Enfield, Connecticut | |
|---|---|
| Town of Enfield | |
 Thompsonville Village of Enfield, Connecticut | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Hartford County and Connecticut Capitol Planning Region and Connecticut | |
 Show Enfield Show Connecticut Show the United States | |
| Coordinates:41°58′48″N72°33′0″W / 41.98000°N 72.55000°W /41.98000; -72.55000 | |
| Country |  United States |
| U.S. state |  Connecticut |
| County | Hartford |
| Region | Capitol Region |
| Settled | 1679 |
| Incorporated (Massachusetts) | May 16, 1683 |
| Annexed by Connecticut | 1749 |
| Named after | Enfield,England |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council-manager |
| • Town Manager | Matt Coppler |
| • Town Council | Mayor Gina Cekala (D) Deputy Mayor John Santanella (D) District Councilors Linda Allegro (D), Dist 1 Cynthia Mangini (D), Dist 3 Maya Matthews (D), Dist 4 Council At-Large Bob Cressotti (D) Aaron Thomas (D) Zach Zannoni (D) Carol Hall (R) Marie Pyznar (R) Lori Unghire (R) |
| Area | |
• Total | 34.2 sq mi (88.6 km2) |
| • Land | 33.3 sq mi (86.2 km2) |
| • Water | 0.93 sq mi (2.4 km2) |
| Elevation | 138 ft (42 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 42,141 |
| • Density | 1,270/sq mi (489/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (Eastern) |
| ZIP Code | 06082 |
| Area codes | 860/959 |
| FIPS code | 09-25990 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0212332[1] |
| Interstates |  |
| U.S. Highways |  |
| State Routes |    |
| Website | www |
Enfield is atown inHartford County,Connecticut, United States, first settled by John and Robert Pease of Salem, Massachusetts Bay Colony.[2] The town is part of theCapitol Planning Region. The population was 42,141 at the2020 census.[3] It is bordered byLongmeadow, Massachusetts, andEast Longmeadow, Massachusetts, to the north,Somers to the east,East Windsor andEllington to the south, and theConnecticut River (towns ofSuffield andWindsor Locks) to the west.
Enfield was originally inhabited by thePodunk people, and contained their two villages of Scitico and Nameroke. Though land grants were first granted in 1674, no one attempted to settle what is known as Enfield until 1679 when the Pease Brothers of Robert and John II, settlers fromSalem, Massachusetts came in to settle the fertile lands. They dug a shelter into a hill and camped there for the winter until their families came to help them build houses. In 1675, a sawmill owned by William Pynchon II was burned in the wake ofKing Phillip's War. The first town meeting was held on August 14, 1679, and a committee of five were appointed by men fromSpringfield as it was the parent town at the time. Enfield was incorporated in Massachusetts on May 16, 1683, as the Freshwater Plantation, the same day as the town ofStow, Massachusetts, making them the 52nd/53rd towns in the Colony. The namesake is the Freshwater Brook (Also known as the Asnuntuck Brook) that traverses the town. Five years later, on March 16, 1688, the townspeople purchased Enfield from a Podunk named Notatuck for 25 pounds Sterling. It is unclear what claim Notatuck actually had to the land, or whether he was selling the land or the rights to use it. Shortly around 1700, the town changed its name to Enfield afterEnfield inMiddlesex, and to go with the other "fields" in the area such asSpringfield,Westfield, andSuffield.
In 1734, the eastern part of town separated into the town ofSomers.[4] In 1749, following the settlement of a lawsuit in which it was determined that a surveyor's error placed a section of present-day Hartford County (including Enfield) within the boundaries of Massachusetts, the townseceded and became part of Connecticut.[5]
Jonathan Edwards preached his famous sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God", in Enfield. It was part of theGreat Awakening revival that struck New England in the mid-18th century and spread throughout Western North American civilization.
The modern town of Enfield was formed through the merging of Enfield,Thompsonville, andHazardville, named for ColonelAugustus George Hazard (1802–1868), whose company manufacturedgunpowder in the Powder Hollow area of the town from the 1830s to the 1910s. In the 1989 filmGlory, boxes of gunpowder can be seen with the wordsEnfield, CT printed on the sides. In an episode in the 1970s police dramaHawaii Five-O, Jack Lord's character Steve McGarrett traces explosives back to "The Hazard Gunpowder Company- Enfield, CT". The capacity of the mill at the time of the Civil War was 1,200 pounds (540 kg) per day.[6] Over 60 people died in explosions in Powder Hollow during the years when gunpowder was manufactured there. The mill blew up several times, but was set up so that if one building blew up, the rest would not follow in a chain reaction. The ruins of these buildings and the dams are open to the public. Powder Hollow is now home to baseball fields and hiking trails.
