Danbury is a city in northern
Fairfield CountyFairfield County is a county located in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The county population is 916,829 according to the 2010 Census. There are currently 1,465 people per square mile in the county. It is the most populous county in the State of Connecticut and contains...
,
ConnecticutConnecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, United States. It had population at the 2010 census of 80,893. Danbury is the fourth largest city in Fairfield County and is the seventh largest city in Connecticut.
The city was named for the place of origin of many of the early settlers,
Danbury, EssexDanbury is a village in Essex, England. It is located northeast of Charing Cross, London and has a population of 6,500. It is situated on a hill above sea level.-Origins:The village was built on the site of a megalithic hill fort noted for its oval shape....
, in England, and has been nicknamed
Hat City, because it used to be a center of the hat industry, at one point producing almost 25% of America's hats.
Danbury is home to the
Danbury HospitalDanbury Hospital is a 371-bed hospital in Danbury, Connecticut serving patients in Fairfield County, Connecticut and Putnam County, New York.The hospital has 3,300 employees. John M. Murphy, M.D...
, as well as
Danbury High SchoolDanbury High School is a public high school in Danbury, Connecticut. Despite Danbury's population of 81,000, there is only one public high school, along with several small private schools, and one vocational high school. Danbury High School is supplemented by a magnet program called the Alternative...
and
Western Connecticut State UniversityWestern Connecticut State University is a public university in Danbury, Connecticut. Founded in 1903, WestConn has an arts and sciences curriculum, a business school, and several professional programs including elementary and secondary education, nursing, music performance, and social work...
.
History
Danbury was first settled by colonists in 1685, when eight families moved to the area from the area that is now
NorwalkNorwalk is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of the city is 85,603, making Norwalk sixth in population in Connecticut, and third in Fairfield County...
and
StamfordStamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
. The area was then called
Pahquioque by the Pahquioque American Indians. One of the first settlers was
Samuel BenedictSamuel Benedict was a Liberian politician and jurist who served as the 1st Chief Justice of Liberia. He was born a slave in the U.S. state of Georgia in 1792, and purchased his freedom and that of his family. He emigrated to Liberia in 1835, on the ship Indiana.Prior to Liberia’s independence,...
who bought land from the Paquioque natives in 1685 along with his brother James, James Beebe, and Judah Gregory. Originally called
Paquiack ("open plain" or "cleared land") by local American Indians, the settlers chose the name
Swampfield for their town, but in October 1687, the general court decreed the name Danbury. The general court appointed a committee to lay out the boundaries of the new town. A survey was made in 1693, and a formal town patent was granted in 1702 according to the 1693 survey.
During the
American RevolutionThe American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, Danbury was an important military supply depot for the
Continental ArmyThe Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
. On April 26–27, 1777, the British under Major General
William TryonWilliam Tryon was a British soldier and colonial administrator who served as governor of the Province of North Carolina and the Province of New York .-Early life and career:...
burned and looted the city. The central motto on the seal of the City of Danbury is
Restituimus (
LatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
for "We have restored"), a reference to the destruction caused by the Loyalist army troops. The American General
David WoosterDavid Wooster was an American general who served in the French and Indian War and in the American Revolutionary War. He died of wounds sustained during the Battle of Ridgefield, Connecticut. Cities, schools, and public places were named after him...
was mortally wounded near the town of
RidgefieldRidgefield is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. Situated in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains, the 300-year-old community had a population of 24,638 at the 2010 census. The town center, which was formerly a borough, is defined by the U.S...
at the
Battle of RidgefieldThe Battle of Ridgefield was a battle and a series of skirmishes between American and British forces during the American Revolutionary War. The main battle was fought in the village of Ridgefield, Connecticut on April 27, 1777 and more skirmishing occurred the next day between Ridgefield and the...
by these same British forces which had earlier attacked Danbury. He is buried in Danbury's Wooster Cemetery, and the private
Wooster SchoolWooster School is a private, co-educational, college-preparatory Pre-K-12 school in Danbury, Connecticut, in the United States. Wooster was founded in 1926 by Aaron Coburn and is named after General David Wooster, a Revolutionary War hero. Wooster's four cardinal principles are simplicity,...
in Danbury is named in his honor.
In 1780, the first hat factory in Danbury was established by Zadoc Benedict, employing three workers and producing 18 hats a week. Danbury was known as "The Hat City" or the "Hatting Capital of the World" during the early 20th century, as it produced almost than 24% of America's hats in 1904.
In 1802,
Thomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
wrote a letter to the Danbury
BaptistBaptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
Association, a group expressing fear of persecution by the Congregationalists of that town, in which he used the expression "
Separation of Church and StateThe concept of the separation of church and state refers to the distance in the relationship between organized religion and the nation state....
". It is the first known instance of the expression, which contrary to popular belief does not appear in the U.S. Constitution in those words, but is often believed to be present by the combined effect of the establishment and free exercise clauses of the
First AmendmentThe First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
.
James MadisonJames Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United...
, considered the founder of the Constitution, also used very similar language regarding a separation of church and state. The letter is on display at the Unitarian-Universalist Congregation of Danbury.
The first
Danbury FairThe Danbury Fair was a yearly exhibition in Danbury, Connecticut. It was begun in 1821 as an agricultural fair, but did not have a regular schedule until 1869 when hat manufacturers Rundle and White helped form the Danbury Farmers and Manufacturers Society...
was held in 1821. By 1869, it became a yearly event and was held until 1981. After 1981, the fairgrounds were demolished to make room for the
Danbury Fair MallAs of 2011, Danbury Fair is the second largest shopping mall in Connecticut as well as the fifth largest in New England. It is located off of Interstate 84 and U.S...
, which opened in the fall of 1986.
In 1835, the Connecticut Legislature granted a rail charter to the
Fairfield County RailroadThe Fairfield County Railroad was chartered May 1835. Its goal was to give Danbury, Connecticut, a rail link with the outside world. It became the Danbury and Norwalk Railroad by 1850 which in turn did not operate until 1852...
, but after 15 years, no work had been completed and investment was slow. In 1850, the organization's vast plans were scaled back and it was renamed the
Danbury and Norwalk RailroadThe Danbury and Norwalk Railroad was an independent American railroad that operated between its namesake cities in Connecticut from 1852 until its absorption by the Housatonic Railroad in 1887...
. Work moved quickly on the 23-mile (37 km) railroad line. In 1852, the first railroad line in Danbury opened, with two trains making the 75-minute trip to
NorwalkNorwalk is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of the city is 85,603, making Norwalk sixth in population in Connecticut, and third in Fairfield County...
.
The central part of Danbury was incorporated as a borough in 1822. The borough was reincorporated as the city of Danbury on April 19, 1889. The city and town were consolidated on January 1, 1965.
The
Kohanza ReservoirThe Kohanza Reservoir was a reservoir in Danbury, Connecticut. It was the first of many reservoirs built to supply Danbury's hat factories. The dam broke on January 31, 1869...
, one of the many reservoirs built to provide water to the hat factories, broke on January 31, 1869. The ensuing flood of icy water killed 11 people in half an hour, and caused major damage to many homes and farms.
In 1902, the
American Federation of LaborThe American Federation of Labor was one of the first federations of labor unions in the United States. It was founded in 1886 by an alliance of craft unions disaffected from the Knights of Labor, a national labor association. Samuel Gompers was elected president of the Federation at its...
union called for a nationwide boycott of a non-union hat manufacturer, Dietrich Loewe, in Danbury. The manufacturer sued the union under the
Sherman Antitrust ActThe Sherman Antitrust Act requires the United States federal government to investigate and pursue trusts, companies, and organizations suspected of violating the Act. It was the first Federal statute to limit cartels and monopolies, and today still forms the basis for most antitrust litigation by...
for unlawfully restraining trade. The U.S. Supreme Court held that the union was liable for damages in 1908. This case is also known as the Danbury Hatters' case.
A 60 acres (24.3 ha) tract near the Danbury Fairgrounds known as Tucker's Field was purchased by local pilots in 1928 and leased to the town. This became an airport, which is now
Danbury Municipal AirportDanbury Municipal Airport is a public use general aviation airport located three miles southwest of the central business district of Danbury, in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The airport opened in 1930. It is currently run by the city of Danbury.The Reliant Air building burned...
.
Connecticut's largest lake,
Candlewood LakeCandlewood Lake, 8.4 sq mi , is located in Fairfield and Litchfield counties of western Connecticut, in the northeastern United States. It is the largest lake in Connecticut...
, was artificially created in 1929 where Wood Creek and the Rocky River meet near the
Housatonic RiverThe Housatonic River is a river, approximately long, in western Massachusetts and western Connecticut in the United States. It flows south to southeast, and drains about of southwestern New England into Long Island Sound...
. The land that is now the lake was owned and operated by
Connecticut Light and Power CompanyNortheast Utilities is a publicly-traded, Fortune 500 energy company headquartered in Berlin, Connecticut, with several regulated subsidiaries offering retail electricity and natural gas service to more than 2.1 million customers in New England....
as a hydroelectric power facility until sold for $9 million in June 2006.
In the August 1988 issue of
Money magazineMoney is published by Time Inc. Its first issue was published in October 1972. Its articles cover the gamut of personal finance topics ranging from investing, saving, retirement and taxes to family finance issues like paying for college, credit, career and home improvement...
, Danbury topped the magazine's list of the best U.S. cities to live in, mostly due to low crime, good schools, and location.
Social activism, desegregation, and conscientious objectors during World War II
During the Second World War, Danbury's prison was one of many sites used for the incarceration of
conscientious objectorA conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, and/or religion....
s. One in six inmates in the United States' federal prisons was a conscientious objector, and prisons like Danbury found themselves suddenly filled with large numbers of highly educated men skilled in social activism. Due to the activism of inmates within the prison, and local laborers protesting in solidarity with the conscientious objectors, Danbury became one of the nation's first prisons to desegregate its inmates.
Geography
According to the
United States Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, Danbury has a total area of 44.3 square miles (114.7 km²), of which 42.1 square miles (109 km²) is land and 2.2 square miles (5.7 km²), or 4.94%, is water. The city includes the southern parts of
Candlewood LakeCandlewood Lake, 8.4 sq mi , is located in Fairfield and Litchfield counties of western Connecticut, in the northeastern United States. It is the largest lake in Connecticut...
.
Demographics
Historical
population
of Danbury |
| 1756 |
1,527 |
| 1790 |
3,031 |
| 1800 |
3,180 |
| 1820 |
3,873 |
| 1850 |
5,964 |
| 1860 |
7,234 |
| 1870 |
8,753 |
| 1880 |
11,666 |
| 1890 |
19,473 |
| 1900 |
19,474 |
| 1910 |
23,502 |
| 1920 |
22,325 |
| 1930 |
26,955 |
| 1940 |
27,921 |
| 1950 |
30,337 |
| 1960 |
39,382 |
| 1970 |
50,781 |
| 1980 |
60,470 |
| 1990 |
65,585 |
| 2000 |
74,848 |
| 2010 |
80,893 |
As of the
censusA census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 74,848 people, 27,183 households, and 17,886 families residing in the city. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,777.4 people per square mile (686.3/km²). There were 28,519 housing units at an average density of 677.2 per square mile (261.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 76.0% White, 6.8% African American, 0.29% Native American, 5.5% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 7.6% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 4.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.8% of the population.
There were 27,183 households out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.1% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.2% were non-families. 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.18.
The population was distributed as follows: 21.7% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 35.4% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 96.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $53,664, and the median income for a family was $61,899. Males had a median income of $39,016 versus $31,319 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $24,500. About 5.9% of families and 8.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.7% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over.
| Voter registration and party enrollment as of October 26, 2010 |
| Party |
Active voters |
Inactive voters |
Total voters |
Percentage
|
Democratic The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
|
10,614 |
678 |
11,292 |
31.89%
|
RepublicanThe Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
|
6,585 |
373 |
6,958 |
19.73%
|
Unaffiliated |
15,400 |
1,333 |
16,733 |
47.26%
|
Minor parties |
385 |
32 |
417 |
0.01% |
| Total |
32,984 |
2,416 |
35,400 |
100% |
When ZIP codes were introduced in 1963, the
06810 code was given to all of Danbury; it was shared with a then-still-rural New Fairfield to its north. In 1984, the 06810 Zip Code was cut back to areas of Danbury south of Interstate 84. A new
06811 ZIP code was created for areas north of Interstate 84. New Fairfield received its own code,
06812.
Economy
- ATMI Inc. – headquarters 7 Commerce Drive; makes materials and materials packaging for semiconductor and flat panel manufacturers worldwide; 700 employees company wide; $
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
281.8 million in 2005 revenues; CEO Doug Neugold
- Cartus
Cartus Corporation is a services corporation specializing in employee relocation, including home sale and home purchase, household-goods shipping, move management, property management, rental and temporary housing, settling-in, spouse/partner career transition assistance, visa and immigration...
(a subsidiaryA subsidiary company, subsidiary, or daughter company is a company that is completely or partly owned and wholly controlled by another company that owns more than half of the subsidiary's stock. The subsidiary can be a company, corporation, or limited liability company. In some cases it is a...
of Realogy CorporationRealogy is a privately owned company that provides real estate and relocation services. It owns and franchises several of the industry's leading real estate brands and brokerages...
) – headquarters, 40 Apple Ridge Road; Relocation; 1,800 employees (2,700 worldwide); CEO Kevin Kelleher
- Ethan Allen Interiors Inc.
Ethan Allen Global, Inc. is a North American furniture chain with almost 300 stores across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1932 by two brothers-in-law, Nathan S...
– headquarters, Ethan Allen Drive; designs, manufactures and distributes furniture, rugs, lamps, draperies and other decorative home accessories sold by a network of more than 300 Ethan Allen interior design centers in the United States and abroad; 6,400 employees company wide, 618 in Connecticut; $949 million in 2005 revenues; CEO Farooq Kathwari
- Praxair Inc.
Praxair, Inc. is the largest industrial gases company in North and South America and one of the largest worldwide. The company supplies atmospheric, process and specialty gases as well as high-performance coatings and related services to a wide diversity of customers around the world...
– headquarters, 39 Old Ridgebury Road; the Fortune 500The Fortune 500 is an annual list compiled and published by Fortune magazine that ranks the top 500 U.S. closely held and public corporations as ranked by their gross revenue after adjustments made by Fortune to exclude the impact of excise taxes companies collect. The list includes publicly and...
company makes and sells industrial gases used worldwide in the electronics, metal fabrication, health care and food processing industries, also makes metallic and ceramic powders and coatings; 27,000 employees company wide, 550 in Connecticut; $8.3 billion in 2006 revenues; CEO Steve Angel
- Scholastic Library Publishing Inc. (a division of Scholastic Corporation) – headquarters, 90 Sherman Turnpike; Scholastic Library publishes educational, children's and reference books, including the Encyclopedia Americana
Encyclopedia Americana is one of the largest general encyclopedias in the English language. Following the acquisition of Grolier in 2000, the encyclopedia has been produced by Scholastic....
(the first encyclopedia published in the US), as well as Nueva Enciclopedia Cumbre en Linea (the Spanish language encyclopedia) and Lands and Peoples. Imprints include Franklin Watts and Children's Press. Its interactive unit produces games and interactive software, including Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia (the first encyclopedia in electronic form); Greg Worrell, division president
- Union Carbide made Danbury its headquarters in 1983. The company remained there for over 20 years, until it was merged into Dow
The Dow Chemical Company is a multinational corporation headquartered in Midland, Michigan, United States. As of 2007, it is the second largest chemical manufacturer in the world by revenue and as of February 2009, the third-largest chemical company in the world by market capitalization .Dow...
chemical.
Top employers
According to the City's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:
| # |
Employer |
# of Employees |
| 1 |
Boehringer Ingelheim |
2,547 |
| 2 |
Danbury Hospital Danbury Hospital is a 371-bed hospital in Danbury, Connecticut serving patients in Fairfield County, Connecticut and Putnam County, New York.The hospital has 3,300 employees. John M. Murphy, M.D...
|
2,310 |
| 3 |
Danbury Public Schools |
1,551 |
| 4 |
CartusCartus Corporation is a services corporation specializing in employee relocation, including home sale and home purchase, household-goods shipping, move management, property management, rental and temporary housing, settling-in, spouse/partner career transition assistance, visa and immigration...
|
1,364 |
| 5 |
Western Connecticut State UniversityWestern Connecticut State University is a public university in Danbury, Connecticut. Founded in 1903, WestConn has an arts and sciences curriculum, a business school, and several professional programs including elementary and secondary education, nursing, music performance, and social work...
|
595 |
| 6 |
City of Danbury |
535 |
| 7 |
GoodrichThe Goodrich Corporation , formerly the B.F. Goodrich Company, is an American aerospace manufacturing company based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Founded in Akron, Ohio in 1870 as Goodrich, Tew & Co. by Dr. Benjamin Franklin Goodrich. The company name was changed to the "B.F...
|
501 |
| 8 |
Barden Barden Corporation is a ball bearing manufacturer based in Danbury, Connecticut, USA with factories in Danbury, Winsted, Connecticut and in Plymouth, England...
|
383 |
| 9 |
PraxairPraxair, Inc. is the largest industrial gases company in North and South America and one of the largest worldwide. The company supplies atmospheric, process and specialty gases as well as high-performance coatings and related services to a wide diversity of customers around the world...
|
383 |
| 10 |
Ethan Allen Ethan Allen Global, Inc. is a North American furniture chain with almost 300 stores across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1932 by two brothers-in-law, Nathan S...
|
240 |
Government
The chief executive officer of Danbury is the
MayorIn many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
, who serves a two year term. The current mayor is Mark Boughton (R). The Mayor is the presiding officer of the Common Council, which consists of 21 members, two from each of the seven city wards, and seven at-large. The Common Council enacts ordinances and resolutions by a simple majority vote. If after five days the Mayor does not approve the ordinance (similar to a
vetoA veto, Latin for "I forbid", is the power of an officer of the state to unilaterally stop an official action, especially enactment of a piece of legislation...
), the Common Council may re-vote on it. If it then passes with a two-thirds majority, it becomes effective without the Mayor's approval. The current Common Council consists of 14 Republicans and 7 Democrats.
Danbury also has four state representatives as of the 2008 elections, Rep. Jason Bartlett D-2, Rep. Joe Taborsak D-109, Deputy Speaker of the House Bob Godfrey D-110, and Rep. Jan Giegler R-138. There is one state senator, Michael McLachlan R-24.
Danbury is represented in the
United States CongressThe United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
by U.S. Rep.
Chris MurphyChristopher Scott "Chris" Murphy is the U. S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party.Murphy previously served in the Connecticut House of Representatives and the Connecticut Senate....
(D).
Danbury's 2010 mill rate is 20.96.
Danbury is also home to an
Army ReserveThe United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....
Special OperationsSpecial operations are military operations that are considered "special" .Special operations are typically performed independently or in conjunction with conventional military operations. The primary goal is to achieve a political or military objective where a conventional force requirement does...
unit, the
411th Civil Affairs Battalion411th Civil Affairs Battalion is a civil affairs unit of the United States Army. It is based at Danbury, Connecticut. The unit includes Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta and Headquarters Companies, all located in Danbury...
.
Danbury Federal Correctional Institute
Danbury is the site of a low-security women's prison, the Danbury Federal Correctional Institute, formerly a men's prison. It is located near the border with
New FairfieldNew Fairfield is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 13,881 at the 2010 census. The town is considered part of the greater New York Metropolitan Area and lies approximately from New York City...
. Notable ex-prisoners include cocaine dealer and trafficker of
BlowBlow is a 2001 biopic about the American cocaine smuggler George Jung, directed by Ted Demme. David McKenna and Nick Cassavetes adapted Bruce Porter's 1993 book Blow: How a Small Town Boy Made $100 Million with the Medellín Cocaine Cartel and Lost It All for the screenplay. It is based on the real...
fame
George JungGeorge Jacob Jung , nicknamed "Boston George", was a major player in the cocaine trade in the United States in the 1970s and early 1980s. Jung was a part of the Medellín Cartel which was responsible for up to 85 percent of the cocaine smuggled into the United States . He specialized in the...
, Unification Church leader the Rev.
Sun Myung MoonSun Myung Moon is the Korean founder and leader of the worldwide Unification Church. He is also the founder of many other organizations and projects...
, and hotel magnate
Leona HelmsleyLeona Mindy Roberts Helmsley was an American businesswoman and real estate entrepreneur. She was a flamboyant personality and had a reputation for tyrannical behavior that earned her the nickname Queen of Mean...
.
James Michael CurleyJames Michael Curley was an American politician famous for his four terms as mayor of Boston, Massachusetts. He also served twice in the United States House of Representatives and one term as 53rd Governor of Massachusetts.-Early life:Curley's father, Michael Curley, left Oughterard, County...
, mayor of Boston from 1945–1949, spent five months of his mayoral term at Danbury Federal Prison, after he was convicted on federal charges of official misconduct. Media personality and homemaker
Martha StewartMartha Stewart is an American business magnate, author, magazine publisher, and television personality. As founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she has gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing publishing, broadcasting, and merchandising...
(incarcerated in
West VirginiaWest Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
) and female rap star
Lil' KimKimberly Denise Jones , better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and actress who was a member of the group Junior M.A.F.I.A.....
requested that their prison terms be served at Danbury Federal Correctional Institute due to its proximity to their New York City homes. However, due to the media attention their requests were denied.
Education
Danbury is home to
Western Connecticut State UniversityWestern Connecticut State University is a public university in Danbury, Connecticut. Founded in 1903, WestConn has an arts and sciences curriculum, a business school, and several professional programs including elementary and secondary education, nursing, music performance, and social work...
, Ridley-Lowell Business & Technical Institute, and the Brandford Hall Career Institute.
Public schools
Danbury has two public high schools:
Danbury High SchoolDanbury High School is a public high school in Danbury, Connecticut. Despite Danbury's population of 81,000, there is only one public high school, along with several small private schools, and one vocational high school. Danbury High School is supplemented by a magnet program called the Alternative...
and
Henry Abbott Technical High SchoolHenry Abbott Technical High School is a vocational-technical high school in Danbury and is among three high schools within Danbury, which include Danbury High School, and Immaculate High School.-Automotive Collision Repair and Refinishing:...
