Winchester, Connecticut Explained

Winchester, Connecticut
Official Name:Town of Winchester
Settlement Type:Town
Coordinates:41.925°N -73.1031°W
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:1771
Government Type:Board of Selectmen - Town Manager
Leader Title1:Town Manager/CEO
Leader Name1:Joshua Steele Kelly
Unit Pref:Imperial
Area Total Km2:87.6
Area Land Km2:84.2
Area Water Km2:3.4
Elevation M:310
Elevation Ft:1017
Population Total:10224
Population As Of:2020
Population Density Km2:121.4
Postal Code Type:ZIP codes
Postal Code:06094, 06098
Area Code:860/959
Leader Title2:Board of Selectmen
Leader Name2:Todd Arcelaschi (R), Mayor
Althea C. Perez (D)
Steven Sedlack (D)
Jack Bourque (D)
Linda Groppo (D)
Candace Bouchard (R)
Jonathan W. Morhardt (R)
Timezone:Eastern
Utc Offset:-5
Timezone Dst:Eastern
Utc Offset Dst:-4
Blank Name:FIPS code
Blank Info:09-86440
Blank1 Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank1 Info:0213536

Winchester is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 10,224 at the 2020 census.[1] The city of Winsted is located in Winchester. The town is part of the Northwest Hills Planning Region.

History

Winchester was incorporated on May 21, 1771, and named after Winchester in England.[2]

Geography

The town is in northeastern Litchfield County and is bordered to the south by the city of Torrington. It is northwest of Hartford, the state capital, and north of Waterbury. Winsted, with a population of 7,321 by far the largest community in Winchester, is in the eastern part of the town.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 87.6km2, of which 84.2km2 are land and 3.4km2, or 3.87%, are water.[3] Highland Lake, Crystal Lake, and Winchester Lake are three of the larger water bodies in the town. The Still River, a tributary of the Farmington River, flows from south to north through the eastern side of the town.

Principal communities

Demographics

See also: List of Connecticut locations by per capita income. At the 2000 census there were 10,664 people, 4,371 households, and 2,849 families living in the town. The population density was 330.4sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 4,922 housing units at an average density of 152.5sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the town was 94.44% White, 1.24% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.93% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.69% from other races, and 1.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 3.17%.[4]

Of the 4,371 households 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.3% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% were non-families. 28.0% of households were one person and 11.9% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.97.

The age distribution was 23.3% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% 65 or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.

The median household income was $46,671 and the median family income was $57,866. Males had a median income of $41,076 versus $28,058 for females. The per capita income for the town was $22,589. About 4.3% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.9% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

The town is served by buses of the Northwestern Connecticut Transit District.

The city of Winsted is located at the junction of Connecticut Route 8 and U.S. Route 44#ConneU.S. Route 44. Route 263 connects Winchester Center and Winsted.

Education

Winchester Public Schools is the public school district for grades K-6, while The Gilbert School serves as the public school for grades 7-12. Prior to 2011, middle school students went to schools operated by the Winchester district.[5]

Northwestern Regional School District No. 7 maintains Northwestern Regional High School, which is partly in Winsted.[6] However, the school does not act as the public school for Winsted.[7] Students who live in Winchester can attend Northwestern Regional High School through their Agricultural Education Program.

Also located in the town, is Explorations Charter School. Created to serve a diverse body of students, the school was designed to accommodate the unique educational, social, and emotional needs of its students.[8]

Prior to closing in 2020,[9] the town also had a parochial Catholic school called St. Anthony School, of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hartford. The school opened in 1865,[10] and maintained a class of around 200 students. Experiencing a large decrease in enrollment, the school dropped from serving around 200 students, to just 90. When in operation, it was the oldest school continually operated by the archdiocese.[11]

Northwestern Connecticut Community College is in Winsted.

Notable people

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Census - Geography Profile: Winchester town, Litchfield County, Connecticut. United States Census Bureau. December 23, 2021.
  2. Book: The Connecticut Magazine: An Illustrated Monthly. 1903. Connecticut Magazine Company. 335.
  3. Web site: Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001), Winchester town, Litchfield County, Connecticut. U.S. Census Bureau. American FactFinder. October 17, 2019. https://archive.today/20200213131708/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/0600000US0900586440. February 13, 2020. dead.
  4. Web site: U.S. Census website. United States Census Bureau. January 31, 2008.
  5. Web site: History. Gilbert School. May 19, 2021.
  6. Web site: Winsted Zoning Map. Town of Winchester. May 19, 2021.
  7. Web site: About Us. Northwestern Regional School District No. 7. May 19, 2021. Regional School District No. 7 is composed of four rural-suburban towns: Barkhamsted, Colebrook, New Hartford and Norfolk.[...].
  8. Web site: Schools. Town of Winchester. May 19, 2021.
  9. Web site: Home. St. Anthony School. May 19, 2021.
  10. Web site: August 7, 2018 . 150th Anniversary Celebration . https://web.archive.org/web/20180807083634/http://www.stanthonyschool-winsted.org/150th-anniversery-celebration/ . August 7, 2018 . May 19, 2021 . St. Anthony School.
  11. Web site: Gugliotti. Elio. St. Anthony School in Winsted to close. Republican American. March 17, 2020. May 19, 2021.