Cornwall, Connecticut

Cornwall, Connecticut
Town
Location in Litchfield County, Connecticut
Country	United States
State	Connecticut
NECTA	None
Region	Northwestern Connecticut
Incorporated	1740
Government
• Type	Selectman-town meeting
• First selectman	Gordon M. Ridgway
Area
• Total	46.3 sq mi (119.9 km2)
• Land	46.0 sq mi (119.2 km2)
• Water	0.3 sq mi (0.7 km2)
Elevation	709 ft (216 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	1,434
• Density	32/sq mi (12/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	06754, 06796
Area code	860
FIPS code	09-17240
GNIS feature ID	0213412
Website	http://www.cornwallct.org/

Cornwall is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 1,434 at the 2000 census.

In 1939 poet Mark Van Doren wrote "The Hills of Little Cornwall", a short poem in which the beauties of the countryside were portrayed as seductive:

The mind, eager for caresses,

Lies down at its own risk in Cornwall;

The town was also home to the Foreign Mission School.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 46.3 square miles (120 km²), of which, 46.0 square miles (119 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km²) of it (0.54%) is water. The town is located on the east bank of the Housatonic River and also contains a major portion of the Mohawk State Forest.

Principal communities

• Cornwall Bridge (has its own post office)
• Cornwall Village (has its own post office)
• Cornwall Hollow
• East Cornwall
• West Cornwall (has its own post office)

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 1,434 people, 615 households, and 389 families residing in the town. The population density was 31.2 people per square mile (12.0/km²). There were 873 housing units at an average density of 19.0 per square mile (7.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.49% White, 0.21% African American, 0.70% Asian, 0.21% from other races, and 1.39% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.46% of the population.

A sketch of the village by John Warner Barber (1835) shows the buildings used by the Foreign Mission School, to the right of the church at center.

There was 1 household out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.5% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.6% were non-families. 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.93. One child was Chinese, although its current whereabouts is unknown.

In the town the population was spread out with 24.4% under the age of 18, 3.3% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 28.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $54,886, and the median income for a family was $64,750. Males had a median income of $46,875 versus $30,536 for females. The per capita income for the town was $42,484. About 1.0% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.0% of those under age 18 and 1.6% of those age 65 or over. Cornwall is a beautiful portion of Connecticut. Some of its main features include the Cream Hill Lake, the Covered Bridge, Mohawk Ski Mountain and the town which contains a library and tennis courts. It is a very enjoyable place for young children who enjoy activity.

Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 25, 2005
Party		Active Voters	Inactive Voters	Total Voters	Percentage	Democratic	330	6	336	31.97%	Republican	246	4	250	23.79%	Unaffiliated	447	8	455	43.29%	Minor Parties	10	0	10	0.95%
Total		1,033	18	1,051	100%

Transportation

West Cornwall Covered Bridge, West Cornwall, Connecticut

The town is served by Route 4, US 7, Route 43, and Route 128.

The covered bridge in West Cornwall is also one of only three covered bridges in Litchfield County. It has been in continuous service since 1864. The span is 242 feet and it crosses the Housatonic River.

Notable locations

• Cathedral Pines - a 42 acre nature conservatory and old growth forest.
• Cornwall Bridge - built in 1930 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.
• Cornwall Bridge Railroad Station - added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
• House VI ("the Frank residence") - an example of Deconstructivist architecture.
• Mohawk Mountain Ski Area - a ski resort.
• West Cornwall Covered Bridge - listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975

Notable residents

• Ira Allen, born in Cornwall, was one of the founders of Vermont
• John Sedgwick, born in Cornwall, Civil War General in the Union Army
• Abraham A. Ribicoff, Connecticut Governor and U.S. Senator
• Sam Waterston, lives in West Cornwall, actor
• Tom Jones, composer, The Fantastiks
• Oliver Platt, actor
• Mark Van Doren, poet and teacher
• Charles Van Doren, historian, former quiz show contestant, lives in Cornwall

References in Popular Culture

• The fictional private boarding high school "Cornwall Academy" from the movie Outside Providence (1999) is located in Cornwall, Connecticut.
• In the show Supernatural (Season 2 Episode 11 Playthings), Sam and Dean Winchester explore a haunted bed and breakfast in Cornwall, Connecticut.
• In Gossip Girl (TV series) , Serena van der Woodsen attended the fictional boarding school, "The Knightley School", located in Cornwall, Connecticut.

External links

• Non-official web site sponsored by the Cornwall Association
• Cornwall Consolidated School
• Cornwall libraries
• The Lakeville Journal
• Housatonic Valley Regional High School in Falls Village
• Cornwall Historical Society
• Northwest Connecticut Arts Council
• Northwest Connecticut Convention and Visitors Bureau