Westport, Connecticut
Westport is a town in the Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. Located in the Gold Coast along the Long Island Sound, it is northeast of New York City and is part of the Western Connecticut Planning Region.
History
The earliest known inhabitants of the Westport area as identified through archaeological finds date back 7,500 years. Records from the first white settlers report the Pequot Indians living in the area which they called Machamux translated by the colonialists as beautiful land. Settlement by colonialists dates back to the five Bankside Farmers; whose families grew and prospered into a community that continued expanding. The settlers arrived in 1693, having followed cattle to the isolated area. The community had its own ecclesiastical society, supported by independent civil and religious elements, enabling it to be independent from the Town of Fairfield. As the settlement expanded its name changed: it was briefly known as "Bankside" in 1693, officially named Green's Farm in 1732 in honor of Bankside Farmer John Green and in 1835 incorporated as the Town of Westport.File:Minuteman, Westport CT.jpg|thumb|Statue of Minuteman near Compo Beach
During the Revolutionary War, on April 25, 1777, a British force of 1,850 under the command of the Royal Governor of the province of New York, Major General William Tryon, landed on Compo Beach to destroy the Continental Army's military supplies in Danbury. Minutemen from Westport and the surrounding areas crouched hiding while Tryon's troops passed and then launched an offensive from their rear. A statue on Compo Beach commemorates this plan of attack with a crouching Minuteman facing away from the beach, looking onto what would have been the rear of the troops. An additional statue of two cannons facing the water, a testament to the resistance the minutemen displayed, was erected on the beach in 1901. A sign on Post Road East also commemorates this event.
The Town of Westport was officially incorporated on May 28, 1835, with lands from Fairfield, Weston and Norwalk. Daniel Nash led 130 people of Westport in the petitioning of the Town of Fairfield for Westport's incorporation. The driving force behind the petition was to assist their seaport's economic viability that was being undermined by neighboring towns' seaports. For several decades after that, Westport was a prosperous agricultural community, distinguishing itself as the leading onion-growing center in the U.S. In addition, Westport became a shipping center in part to transport onions to market. Blight caused the collapse of Westport's onion industry, leading to mills and factories replacing agriculture as the town's economic engine.
Starting around 1910 the town experienced a cultural expansion. During this period artists, musicians, and authors such as F. Scott Fitzgerald moved to Westport to be free from the commuting demands experienced by business people. The roots of Westport's reputation as an arts center can be traced back to this period during which it was known as a "creative heaven."
In the 20th century, a combination of industrialization and popularity among New Yorkers attracted to fashionable Westport—which had attracted many artists and writers—resulted in farmers selling off their land. Westport changed from a community of farmers to a suburban development.
From the 1950s through the 1970s, New Yorkers relocating from the city to the suburbs discovered Westport's culture of artists, musicians and authors. The population grew rapidly, assisted by the ease of commuting to New York City and back again to rolling hills and the "natural beauty of the town." By this time Westport had "chic New York-type fashion shopping" and a school system with a good reputation, both factors contributing to the growth.
By the 21st century, Westport had developed into a center for finance and insurance, as well as professional, scientific and technical services.
Geography
According to a publication by the 2010 Census, Westport has a total area of of which is land with the remaining area of water.Westport is bordered by Norwalk on the west, Weston to the north, Wilton to the northwest, Fairfield to the east and Long Island Sound to the south.
Climate
Topography
Both the train station and a total of 26 percent of town residents live within the 100-year floodplain. The floodplain was breached in 1992 and 1996 resulting in damage to private property, the 1992 flooding of the train station parking lot and the implementation of flood mitigation measures that include town regulations that affect renovations and additions to building within the floodplain zone.Neighborhoods
- Saugatuck – around the Westport railroad station near the southwestern corner of the town – a built-up area with some restaurants, stores and offices. Saugatuck originates from the Paugussett tribe meaning "mouth of the tidal river."
- * Saugatuck Shores – a curved peninsula surrounded by the Long Island Sound, this area was once part of the town of Norwalk. Today several hundred residents live on the peninsula, which became part of Westport in the 1960s.
- * Saugatuck Island – founded in the 1890s as Greater Marsh Shores, the island was renamed Saugatuck Island in 1920 and became a special taxing district on November 5, 1984.
- Westport Village – The area around Post Road and Main Street on and near the Saugatuck River that serves as the center of Westport, with many shops and restaurants. There has been recent growth in the downtown area, including Levitt Pavilion, and Bedford square, a mixed-use development incorporating the Bedford Mansion.
- Greens Farms – Westport's oldest neighborhood, starting around Hillspoint Road and ending at Westport's boundary on the east side. Greens Farms has its own post office and train station.
- Cockenoe Island – just off the southeastern coast of the town. Cockenoe Island is an uninhabited island that was purchased by Westport for $212,740 from the United Illuminating Company in 1969 so that the company could not use the land to build a nuclear plant.
- Old Hill – west of the Saugatuck River and north of the Post Road, a historic section of town with many homes from the Revolutionary and Victorian eras. Prior to the road being called the Boston Post Road it was called the Connecticut Turnpike.
- Coleytown – Located at the northern edge of town, near the Weston town line. Home to Coleytown fire station, Middle and Elementary school. Named for Farmer Coley, who owned lots of land in this area.
- Compo – Located around the main beach in the town, Compo Beach. Compo, can be traced back to the early Paugussett tribe and means the bear's fishing ground.
- SewTrol – The area containing the Town Sewage Treatment Plant, the Town Animal Control, and the State Boat Launch.
- Poplar Plains – The northwest corner of the town, bordered to the southwest by the city of Norwalk, to the northwest by the town of Wilton, to the northeast by the town of Weston, to the east by the Saugatuck River, and to the south by the Merritt Parkway.
- Staples – The eastern side of the town, bordered to the north by Cross Highway, to the west by Compo Road, to the south by U.S. Route 1, and to the east by the town of Fairfield.
Demographics
The 2010 US Census counted the total number of households in Westport being 9,573 of which 7,233 were family households. The population density was. There were 10,065 housing units at an average density of.
According to the 2010 Census, the population of Westport was 92.6% White, 4.0% Asian, 1.2% Black or African American, and 0.1% American Indian. Individuals from other races made up 0.6% of Westport's population while individuals from two or more races made up 1.6%. In addition, Latinos of any race made up 3.5% of Westport's population. About 29.8% of Westport residents were younger than age 18 as of 2010; higher than the U.S. average of 24%.
According to the 2000 Census, there were 9,586 households, of which 38.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.1% were married couples living together, 6.8% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 25.2% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.9% under the age of 18, 2.7% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 28.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males.
According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the town was $147,391, and the median income for a family was $176,740. As of the 2000 Census, males had a median income of $100,000 versus $53,269 for females. The per capita income for the town was $73,664. 2.6% of the population and 1.5% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 2.7% are under the age of 18 and 2.1% are 65 or older.
In July 2008, Westport was named the fifth top-earning city in the US, with a median family income of $193,540 and median home price of $1,200,000. In 2018, data from the American Community Survey revealed that Westport was the 9th wealthiest city in the United States.