King's Island in the Connecticut River, previously known as Terry Island (or Terry's Island, or Great Island),[7] was the location of pivotal meetings ofAdventist Christians in 1872 and 1873.[8]
In 1972,Asnuntuck Community College was established in Enfield as the twelfth institution in the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system (CSCU). Classes began in 1972 with an initial enrollment of 251, and 12 Associate in Science degrees and 20 Associate of Art degrees were awarded to the first graduating class in 1974.
There are five sections of the town of Enfield: Enfield Village, Thompsonville, Hazardville, Scitico, and Sherwood Village.
In 1793, a historicShaker village,Enfield Shaker village, one of nineteen scattered fromMaine toKentucky, was established in the town. TheUtopian religioussect practicedcelibate,communal living, and is today renowned for its simplearchitecture andfurniture. Membership eventually dwindled, however, and the village disbanded. The property has since been redeveloped by the Enfield Correctional Institution, still located on Shaker Road.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 2,065 | — | |
| 1850 | 4,460 | — | |
| 1860 | 4,997 | 12.0% | |
| 1870 | 6,322 | 26.5% | |
| 1880 | 6,755 | 6.8% | |
| 1890 | 7,199 | 6.6% | |
| 1900 | 6,699 | −6.9% | |
| 1910 | 9,719 | 45.1% | |
| 1920 | 11,719 | 20.6% | |
| 1930 | 13,404 | 14.4% | |
| 1940 | 13,561 | 1.2% | |
| 1950 | 15,464 | 14.0% | |
| 1960 | 31,464 | 103.5% | |
| 1970 | 46,189 | 46.8% | |
| 1980 | 42,695 | −7.6% | |
| 1990 | 45,532 | 6.6% | |
| 2000 | 45,212 | −0.7% | |
| 2010 | 44,654 | −1.2% | |
| 2020 | 42,141 | −5.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[9] | |||
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 34.2 square miles (88.6 km2), of which 33.3 square miles (86.2 km2) is land and 0.93 square miles (2.4 km2), or 2.76%, is water.[10]
As of thecensus[11] of 2000, there were 45,212 people, 16,418 households, and 11,394 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,354.3 inhabitants per square mile (522.9/km2). There were 17,043 housing units at an average density of 510.5 per square mile (197.1/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 89.74%White, 5.61%African American, 0.20%Native American, 1.34%Asian, 0.02%Pacific Islander, 1.57% fromother races, and 1.54% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 3.74% of the population.
There were 16,418 households, out of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.5% 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 3.04.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.6% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 34.2% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 110.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 112.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $67,402, and the median income for a family was $77,554. Males had a median income of $42,335 versus $31,082 for females. Theper capita income for the town was $29,340. About 2.8% of families and 4.0% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.
