Wallingford
Town
Town of Wallingford
Wallingford Town Hall
Wallingford Town Hall
Official seal of Wallingford
Seal
Motto: 
"A Great New England Town"[1]
Wallingford's location within New Haven County and Connecticut
Coordinates: 41°27′23″N 72°48′15″W / 41.45639°N 72.80417°W / 41.45639; -72.80417
CountryUnited States
U.S. stateConnecticut
CountyNew Haven
RegionSouth Central CT
MSAGreater New Haven
CSANew York
Established1670
Government
 • TypeMayor-council
 • MayorVincent Cervoni (R)
 • Town Council
  • Joe Marrone (R), Chair
  • Christina Tatta (R), Vice Chair
  • Craig C. Fishbein (R)
  • Thomas Laffin (R)
  • Autumn Allinson (R)
  • Chris Regan (R)
  • Sam Carmody (D)
  • Jesse Reynolds (D)
  • Vincent F. Testa, Jr. (D)
Area
 • Total39.9 sq mi (103.3 km2)
 • Land39.0 sq mi (101.1 km2)
 • Water0.9 sq mi (2.2 km2)
Elevation
151 ft (46 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total44,396
 • Density1,100/sq mi (430/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (Eastern)
ZIP Codes
06492, 06493
Area code(s)203/475
FIPS code09-78740
GNIS feature ID0213522
Websitewww.town.wallingford.ct.us

Wallingford is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, centrally located between New Haven and Hartford, and Boston and New York City. The town is part of the South Central Connecticut Planning Region. The population was 44,396 at the 2020 census.[2] The community was named after Wallingford, in England.[3]

History

The Connecticut General Assembly created the town on October 10, 1667. This original plot of land near the Quinnipiac River is now considered Main Street. Starting on May 12, 1670, there were 126 people who lived in temporary housing, and five years later in 1675 there were 40 permanent homes.[4]

In 1697 Wallingford was the site of the last witchcraft trial in New England. Winifred Benham was thrice tried for witchcraft and acquitted all three times.[5]

The 1878 Wallingford tornado struck on August 9 of that year. It killed at least 29 and possibly as many as 34 people in Wallingford, the most by any tornado event in Connecticut history.

Wallingford is home to a large variety of industries and major corporations spanning the spectrum of the medical, health care, service, hi-tech specialty metal manufacturing and research development. The development of the Barnes Industrial Parks, Casimir Pulaski Industrial Park, Centract Park and MedWay Industrial Park have greatly contributed to a diversified tax base. An Interchange Zone which permits restrictive commercial development of office parks, research and development centers and hotels was created at the intersection of interstate 91 and Route 68.[6] The Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, the town's largest taxpayer, has established a research and development facility in Wallingford's MedWay Industrial Park. The Bristol-Myers Squibb Company moved out in 2017 and the structures were demolished in 2018.

In terms of Wallingford's manufacturing and design history, silver-producing companies like Hall, Elton & Co.,[7] Simpson, Hall, Miller & Co.[8] and R. Wallace & Sons are of particular note.[9] Simpson, Hall, Miller & Co. as well as Wallingford's Watrous Manufacturing Co. later became part of the International Silver Company, which was headquartered in the neighboring city of Meriden.[10]

Education

The Wallingford Public School System consists of eight elementary schools: Cook Hill, E. C. Stevens, Highland, and Moses Y. Beach Elementary Schools covering Pre-K to second grade and Parker Farms, Pond Hill, Rock Hill, and Mary G. Fritz Elementary Schools covering grades three to five; two middle schools, Dag Hammarskjöld and James H. Moran; and two high schools, Lyman Hall and Mark T. Sheehan.[11][12]

Private schools

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 39.9 square miles (103.3 km2), of which 39.0 square miles (101.1 km2) is land and 0.9 square miles (2.2 km2), or 2.16%, is water.

The town of Wallingford sits astride the Quinnipiac River in northern New Haven County. It is 5 miles (8 km) south of Meriden and about 13 miles (21 km) north of New Haven. Towns bordering Wallingford are Cheshire, Durham, Hamden, Meriden, Middlefield, North Branford and North Haven. Situated in the Hartford-New Haven-Springfield corridor, Wallingford is traversed by U.S. Route 5, Interstate 91, and State Highways Route 15 (Wilbur Cross Parkway), Route 68, Route 71 and Route 150.

Principal communities

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18202,237—
18502,595—
18603,20623.5%
18703,67614.7%
18804,68627.5%
18906,58440.5%
19009,00136.7%
191011,15523.9%
192012,0107.7%
193014,27818.9%
194014,7883.6%
195016,97614.8%
196029,92076.2%
197035,71419.4%
198037,2744.4%
199040,8229.5%
200043,0265.4%
201045,1354.9%
202044,396−1.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[15]

As of the census[16] of 2020, there were 44,396 people and 18,518 households residing in the town. According to the 2018 American Community Survey, the population density was 1,146.8 people per square mile. There were 19,914 housing units. The racial makeup of the town was 86% White, 2% African American, less than 1% Native American, 4% Asian, less than 1% from other races, and 1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7% of the population.

