residents.[3] [4]
The Norfolk Historic District includes the historic center of the village of Norfolk.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 120.2km2, of which 117.4km2 are land and 2.9km2, or 2.38%, are water.[5] The town is located in the Litchfield Hills portion of the Appalachian mountain range. Norfolk's elevation is above sea level, and the town is sometimes called "the Icebox of Connecticut"[6] for its severe winters and particularly cool summers.
The town is bordered on the west by Canaan and North Canaan, Connecticut; on the north by New Marlborough and Sandisfield, Massachusetts; on the east by Colebrook and Winchester, Connecticut; and on the south by Goshen, Connecticut.
Norfolk is home to three state parks: Dennis Hill State Park, which includes the remnants of a lavish summer pavilion designed by Alfredo Taylor; Haystack Mountain State Park, with a stone tower at the mountain's summit; and Campbell Falls State Park Reserve, with an approximately 100feet natural waterfall.
According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Norfolk has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.[7] This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. On February 16, 1943, the temperature fell to −37 °F (−38 °C), the lowest temperature ever recorded in Connecticut.
See also: List of Connecticut locations by per capita income. As of the census[8] of 2000, there were 1,660 people, 676 households, and 461 families residing in the town. The population density was 36.6sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 871 housing units at an average density of 19.2 per square mile (7.4/km). The racial makeup of the town was 97.11% White, 0.48% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.54% Asian, 0.60% from other races, and 1.02% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.96% of the population.
There were 676 households, out of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.3% were married couples living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% were non-families. 24.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.7% under the age of 18, 4.3% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 29.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $58,906, and the median income for a family was $67,500. Males had a median income of $41,654 versus $36,442 for females. The per capita income for the town was $34,020. About 1.8% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.
Norfolk is a member of Regional School District 7, which also includes, Barkhamsted, Colebrook, and New Hartford. Public school students attend Botelle Elementary School for grades K–6, Northwestern Middle School for grades 7–8, and Northwestern Regional High School for grades 9–12.
The main thoroughfares of the town are U.S. Route 44 (going east–west, also known as Greenwoods Road) and Connecticut Route 272 (going north–south, with 272N also known as North Street and 272S also known as Litchfield Road). US 44 leads west 7miles to North Canaan and southeast 10miles to Winsted, while CT 272 leads south to Torrington.
Notable residents have included: