Durham, Connecticut

Durham is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. Durham is a former farming village on the Coginchaug River in central Connecticut. The population was 7,388 at the 2010 census. Every autumn, the town hosts the Durham Fair, the largest volunteer agricultural fair in New England.

Durham, Connecticut
Town
View from Pistapaug Mountain
Seal
Location within Middlesex County, Connecticut
Coordinates: 41°27′37″N 72°40′55″W
CountryUnited States
StateConnecticut
CountyMiddlesex
Metropolitan areaHartford
Incorporated1708
Government
 • TypeSelectman-town meeting
 • First selectmanLaura L. Francis (R)
 • SelectmanJohn T. Szewczyk, Jr. (R)
 • SelectmanTom Hennick (D)
Area
 • Total23.8 sq mi (61.6 km2)
 • Land23.6 sq mi (61.1 km2)
 • Water0.2 sq mi (0.4 km2)
Elevation
171 ft (52 m)
Population
 (2005)
 • Total7,388
 • Density310.4/sq mi (119.8/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (Eastern)
ZIP code
06422
Area code(s)860; 959 (future)
FIPS code09-20810
GNIS feature ID0213419
Websitewww.townofdurhamct.org

The Durham town center is listed by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place in the 2000 census. The core of the town center has also been listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 23.8 square miles (62 km2), of which, 23.6 square miles (61 km2) is land and 0.2 square miles (40 ha or 0.67%) is water. The town center CDP has a total area of 6.3 square miles (16 km2). 6.3 square miles (16 km2) of it is land and 0.16% is water.

The west side of Durham is flanked by the Metacomet Ridge, a mountainous trap rock ridgeline that stretches from Long Island Sound to nearly the Vermont border. Notable features of the Metacomet ridge in Durham include Trimountain, Fowler Mountain, Pistapaug Mountain, and the north tip of Totoket Mountain. The 50-mile (80-kilometer) Mattabesett Trail traverses the ridge. Miller's Pond State Park is located within the town.

History

Durham was incorporated in 1708.[1] The settlement was named after Durham, England.[2]

Durham has one of the first public libraries in the United States. It was founded in 1733, two years after Benjamin Franklin started the Philadelphia library.[3]

In the 1830s Durham came to prominence as the birthplace of Richard P. Robinson, who was tried for and acquitted of the infamous murder of Helen Jewett.[3]

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
18201,210—
18501,026—
18601,13010.1%
18701,086−3.9%
1880990−8.8%
1890856−13.5%
19008843.3%
191099712.8%
1920959−3.8%
19301,0448.9%
19401,0985.2%
19501,80464.3%
19603,09671.6%
19704,48945.0%
19805,14314.6%
19905,73211.5%
20006,62715.6%
20107,38811.5%
Est. 20147,348[4]−0.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[5]
See also: List of Connecticut locations by per capita income

At the 2000 census there were 6,627 people, 2,277 households, and 1,871 families living in the town. The population density was 280.8 people per square mile (108.4/km²). There were 2,349 housing units at an average density of 99.5 per square mile (38.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.68% White, 1.15% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.85% Asian, 0.30% from other races, and 0.85% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.54%.[6]

Of the 2,277 households 41.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.3% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.8% were non-families. 14.5% of households were one person and 5.9% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.85 and the average family size was 3.17.

The age distribution was 29.0% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 27.4% from 45 to 64, and 9.5% 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.4 males.

The median household income was $77,639 and the median family income was $82,864. Males had a median income of $51,250 versus $38,833 for females. The per capita income for the town was $29,306. About 1.3% of families and 1.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.4% of those under age 18 and 3.1% of those age 65 or over.

Town center

At the 2000 census there were 2,773 people, 1,040 households, and 809 families living in the CDP corresponding to the town center. The population density was 443.1 inhabitants per square mile (171.0/km²). There were 1,078 housing units at an average density of 172.3 per square mile (66.5/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 97.91% White, 0.47% Black or African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.87% Asian, 0.25% from other races, and 0.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.01%.[6]

Of the 1,040 households 36.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.5% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.2% were non-families. 18.9% of households were one person and 9.9% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.06.

The age distribution was 26.1% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 27.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% 65 or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.4 males.

The median household income was $66,505 and the median family income was $72,465. Males had a median income of $47,179 versus $37,500 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $26,972. About 2.1% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.0% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.

Voter Registration and party enrollment as of October 25, 2011[7]
Party Active voters Inactive voters Total voters Percentage
Republican 1,343 34 1,377 26.75%
Democratic 1,239 47 1,286 24.99%
Unaffiliated 2,379 83 2,462 47.83%
Minor parties 22 0 22 0.43%
Total 4,983 164 5,147 100%

Historic locations in Durham
1910 street scene with school

Durham Meadows superfund site

The Durham Meadows superfund site encompasses an area of town around the abandoned Merriam Manufacturing, and the operational Durham Manufacturing company. Both companies disposed of organic solvents, paint wastes, and degreasers in open lagoons and buried drums. The waste leached into the town's water supply, contaminating several private wells with methylene chloride, 1,4-dioxane, and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection are coordinating cleanup and monitoring efforts, including the delivery of free bottled water to affected residents.

Notable people

References
  1. The Connecticut Magazine: An Illustrated Monthly. Connecticut Magazine Company. 1903. p. 332.
  2. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 111.
  3. Cohen, Patricia C. (1999). The Murder of Helen Jewett. Vintage. ISBN 0-679-74075-9. p. 235
  4. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Archived from the original on May 23, 2015. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  5. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  6. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  7. "Registration and Party Enrollment Statistics as of October 25, 2011" (PDF). Connecticut Secretary of State. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  8. http://historicbuildingsct.com/the-elias-austin-house-1743/
  9. Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who. 1963.
  • Fowler, Chauncey (1866). History of Durham, Connecticut, From the First Grant of Land in 1662 to 1866. Hartford, Conn.: Hartford, Wiley, Waterman and Eaton.
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