, each which are for grades 9 through 12. An alternative school by the name of Alternative Center for Excellence is housed off-campus, and it graduates receive Danbury High School diplomas upon completion of their studies. Danbury also has two public middle schools for grades 6 through 8: Broadview Middle School and Rogers Park Middle School. There are 13 elementary schools in Danbury. These schools are Western Connecticut Academy for International Studies Magnet School (K-5), Ellsworth Avenue (K-5), Great Plain (K-5), Hayestown (K-5), King Street Primary (K-3) and King Street Intermediate (4-5), Mill Ridge Primary (K-3), Morris Street (K-5), Park Avenue (K-5), Pembroke (K-5), Shelter Rock (K-5), South Street (K-5) and Stadley Rough (K-5)
Parochial schools
Roman Catholic parochial schools in Danbury reside within the administration of the
Diocese of BridgeportThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport is located in the south western part of the state of Connecticut, and its boundaries are the same as that of Fairfield County, Connecticut. There are 87 parishes in the diocese. Its cathedral is St. Augustine in Bridgeport.The current bishop is The Most...
and include:
- 1 high school: Immaculate High School (9-12)
- 3 elementary schools: St Peter-Sacred Heart School (Birth-8), St. Gregory the Great School (PK-8),and St. Joseph School (PK-8)
Private schools
In addition, Danbury is home to:
- Anderson Montessori School
- Colonial Hills Christian Academy
- Hudson Country Montessori School
- New England Country Day School
- New Hope Christian Academy
- Maimonides Academy
- Wooster School
Wooster School is a private, co-educational, college-preparatory Pre-K-12 school in Danbury, Connecticut, in the United States. Wooster was founded in 1926 by Aaron Coburn and is named after General David Wooster, a Revolutionary War hero. Wooster's four cardinal principles are simplicity,...
- Immanuel Lutheran School
Media
- The News-Times of Danbury, a daily newspaper owned by Media News Group.
- Tribuna Newspaper a biweekly, bilingual (Portuguese/English) publication.
- WFAR-FM 93.3 - Radio Familia Portuguese Radio Station.
- WLAD-AM 800; 1,000 watts (daytime); 287 watts (nighttime)
- WDAQ-FM
WDAQ , "98Q") is a Hot AC station licenced to Danbury, Connecticut and serving the immediate Danbury area. The station is owned by Berkshire Broadcasting Corp, along with sister stations WLAD and WAXB...
98.3; 3,000 watts; owned by the Berkshire Broadcasting Corporation
- WXCI-FM
WXCI is a student radio station broadcasting an Educational format. Licensed to Danbury, Connecticut, USA, the station serves the Connecticut and New York college area. The station is currently owned by Western Connecticut State University....
91.7; 3,000 watts; College radio station owned by Western Connecticut State UniversityWestern Connecticut State University is a public university in Danbury, Connecticut. Founded in 1903, WestConn has an arts and sciences curriculum, a business school, and several professional programs including elementary and secondary education, nursing, music performance, and social work...
and operated by past and present students. It receives funding from the Western Connecticut State University Student Government Association.
Libraries
The Danbury Public Library maintains a large collection of print fiction and non-fiction. The growing
DVDA DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
collection has recently been augmented by a new Blu-Ray collection. The Danbury Library was established in 1879 to serve the growing city of Danbury.
Hiking trails
- Bear Mountain Reservation
- The Old Quarry Nature Center has two short educational trails on 39 acres (15.8 ha) off Mountainville Avenue.
- Tarrywile Mansion and Park http://www.tarrywile.com is one of Danbury's most popular parks. There are 21 miles (33.8 km) of trails as well as several ponds located on the 722 acres (292.2 ha) park. The historic Victorian mansion and gardens are a common location for weddings.
Parks
- Danbury Candlewood Park overlooks Candlewood Lake. Swimming, picnicking, and a boat launch are available in the 11.1 acres (44,920.1 m²) park.
- Elmwood Park
- Hatters Community Park
- Kenosia Park
- Richter Park
- Rogers Park
- Tarrywile Park - Recreation park on 722 acres (2.9 km²) with 21 miles (33.8 km) of hiking trails. Mansion is a community center available for rental, more information can be found at www.tarrywile.com
Portions of the private
Morefar Back O’BeyondMorefar Back O’Beyond is a secretive, little-used private golf course located on in both Danbury, Connecticut and Southeast, New York. The course can be seen from portions of the Richter Park public course and has garnered local rumor as to its origin and ownership.Course officials do not...
golf course are located in Danbury.
Museums
- Danbury Museum and Historical Society
The Danbury Museum and Historical Society is a private museum located in Danbury, Connecticut, the purpose of which is to acquire, preserve, exhibit, and interpret the heritage of the greater Danbury area for education, information, and research. The main campus of the museum is located on 43 Main...
- Danbury Railway Museum
The Danbury Railway Museum is housed in the former Union Station on the east end of downtown Danbury, Connecticut, United States. It was established in the mid-1990s following the closure of the station by Metro-North Railroad, and primarily focuses on the history of railroading in southeastern...
- Military Museum of Southern New England
Other
- Danbury was the home of the Danbury Fair
The Danbury Fair was a yearly exhibition in Danbury, Connecticut. It was begun in 1821 as an agricultural fair, but did not have a regular schedule until 1869 when hat manufacturers Rundle and White helped form the Danbury Farmers and Manufacturers Society...
(1869–1981). The Danbury Fair MallAs of 2011, Danbury Fair is the second largest shopping mall in Connecticut as well as the fifth largest in New England. It is located off of Interstate 84 and U.S...
was built on the fairgrounds in 1986.
- Danbury is home to the 411th Civil Affairs Battalion
411th Civil Affairs Battalion is a civil affairs unit of the United States Army. It is based at Danbury, Connecticut. The unit includes Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta and Headquarters Companies, all located in Danbury...
, an Army Reserve Special Operations unit.
- Danbury Hospital
Danbury Hospital is a 371-bed hospital in Danbury, Connecticut serving patients in Fairfield County, Connecticut and Putnam County, New York.The hospital has 3,300 employees. John M. Murphy, M.D...
is a 400-bed institution with 3,300 employees. The hospital is the home of the new Praxair Regional Heart and Vascular center, providing state of the art cardiovascular care to this growing region including open heart surgeryOpen Heart Surgery was released on August 8, 2000 by rock band Virginwool. The band signed to Breaking/Atlantic Records after initially beginning signed to Universal Records. The album was produced and mixed by Brad Wood....
and coronary angioplasty.