There were 18,518 households, out of which 64% were married couples living together, 12% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18% were non-families. The average household size was 2.4.

Wallingford’s 2022 median household income was $98,456, and the median family income was $120,823.[17] The average household and family income was $115,652 and $139,258, respectively.[18]

In the town, the population's ages were spread out, with 24.0% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.

Economy

Top employers

Top employers in Wallingford according to the town's 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report:[19]

# Employer # of Employees
1 Town of Wallingford 1,412
2 Elevance Health 1,194
3 Masonicare 757
4 Gaylord Specialty Healthcare / Gaylord Hospital 519
5 Community Health Network 475
6 Choate Rosemary Hall 299
7 Fosdick Fulfillment 270
8 United Concrete Products Inc 265
9 Ulbrich Stainless Steels & Special Metals, Inc. 206
10 Thurston Foods Inc 157

Transportation

Wallingford train station is served by the Hartford Line and Amtrak

Wallingford is also located on the New Haven–Springfield Line with daily passenger service to points north and south and to New York City via a connection in New Haven. It is served at Wallingford station by the CT Rail (Connecticut Department of Transportation) Hartford Line trains and by Amtrak's Hartford Line, Northeast Regional, and Valley Flyer.

Tweed New Haven Airport (HVN) in East Haven and Bradley International Airport (BDL) in Windsor Locks are the closest commercial airports to Wallingford.

Sports

In 1943 and 1944 the Boston Braves held spring training in Wallingford at Choate's Winter Exercise Building.[20] The town is the home of the Connecticut Bearcats, a New England Football League team.

Notable people

Points of interest

Paul Mellon Arts Center, designed by I. M. Pei.

National Register of Historic Places

Ten buildings and districts in Wallingford are listed on the National Register of Historic Places:[35]

Citations

  1. ↑ "Town of Wallingford, Connecticut". Town of Wallingford, Connecticut. Retrieved September 22, 2012.
  2. ↑ "Census - Geography Profile: Wallingford town, New Haven County, Connecticut". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  3. ↑ The Connecticut Magazine: An Illustrated Monthly. Connecticut Magazine Company. 1903. p. 335.
  4. ↑ "History and Description". Town.wallingford.ct.us. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
  5. ↑ Demos, John Putnam. Entertaining Satan: Witchcraft and the Culture of Early New England. Oxford Press, 2004, page 409.
  6. ↑ "About The Town of Wallingford, CT | Town of Wallingford". www.wallingford.ct.us. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
  7. ↑ (April 3, 2017). Hall, Elton & Co. designs in collections and in expositions-- and historical information. artdesigncafe. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  8. ↑ (April 3, 2016). Simpson, Hall, Miller & Co. design catalogues and historical information. artdesigncafe. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  9. ↑ (April 2, 2016). R. Wallace & Sons / Wallace Silversmiths design catalogues and historical information. artdesigncafe. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  10. ↑ (May 15, 2016). Watrous Manufacturing Company designs, exhibitions, design catalogues and historical information. artdesigncafe. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  11. ↑ "Home". Hts-wallingford.org. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Wallingford Public Schools". Wallingford.k12.ct.us. February 22, 2016. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
  13. ↑ "Home - Choate Rosemary Hall". Choate.edu. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
  14. ↑ "Home | Heritage Baptist Church". Hbc4.me. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
  15. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  16. ↑ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Wallingford town, New Haven County, Connecticut". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  17. ↑ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  18. ↑ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Town of Wallingford Comprehensive Annual Financial Report For the Fiscal Year July 1, 2019- June 30, 2020" (PDF). Town of West Hartford. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  20. ↑ The ESPN Baseball Encyclopedia. Sterling Publishing. 2007. p. 1789. ISBN 978-1-4027-4771-7.
  21. ↑ "Alice Blaski". All American Girls Professional Baseball League Players Association, Inc. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
  22. ↑ "BRADLEY, Stephen Row, (1754 - 1830)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
  23. ↑ "COOKE, Bates, (1787 - 1841)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
  24. ↑ "D.J. Cotrona". TV.com. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
  25. ↑ Pasquale J. DeBaise-obituary
  26. ↑ "Donofrio's Unique Life Is, at Last, a Film". Los Angeles Times. October 19, 2001. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
  27. ↑ Galon, Buddy (2005). Dearly Departed: A Personal View of Celebrity Funerals. AuthorHouse. p. 51. ISBN 9781463488215.
  28. ↑ Bradley, Edwin M. (2004). The First Hollywood Musicals: A Critical Filmography of 171 Features, 1927 Through 1932. McFarland. p. 31. ISBN 9780786420292.
  29. ↑ Shulman, Ken. "Team Works". Metropolis Magazine. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  30. ↑ "Phillips Collection Taps Dallas Curator To Succeed Director". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
  31. ↑ "World War I Flying Ace Raoul Lufbery". ConnecticutHistory.org#sthash.IEibE0Y1.dpuf. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
  32. ↑ "McGUIRE, John Andrew, (1906 - 1976)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
  33. ↑ "San Diego Reader staff bios". San Diego Reader. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
  34. ↑ Davison, Phil. "The Animals guitarist Hilton Valentine dies at 77". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  35. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.

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