Goshen, Connecticut

Goshen, Connecticut

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Goshen, Connecticut
Town
Seal
Location in Litchfield County, Connecticut
Coordinates: 41°51′05″N 73°14′09″W / 41.85139°N 73.23583°W / 41.85139; -73.23583Coordinates: 41°51′05″N 73°14′09″W / 41.85139°N 73.23583°W / 41.85139; -73.23583
Country	United States
State	Connecticut
NECTA	None
Region	Litchfield Hills
Incorporated	1739
Government
• Type	Selectman-town meeting
• First selectman	Thomas Breakell
Area
• Total	45.2 sq mi (117.1 km2)
• Land	43.7 sq mi (113.1 km2)
• Water	1.5 sq mi (4.0 km2)
Elevation	1,319 ft (402 m)
Population (2005)
• Total	3,092
• Density	71/sq mi (27/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code	06756
Area code(s)	860
FIPS code	09-32290
GNIS feature ID	0213433
Website	Goshen

Goshen is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 2,976 at the 2010 census.

Each July, the Connecticut Agricultural Fair is held in town. It is also home to the Goshen players.

 

Contents

 [show] 

• 1 Geography
  • 1.1 Principal communities
• 2 History
• 3 Notable locations
• 4 Transportation
• 5 Demographics
• 6 Notable residents
• 7 References
• 8 External links

Geography[edit]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 45.2 square miles (117 km²), of which, 43.7 square miles (113 km²) of it is land and 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²) of it (3.43%) is water. A large portion of the Mohawk State Forest is located in the town. The Appalachian Trail formerly passed through the town until it was re-routed west of the Housatonic River.

Principal communities[edit]

• Goshen Center
• West Goshen

Other minor communities and geographic areas in the town are: Hall Meadow, North Goshen, Tyler Lake, West Side, and Woodridge Lake. Woodrige lake is private. It is only available to residents (it is not a gated community). They have access to the clubhouse, and all of the lake's beaches.

History[edit]

The town was incorporated in 1739, one year after settlement of the town center began. The Congregational Church was founded the following year. During the 18th century, Goshen was a farming, and later, prosperous business community. The town manufactured musket rifles during the American Revolution. Other notable business include the pineapple cheese factory and the Brooks pottery shop.

The first school in Goshen was built in 1753. A seminary for young women was established in 1819. The Goshen Academy was established several years later and became a well-regarded preparatory school during the 19th century.

Settlers from Goshen were the first to settle Hudson Township, Summit County, Ohio in the Connecticut Western Reserve.

Notable locations[edit]

Historic sites in the town include:

• Hervey Brooks Pottery Shop and Kiln Site, an archeological site listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP)
• Goshen Historic District - CT 63 and 4 and Gifford Rd., NRHP-listed
• West Goshen Historic District - roughly bounded by CT 4, Beach, Mill and Milton Sts., and Thompson Rd., NRHP-listed

Transportation[edit]

Route 4 is the principal east-west through route in the town, while Route 63 serves as the main north-south road.

Demographics[edit]

See also: List of Connecticut locations by per capita income

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 2,697 people, 1,066 households, and 814 families residing in the town. The population density was 61.8 people per square mile (23.9/km²). There were 1,482 housing units at an average density of 33.9 per square mile (13.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.26% White, 0.48% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.74% Asian, and 0.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.22% of the population.

There were 1,066 households out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.5% were married couples living together, 5.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.6% were non-families. 20.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the town the population was spread out with 22.7% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 31.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 97.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $64,432, and the median income for a family was $72,452. Males had a median income of $48,125 versus $30,464 for females. The per capita income for the town was $33,925. About 2.9% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.1% of those under age 18 and 3.9% of those age 65 or over.

Voter registration and party enrollment as of October 25, 2005[2]
Party		Active voters	Inactive voters	Total voters	Percentage
	Republican	745	16	761	37.29%
	Democratic	413	6	419	20.53%
	Unaffiliated	827	33	860	42.14%
	Minor Parties	1	0	1	0.05%
Total		1,986	55	2,041	100%

Notable residents[edit]

• William R. Brewster, American Civil War general
• David Darling, cellist and composer
• Daniel S. Dickinson, U.S. Senator
• Ezra Foot, Wisconsin State Senator
• Asaph Hall, astronomer credited with discovering the moons of Mars
• Madeleine L'Engle, author
• Ivan Lendl, professional tennis player
• Frederick Miles, U.S. Representative
• Ebenezer F. Norton, former US Congressman
• Mary Pope Osborne, author
• Kevin Phillips, U.S. author and political analyst
• Isaac Williams, Jr., U.S. Representative