- Richter Park Golf Course is Danbury's municipal golf course and hosts numerous tournaments such as the annual Danbury Amateur and American Junior Golf Association
The American Junior Golf Association is a "501 nonprofit organization dedicated to the overall growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf." AJGA is considered by many leaders in the golf industry to be the premier...
majors. It was won a variety of awards, including being a "Top 10 Connecticut Course" and the "#2 Best Public Course in the NY Metropolitan Area".
On the National Register of Historic Places
| Name | Location | Date added to NRHP |
| Ball and Roller Bearing Company The Ball and Roller Bearing Company, also known as American Family Crafts or Joseph McNutt House and Machine Shop, is located in Danbury, Connecticut. The building was built in 1917 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 25, 1989.The company office building was the...
|
20-22 Maple Ave. |
September 25, 1989 |
| Charles Ives House The Charles Ives House, also known as Charles Ives Birthplace, is located on Mountainville Avenue in Danbury, Connecticut, United States. It is a wooden frame structure built in 1780 and expanded on since. Over the course of the 19th century it was the residence of several generations of Iveses, a...
|
7 Mountainville Ave. |
May 26, 1976 |
| Hearthstone |
18 Brushy Hill Rd. |
December 31, 1987 |
John Rider HouseThe John Rider House is located on Main Street in Danbury, Connecticut, United States. It is a wooden frame house dating to the late 18th century....
|
43 Main St. |
added December 23, 1977 |
| Locust Avenue School |
Locust Ave. |
June 30, 1985 |
Main Street Historic DistrictThe Main Street Historic District in Danbury, Connecticut, United States, is the oldest section of that city, at its geographical center. It has long been the city's commercial core and downtown...
|
Boughton, Elm, Ives, Keeler, Main, West and White Sts. |
December 29, 1983 |
Meeker's HardwareMeeker's Hardware is located at White Street and Patriot Drive in downtown Danbury, Connecticut, United States, near the city's train station and the Danbury Railway Museum, just outside the city's Main Street Historic District. It was built in 1883, opened in 1885 and has remained in the Meeker...
|
86-90 White St. |
July 9, 1983 |
| Octagon House The Octagon House, in Danbury, Connecticut, United States, is located on Spring Street. It is considered the best octagon house of the 12 that survive in Connecticut...
|
21 Spring St. |
June 7, 1973 |
| P. Robinson Fur Cutting Company The P. Robinson Fur Cutting Company is located in Danbury, Connecticut. Also known as the Oil Mill Road building, it was built in 1884 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 30, 1982....
|
Oil Mill Rd. |
December 30, 1982 |
| Tarrywile Tarrywile is a Shingle Style house in Danbury, Connecticut. Also known as The Mansion, it was built in 1895.The house and its property, including a gatehouse, carriagehouse, and greenhouse, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988....
|
Southern Blvd. & Mountain Rd. |
February 6, 1988 |
Union Station (Danbury Railway Museum)The Danbury Railway Museum is housed in the former Union Station on the east end of downtown Danbury, Connecticut, United States. It was established in the mid-1990s following the closure of the station by Metro-North Railroad, and primarily focuses on the history of railroading in southeastern...
|
White St. and Patriot Dr. |
October 25, 1986 |
| Richter House (Richter Memorial Park) |
100 Aunt Hack Road |
September 17, 2010 |
Sports
The
Danbury WesternersThe Danbury Westerners are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Danbury, Connecticut. The team, a member of the New England Collegiate Baseball League, plays their home games at Rogers Park. The team played its inaugural season in 1995....
, a member of the
New England Collegiate Baseball LeagueThe New England Collegiate Baseball League is a 12-team collegiate summer baseball league founded in 1993 and sanctioned by the NCAA and Major League Baseball. Each NECBL team plays an eight-week, 42-game schedule during June and July, with a playoff in early August...
, play their home games at Rogers Park in Danbury.
The
United Hockey LeagueThe United Hockey League was a low-level professional ice hockey league , with teams in the United States...
(UHL) expanded to Danbury in 2004. The
Danbury TrashersThe Danbury Trashers were a United Hockey League ice hockey team located in Danbury, Connecticut. They played their home games at the Danbury Ice Arena....
played their first season at the
Danbury Ice ArenaThe Danbury Arena is a 2,212-seat multi-purpose arena in Danbury, Connecticut. It was built in 1999 and renovated and expanded in 2004. The Danbury Arena was the former home of the Danbury Trashers of the United Hockey League from 2004-2006, and the New England Stars of the North Eastern Hockey...
in October 2004. Among those on the roster included Brent Gretzky (brother of hockey legend
Wayne GretzkyWayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
) and Scott Stirling (son of former
New York IslandersThe New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
coach
Steve StirlingSteve Stirling is an assistant coach of the Binghamton Senators of the American Hockey League. He is the former head coach of the American Hockey League's Norfolk Admirals, the Springfield Falcons, and the National Hockey League's New York Islanders...
). Scott's older brother, Todd, coached the Trashers in the 2004-2005 season.
On June 9, 2006, the owner of the Trashers,
James GalanteJames Galante is a convicted felon and associate of the Genovese crime family, owner of the defunct Danbury Trashers minor league hockey team, and ex-CEO of Automated Waste Disposal , a company which holds waste disposal contracts for most of western Connecticut and Westchester and Putnam counties...
, was arrested as part of a federal investigation into illegal practices in the Connecticut garbage industry. Team executives were also charged with fraud as it was alleged the owner illegally subsidized players and violated the league salary cap. The club folded due to the ongoing investigation and lack of teams within close proximity to them.
In 2006, a new team was created to occupy the ice arena. The
New England StarsThe New England Stars were a North Eastern Hockey League team based in Danbury, Connecticut who started play at the end of 2006. The team filled the void when the Danbury Trashers left the Danbury Ice Arena, after the Trashers folded due to involvement in illegal business...
were formed to represent Danbury in the
North Eastern Hockey LeagueThe North Eastern Hockey League was a semi-professional ice hockey league from 2003 until 2008. It was created by entrepreneur Jim Cashman, who served as league president. The NEHL was built to focus on giving players that were not quite ready for the ECHL, United Hockey League, and the Central...
