Madison, Connecticut
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| Madison, Connecticut | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| NECTA | New Haven | ||
| Region | South Central Region | ||
| Incorporated | 1826 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Type | Selectman-town meeting | ||
| - First selectman | Al Goldberg | ||
| Area | |||
| - Total | 95.3 km² (36.8 sq mi) | ||
| - Land | 93.8 km² (36.2 sq mi) | ||
| - Water | 1.5 km² (0.6 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 68 m (223 ft) | ||
| Population (2005)[1] | |||
| - Total | 18,812 | ||
| - Density | 201/km² (520/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) | ||
| ZIP code | 06443 | ||
| Area code(s) | 203 | ||
| FIPS code | 09-44560 | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 0213454 | ||
| Website: http://www.madisonct.org/ | |||
Madison is a town in the southeastern corner of New Haven County, Connecticut, and it occupies a central location on the Connecticut Shoreline area. The population was 18,812 at the 2000 census.
Madison was first settled in 1641. Throughout the 18th century, Madison was known as East Guilford until it was incorporated as a town in the mid-19th century. Since then Madison and Guilford have shared many cultural and economic similarities despite an unofficial high school rivalry.
Bill Clinton mentions the town in his autobiography, My Life.
Hammonasset State Park in Madison possesses the state's longest public beach, with campsites, picnic areas, and a fishing pier, and is extremely popular in the summer causing traffic jams on I-95 on peak days. Also located in the town is Surf Club Beach, with lifeguards and recreation fields, as well as the Madison Beach Club, a private country club.
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[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 36.8 square miles (95.3 km²), of which, 36.2 square miles (93.8 km²) of it is land and 0.6 square miles (1.5 km²) of it (1.58%) is water.
[edit] Principal communities
- Madison Center
- East River
- Hammonasset Point
- North Madison
- Rockland
[edit] Madison Center
Madison's center of town is the main area of all businesses and location of the town library and green. The center preserves old village charm by keeping large franchises out. The center has many boutiques and coffee shops. Although it is called the center it is not the actual center of town, It is actually located on the south eastern side of town near Clinton. It is called the center, or "downtown" by residents because it is the only part of town that has a shopping district.
[edit] E.C. Scranton Memorial Library
The E.C. Scranton Memorial Library was a 1901 gift to the townspeople from Mary Scranton. The original building was designed by the architect Henry Bacon, who later designed the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Currently this popular library features 114,000 volumes and has an average of 360 visits per day, 860 programs per year. A private non-profit, the Library plans to expand to 41,000 square feet (3,800 m²) in 2010. The 1906 postcard below shows the library as it appears at that time. After an expansion, the main building (the one in the postcard) became the children section and the expansion to the right of the main door became the main entrance and the adult area. Access via the old main door is no longer allowed.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 17,858 people, 6,515 households, and 5,120 families residing in the town. The population density was 493.3 people per square mile (190.5/km²). There were 7,386 housing units at an average density of 204.0/sq mi (78.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.62% White, 0.40% African American, 0.06% Native American, 1.71% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.25% from other races, and 0.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.34% of the population.
There were 6,515 households out of which 39.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.8% were married couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.4% were non-families. 18.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the town the population was spread out with 28.2% under the age of 18, 3.8% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 28.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $87,497, and the median income for a family was $101,297. Males had a median income of $73,525 versus $41,058 for females. The per capita income for the town was $40,537. About 0.9% of families and 1.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.5% of those under age 18 and 2.4% of those age 65 or over.
| Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 25, 2005[3] | |||||
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| Party | Active Voters | Inactive Voters | Total Voters | Percentage | |
| Republican | 4,459 | 48 | 4,507 | 33.91% | |
| Democratic | 2,842 | 37 | 2,879 | 21.66% | |
| Unaffiliated | 5,759 | 78 | 5,837 | 43.91% | |
| Minor Parties | 69 | 0 | 69 | 0.52% | |
| Total | 13,129 | 163 | 13,292 | 100% | |
[edit] List of National Historic Sites in Madison
- Allis-Bushnell House, added February 25, 1982
- Hammanasset Paper Mill Site, added February 23, 1996
- Madison Green Historic District, added June 28, 1982
- Meigs-Bishop House, added June 16, 1988
- Jonathan Murray House, added April 12, 1982
- Shelley House, added February 9, 1989
- State Park Supply Yard, added September 4, 1986
[edit] Notable people, past and present
- Jim Calhoun (b. 1942) head coach of the University of Connecticut's men's basketball team, which won two national championships, and who was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005, lives with his wife in Pomfret, but they bought a home in Madison.
- Ranulf Compton (1878-1974) was a United States Representative from Connecticut.
- Rob Moroso, NASCAR driver
- Jacques Pépin, Celebrity chef
- Sally Benson, screenwriter "Meet Me in St. Louis"
- Bootsy Collins, Noted Musician
- Elizabeth Bentley, Soviet Spy
- Westbrook Pegler, anti-New Deal columnist
- Hugh Lofting, British author of "Doctor Dolittle," lived in nearby Killingworth, where he wrote the popular children's series.
- John Gunther, author "Death Be Not Proud", "Inside Europe"
- Wheeler Williams, Sculptor (1897-1972)
- Roberta Isleib, Mystery Writer, "Deadly Advice"
- Thomas Chittenden, Founder of the independent Vermont Republic and first Governor to the State of Vermont.
- Cornelius Bushnell, Financier for the American Civil War ironclad ship USS Monitor and a railroad pioneer and investor.
- Frederick Lee, Revolutionary War veteran and a hero of the War of 1812, he founded the Lee Academy preparatory school and proposed the town's name of "Madison."
[edit] References
- ^ U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates
- ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Registration and Party Enrollment Statistics as of October 25, 2005 (PDF). Connecticut Secretary of State. Retrieved on 2006-10-02.
[edit] External links
- North Madison Volunteer Fire Company
- Town of Madison Website
- Madison Chamber of Commerce
- Madison Republican Town Committee
- Madison Democratic Town Committee
- E.C. Scranton Memorial Library
- Madison Little League
- Madison Rotary Club
- Madison Historical Society
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