| Year | Democratic | Republican | Third Parties |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 53.82%11,263 | 44.43%9,298 | 1.75%368 |
| 2016 | 45.60%8,646 | 48.70%9,233 | 5.70%1,080 |
| 2012 | 55.92%10,152 | 42.46%7,709 | 1.62%295 |
| 2008 | 59.23%11,584 | 39.15%7,656 | 1.62%317 |
| 2004 | 54.69%10,826 | 43.79%8,669 | 1.53%302 |
| 2000 | 56.99%10,403 | 37.91%6,920 | 5.11%932 |
| 1996 | 54.37%9,893 | 30.88%5,620 | 14.75%2,684 |
| 1992 | 41.97%9,248 | 31.96%7,043 | 26.07%5,745 |
| 1988 | 50.34%9,356 | 48.65%9,041 | 1.01%188 |
| 1984 | 41.37%7,343 | 58.25%10,339 | 0.37%66 |
| 1980 | 44.53%8,023 | 40.11%7,227 | 15.37%2,769 |
| 1976 | 59.29%10,845 | 40.15%7,344 | 0.56%102 |
| 1972 | 49.25%9,176 | 49.74%9,267 | 1.01%189 |
| 1968 | 61.40%9,625 | 32.56%5,104 | 6.04%947 |
| 1964 | 77.79%11,425 | 22.21%3,262 | 0.00%0 |
| 1960 | 67.73%9,033 | 32.27%4,304 | 0.00%0 |
| 1956 | 50.70%4,876 | 49.30%4,742 | 0.00%0 |
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| Voter Registration and Party Affiliation as of October 29, 2019 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Inactive voters | Total voters | Percentage | ||
| Democratic | 8,598 | 730 | 8,598 | 32.24% | |
| Republican | 5,845 | 437 | 5,845 | 21.91% | |
| Unaffiliated | 11,518 | 1,087 | 11,518 | 43.18% | |
| Libertarian | 582 | 81 | 710 | 2.66% | |
| Total | 26,671 | 2,335 | 26,671 | 100% | |
Enfield was once home to several national and regional headquarters, including the U.S. headquarters of Danish plastic building toy manufacturerLego, which was also the town's largest employer. The company announced it would move its North American headquarters to Boston, with the final phase completed by 2026.Hallmark Cards was the town's second-largest employer, having sent all distribution to Kansas City in 2016. TheCasual Corner clothing company once had operations in Enfield.MassMutual also had a large office complex in Enfield, having closed in 2018. Today, Enfield is currently the headquarters of Precision Camera and Video Repair as well as Control Module Industries. TheEnfield Square Mall was once a popular retail destination for the region, experiencing decline in the online retail age. Efforts are underway to replace the mall with a mixed-use development.
Enfield once had boomingcarpet andgunpowder industries in the 19th century. Orrin Thompson set up shop for theBigelow-Sanford Carpet Co. in the Thompsonville section of town, employing manyScottish immigrants and building housing for them, which still stand today. The town'sgunpowder industry was founded by Colonel Augustus Hazard. Hazard was instrumental in implementing water power and other technologies to allow his business to prosper. Hazard's company was among the biggest gunpowder suppliers for theAmerican Civil War.
Enfield was also the headquarters of Pilch Meat Breeders, which was once the second-largestbroilerbreeder in the world. The company was founded by Chester Pilch in 1936, and sold in 1969 toDeKalb Agricultural Research Corp. At its peak, Pilch owned 230 acres in Enfield, had farms in four countries, and produced about 24 million chickens a year. DeKalb moved the operation to North Carolina, taking 365 jobs from Enfield.[14]
According to Enfield's 2023 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report[15]
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Empower Retirement LLC | 1,500 |
| 2 | Town of Enfield/Board of Education | 1,405 |
| 3 | Lego Building Corp. | 600 |
| 4 | Advance Auto Parts Distribution Center | 415 |
| 5 | Eppendorf Manufacturing | 323 |
| 6 | Martin Brower | 265 |
| 7 | Target | 142 |
| 8 | Stop & Shop | 142 |
| 9 | Kohl's | 100 |
The neighborhoods of Enfield are:
"Crescent Lake" – Borders scenic farmland. It is in close proximity to both the minimum and maximum correctional facilities. This small friendly neighborhood holds an annual July 4 parade.
Enfield Historical District – Listed in theNational Register of Historic Places, theEnfield Historic District runs along Enfield Street/King Street (U.S. Route 5). Many old homes dating back to the mid-18th century were built from 1106 to 1492 Enfield Street. Varyingstyles of architecture are noted includingLate Victorian,Georgian and19th Century Revival. TheEnfield Town Hall museum as well as a fine Greek RevivalCongregational Church can be found here.
Hazardville – Named afterColonel Augustus Hazard, this neighborhood encompasses a few smaller burbs, including Powder Hollow, and more recently, the center of Enfield began to encroach on this historical area. The center of Hazardville is located between the streets of Park Street and North Street on Hazard Avenue. Notable small shops include The Connecticut Valley Tobacconist, Gayle's Thyme Herbal Apothecary, The Cranberry Scoop Gift Shop, Smoke n' Leather, and numerous pizzerias. The Powder Hollow Park is located in the Hazardville neighborhood district. Hazardville has a park next to the Enfield Public Library along with baseball fields.
The Laurels – A wooded area with residential condos.
North Thompsonville – Contains mostly residential and partially commercial areas of Enfield with many parks and schools.
Presidential Section – This entirely residential area contain streets that are all named after former presidents of the United States. Houses are mid-sized to large in this area.