. Although the team was successful, the league suspended operations in 2008.
On March 25, 2008, Danbury was named the first city to officially have a new team in the newly formed
Eastern Professional Hockey LeagueThe Eastern Professional Hockey League was a low-level professional ice hockey league. The league was developed by Curtis Russell, Tim Kolpien, Igor Mrotchek, and Jim Riggs, the former commissioner of the Mid-Atlantic Hockey League in 2007....
. The team was called the
Danbury Mad HattersThe Danbury Mad Hatters were a professional ice hockey team based in Danbury, Connecticut at the 2,100-seat Danbury Ice Arena. The Mad Hatters were a member of the Eastern Professional Hockey League....
. The League lasted one season and is now defunct.
On December 27, 2009, Danbury was named the first city to officially have a new team in the newly formed
Federal Hockey LeagueThe Federal Hockey League is a professional ice hockey league with teams in the Northeastern United States and Ontario. The FHL began operations in November 2010. Don Kirnan serves as the league's first commissioner....
. The team is named the
Danbury WhalersThe Danbury Whalers are a minor league professional ice hockey team in the Federal Hockey League that began play in the 2010-11 season. Based in Danbury, Connecticut, the Whalers play at the Danbury Ice Arena, located in CityCenter Danbury...
, bringing back the name "Whalers" to Connecticut for the first time since 1997. The original Hartford Whalers of the WHA/NHL moved to North Carolina and became the
Carolina HurricanesThe Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
.
Danbury High SchoolDanbury High School is a public high school in Danbury, Connecticut. Despite Danbury's population of 81,000, there is only one public high school, along with several small private schools, and one vocational high school. Danbury High School is supplemented by a magnet program called the Alternative...
carries a strong athletic tradition. They are perennial powers in wrestling, boys and girls track and field, boys cross country, baseball, tennis, basketball, and football. The wrestling, cross country, and track teams have all numerous state titles and New England championships. All three programs are considered to be nationally ranked annually.
The Danbury Hatters Cricket Club formed in 2001 and has been playing cricket in Southern Connecticut along with other cities such as Norwalk, Stamford, Bridgeport, New Haven, Waterbury and West Haven
American Top TeamAmerican Top Team is one of the leading teams in mixed martial arts. It was founded by former members of Brazilian Top Team, Ricardo Liborio, Marcus Silveira and Marcelo Silveira but there is no formal affiliation between the two teams. ATT's main academy is in Coconut Creek, Florida but has...
has a gym on 13 Barnum Court. American Top Team is an
MMAMixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
gym.
Transportation
Danbury is the terminus of the Danbury branch line of the MTA Metro-North Railroad which begins in
NorwalkNorwalk is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of the city is 85,603, making Norwalk sixth in population in Connecticut, and third in Fairfield County...
. The line was first built by the
Danbury and Norwalk RailroadThe Danbury and Norwalk Railroad was an independent American railroad that operated between its namesake cities in Connecticut from 1852 until its absorption by the Housatonic Railroad in 1887...
which was later bought by the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad Company. Danbury was an important junction between the Danbury Branch and the
Maybrook LineThe Dutchess Rail Trail is a rail trail that stretches from Poughkeepsie east and south to Hopewell Junction. It occupies the right-of-way of the former Central New England Railway's abandoned Maybrook Line....
. The Maybrook line was the New Haven's main freight line which terminated in
Maybrook, New YorkMaybrook is a village in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 3,084 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined...
, where the New Haven exchanged traffic with other railroads. After the ill-fated Penn Central took over the New Haven, the Maybrook line was shut down when a fire on the New Haven bridge over the
Hudson RiverThe Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
made the line unusable. Many believe the fire was set by Penn Central to reroute that freight traffic over their Boston & Albany route to the north. Today, the historic station is part of the Danbury Railroad Museum. The
Providence and Worcester RailroadThe Providence and Worcester Railroad is a Class II railroad in the United States. The railroad connects from Gardner in central Massachusetts, south through its namesake cities of Worcester and Providence, Rhode Island, and west from Rhode Island through Connecticut and into New York City...
, along with the
Housatonic RailroadThe Housatonic Railroad is a Class III railroad operating in southwestern New England. It was chartered in 1983 to operate a short section of ex-New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in northwestern Connecticut, and has since expanded north and south, as well as west into New York State.The...
provide local rail freight service in Danbury.
Local bus service is provided by
Housatonic Area Regional TransitHousatonic Area Regional Transit, known popularly as HART, is the provider of public transportation for Danbury, Connecticut and surrounding communities. HART was founded in 1972 as the Danbury-Bethel Transit District by the two municipalities. The name was changed to HART in 1979 after the...
(HART).
The city is also the location of
Danbury Municipal AirportDanbury Municipal Airport is a public use general aviation airport located three miles southwest of the central business district of Danbury, in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The airport opened in 1930. It is currently run by the city of Danbury.The Reliant Air building burned...
(
DXRAn IATA airport code, also known an IATA location identifier, IATA station code or simply a location identifier, is a three-letter code designating many airports around the world, defined by the International Air Transport Association...
).
Interstate 84 and U.S. Route 7 are the main highways of the city. I-84 runs east-west from the
Hudson ValleyThe Hudson Valley comprises the valley of the Hudson River and its adjacent communities in New York State, United States, from northern Westchester County northward to the cities of Albany and Troy.-History:...
region of
New YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
towards
WaterburyWaterbury is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, on the Naugatuck River, 33 miles southwest of Hartford and 77 miles northeast of New York City...
and
HartfordHartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
. US 7 runs north-south from
NorwalkNorwalk is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of the city is 85,603, making Norwalk sixth in population in Connecticut, and third in Fairfield County...
