Roxbury, Connecticut
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Roxbury, Connecticut | |
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| Coordinates: | |
|---|---|
| NECTA | None |
| Region | Northwestern Connecticut |
| Incorporated | 1796 |
| Government | |
| - Type | Selectman-town meeting |
| - First selectman | Barbara M. Henry |
| Area | |
| - Total | 68.1 km² (26.3 sq mi) |
| - Land | 67.9 km² (26.2 sq mi) |
| - Water | 0.2 km² (0.1 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 165 m (541 ft) |
| Population (2005) | |
| - Total | 2,327 |
| - Density | 34/km² (89/sq mi) |
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 06783 |
| Area code(s) | 860 |
| FIPS code | 09-65930 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0213498 |
| Website: http://www.roxburyct.com/ | |
Roxbury is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 2,136 at the 2000 census.
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[edit] History
Roxbury, whose Indian name was "Shepaug", a Mohegan name signifiying "rocky water", was settled about the year 1713. Originally a part of Woodbury, the town was incorporated in October 1796.
Mine Hill and its minerals have been associated with Roxbury since the middle of the 18th Century. A silver mine was opened here and was later found to contain spathic iron, specially adapted to steel making and a small smelting furnace was built. The abundance of granite found in many of Mine Hill's quarries provided the building material for the ore roaster and blast furnace, as well as for such world wonders as the Brooklyn Bridge and Grand Central Terminal in New York City.
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 26.3 square miles (68.1 km²), of which, 26.2 square miles (67.9 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (0.23%) is water.
[edit] Principal communities
- Judd's Bridge
- Roxbury center
- Roxbury Falls
- Roxbury Station
[edit] Demographics
| Historical population of Roxbury [1] [2] [3] |
|
| 1830 | 1,122 |
| 1840 | 971 |
| 1850 | 1,114 |
| 1860 | 992 |
| 1870 | 919 |
| 1880 | 950 |
| 1890 | 936 |
| 1900 | 1,087 |
| 1910 | 837 |
| 1920 | 647 |
| 1930 | 553 |
| 1940 | 660 |
| 1950 | 740 |
| 1960 | 912 |
| 1970 | 1,238 |
| 1980 | 1,468 |
| 1990 | 1,825 |
| 2000 | 2,136 |
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 2,136 people, 848 households, and 620 families residing in the town. The population density was 81.4 people per square mile (31.4/km²). There were 1,018 housing units at an average density of 38.8/sq mi (15.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.24% White, 0.23% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.94% Asian, 0.66% from other races, and 0.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.31% of the population.
There were 848 households out of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.5% were married couples living together, 4.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.8% were non-families. 20.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.8% under the age of 18, 3.7% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 34.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 104.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $87,794, and the median income for a family was $97,672. Males had a median income of $61,477 versus $45,417 for females. The per capita income for the town was $56,769. About 3.0% of families and 3.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.1% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Transportation
Route 67 is the main thoroughfare in the town, connecting it to New Milford and Southbury. The town is also served by secondary highways, Route 199 (to Washington) and Route 317 (to Woodbury).
[edit] Notable residents
- Ethan Allen (January 21, 1738 – February 12, 1789) Early American revolutionary and guerrilla leader, Green Mountain Boys
- Seth Warner (May 17, 1743 - December 26, 1784) Green Mountain Boys
- Arthur Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) American playwright
- Marilyn Monroe (June 1, 1926 – August 5, 1962) Actress
- Alexander Calder (July 22, 1898 – November 11, 1976) American sculptor and artist
- Frank McCourt Author
- Stephen Sondheim Broadway playwright
- Dustin Hoffman Actor
- Denis Leary Actor
- Mercer Mayer Children's Book Author (Little Critter)
- Everett Hurlburt (July 31,1863 - July 1971) Inventor of Aqua Velva after shave
- Richard Widmark Actor
[edit] External links
- Roxbury official website
- Roxbury Congregational Church official website
- Land Trust official website
- Shepaug Regional School District # 12 official website
- Northwest Connecticut Arts Council
- Northwest Connecticut Convention and Visitors Bureau
- Northwestern Connecticut Community College in Winsted
- Roxbury Road Races almost every Saturday. Free.
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