Scitico – located in the eastern end of town. Green Manor is considered part of Scitico. This is a suburb in the purest sense, with winding roads, sidewalks, a park, and cul-de-sacs. Green Manor is approximately 4.5 miles (7.2 km) from the main highway Interstate 91 and borders the town ofSomers. Across from Nathan Hale Elementary School is a residential park with tennis court, skate boarding ramps, and a playground for younger kids. Green Manor Park contained a pool at one time but was removed due to the lack of maintenance by the town.
Shaker Pines – This neighborhood consists mostly of quaint lakeside houses with tall pine trees towering overhead. Shaker Pines was originally part of the Shaker settlement in Enfield. The lake was built by the Shakers to power a mill. The mill stood vacant by the dam at the end of the lake, until it was dismantled in the 1980s. This mill provided shelter for Frederick Merrill in 1987 after he escaped from the local high security prison. He was dubbed "The Peanut Butter Bandit" after his mother sneaked him supplies for his first prison escape in 1968 in a jar ofpeanut butter.
Southwood Acres – A residential neighborhood in the south part of town.
Thompsonville – Named after Orrin Thompson, Thompsonville is the town center of Enfield with a more urban environment. In the past few years, there has been an attempt to revitalize the downtown area.[16] On the southbound portion of Pearl Street there are many oldVictorian houses. There are also many boat launches onto the borderingConnecticut River.Commuter rail service is expected to begin in 2025, and planning has started for renovating an old building intoEnfield station (Connecticut), a transportation hub on the proposedHartford Line, previously in operation until 1986. Enfield and Thompsonville are currently served by theConnecticut Transit commuter bus services for easy access to and from Hartford, with a 4x daily connection to thePioneer Valley Transit Authority Bus services, serving Springfield MA, and its surrounding areas.
Enfield is home to the New England Lightning girls AAU basketball program.
Connecticut Department of Correction prisons are located in Enfield.[17] Enfield Correctional Institution,[18] Robinson Correctional Institution,[19] and Willard-Cybulski Correctional Institution are in Enfield.[20]
In January 2013, the town began running the Magic Carpet public bus service. The in-town bus provides service to Thompsonville, Hazard Avenue, and Elm Street.
In 2017, the Associated Press reported that nearly $800,000 was paid to settle lawsuits filed against the Enfield Police Department and former officer Matthew Worden, who was accused in several brutality cases; 10 lawsuits were settled for a total of $792,500.[21]
Asnuntuck Community College is a two-year college in Enfield.[22]
Enfield Public Schools operates the town's public schools.
Enfield High School is the town's sole high school.John F. Kennedy Middle School is the town's middle school. The Enfieldprimary schools educate students inkindergarten through grade 2, theintermediate schools educate students from grade 3 through grade 5, the middle school grades 6 through grade 8, and thehigh school runs from grade 9 through grade 12.
Thomas G. Alcorn School was originally a high school until it was converted to an elementary school when the current high school (Enfield High School) was built in the 1960s. Alcorn School was closed in 2011 and its building is now used as government office space and now operates as one of the Family Resource Centers in Enfield. Enfield High School was later extensively renovated in 1993.Enrico Fermi High School was one of two high schools in town, which opened in 1971, but closed in 2016 as a result of the town's high school consolidation into Enfield High School. The Fermi high school mascot was a falcon. The Fermi high school logo included an image of an atom and a distillation flask.
As of 2016, Enfield Public Schools educates approximately 5,000 students.
Capitol Region Education Council (CREC) has its own magnet school in Enfield. The Public Safety Academy originally educated grades 6-12. In 2019, the school changed its name to Civic Leadership High School and reduced its class size to grades 9-12. In 2021, the school changed its name to the Academy of Computer Science and Engineering.
OneCatholic parochial school (Kindergarten through grade 8) serves the Enfield community, known as St. Bernard School. Typically, this school operates on the same academic calendar as the public schools.
There were formerly five Catholic parochial schools in Enfield (St. Bernard's, St. Adalbert's, St. Joeseph's, St. Martha's and Our Lady of the Angels [OLA]). St. Martha’s School was closed in June 2020 due to financial difficulties andCOVID-19.[23] St Martha’s School is now only a Catholic church (the only Catholic church in Enfield that offers a Traditional Latin Mass and a Spanish Mass).[24]
Enfield has two officialsister cities as designated bySister Cities International:[28]
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