(connecting to I-95) to the
Litchfield HillsThe Litchfield Hills is a geographic region of the U.S. state of Connecticut located in the northwestern corner of the state. It is a term that is roughly coterminous with the boundaries of Litchfield County, for which it is named...
region. The two highways overlap in the downtown area. The principal surface roads through the city are Lake Avenue, West Street, White Street, and Federal Road. Other secondary state highways are U.S. Route 6 in the western part of the city, Newtown Road, which connects to US 6 east of the city,
Route 53Route 53 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Connecticut, connecting the cities of Norwalk and Danbury. Most of the route has been made redundant by U.S...
(Main Street and South Street), Route 37 (North Street, Padaranam Road, and Pembroke Road), and
Route 39Route 39 is a north–south state highway in Connecticut. It is one of the main roads in downtown Danbury. Route 39 begins at the junction of Route 53 and 37, near I-84 , and runs for north through New Fairfield and Sherman, ending at Route 55 in Sherman.- Route description:Route 39 begins...
(Clapboard Ridge Road and Ball Pond Road).
Notable people
- Marian Anderson
Marian Anderson was an African-American contralto and one of the most celebrated singers of the twentieth century...
, (February 27, 1897 – April 8, 1993) singer, lived in Danbury at her estate, Mariana Farms.
- James Montgomery Bailey
James Montgomery Bailey was an American journalist who won an ephemeral popularity as the "Dansbury News Man."-Biography:He was born at Albany, New York, and after receiving a common school education, learned the trade of a carpenter...
, 19th-century Danbury News editor noted for popular, nationally-syndicated "Danbury News Man" pieces.
- Julius Baker
Julius Baker was one of the foremost American orchestral flute players.He was well known as a teacher and served as a faculty member at the Juilliard School, Curtis Institute of Music, and Carnegie Mellon University...
, principal flutist of the New York PhilharmonicThe New York Philharmonic is a symphony orchestra based in New York City in the United States. It is one of the American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five"...
from 1965 to 1983.
- Jonathan Brandis
Jonathan Gregory Brandis was an American actor, director, and screenwriter.-Early life and career:Brandis was born in Danbury, Connecticut, the only child of Mary, a teacher and personal manager, and Gregory Brandis, a food distributor and firefighter. He began his career as a child model and...
(1976–2003), actor
- Felix Cavaliere
Felix Cavaliere is an American songwriter, singer, music producer, and musician.Although he was a member of Joey Dee and His Starlighters best known for their hit "Peppermint Twist", he is best known for his association with The Young Rascals during the 1960s. The other members of The Rascals...
, producer, musician
- Neil Cavuto
Neil Patrick Cavuto is an American television anchor and commentator on the Fox Business Network and host of three television programs, Your World with Neil Cavuto and Cavuto on Business, both on the Fox News Channel and Cavuto on sister channel Fox Business Network.Cavuto also tapes a nightly...
, Fox television anchor
- Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her singles "Fast Car", "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution", "Baby Can I Hold You", "Give Me One Reason" and "Telling Stories". She is a multi-platinum and four-time Grammy Award-winning artist.-Biography:Tracy Chapman was born in Cleveland,...
, singer
- Frank Conniff
Frank Conniff was an American journalist and editor who won a Pulitzer Prize in 1956.Conniff was born in Danbury, Connecticut. He worked for Hearst Newspapers and was editor of the World Journal Tribune of New York from 1966 to 1967 when the newspaper ceased publication...
(1914–1971), journalist and editor who won a 1956 Pulitzer Prize-Journalism awards:*Public Service:** Watsonville Register-Pajaronian for courageous exposure of corruption in public office, which led to the resignation of a district attorney and the conviction of one of his associates.*Local Reporting, Edition Time:...
for international reporting
- Charles Ives
Charles Edward Ives was an American modernist composer. He is one of the first American composers of international renown, though Ives' music was largely ignored during his life, and many of his works went unperformed for many years. Over time, Ives came to be regarded as an "American Original"...
(1874–1954), one of America's most influential composers
- Joe Lahoud
Joseph Michael Lahoud is an American former professional baseball player. He played all or part of eleven seasons in Major League Baseball, primarily as an outfielder and designated hitter, for the Boston Red Sox , Milwaukee Brewers , California Angels , Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals...
, MLB player for the Boston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, Milwaukee BrewersThe Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, California Angels, Texas RangersThe Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
, and the Kansas City RoyalsThe Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
- Rose Wilder Lane
Rose Wilder Lane was an American journalist, travel writer, novelist, and political theorist...
, author, writer, daughter of Laura Ingalls WilderLaura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder was an American author who wrote the Little House series of books based on her childhood in a pioneer family...
- Merle Miller
Merle Miller was an American novelist best known for his biographies of Presidents Harry Truman and Lyndon Johnson. Three years before his best-selling book Plain Speaking: An Oral Biography of Harry S...
, biographer of Harry S. TrumanHarry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
and Lyndon B. JohnsonLyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
- Jimmy Monaghan
Jimmy Monaghan is a musician from Belmullet, Ireland. He is the principal songwriter for the Galway based anti-folk band Music for Dead Birds. He was also an amateur boxer, winning four national titles and received the Western People Sports Star of the year award in 2004. He was shortlisted for the...
, Irish boxer and songwriter who was born in Danbury
- Don Morrow
Don Morrow is an American actor and announcer. He started his broadcast career while a student at Syracuse University on the GI Bill shortly after World War II. His first job was with Syracuse's first TV station WHEN as newscaster and announcer...
, voice actor, announcer, emcee
- Jerry Nadeau
Jerry Nadeau is a retired race car driver from Danbury, Connecticut. Nadeau competed in the 1994 Barber Dodge Pro Series and the 1996 Formula Opel Euroseries.-NASCAR career:Nadeau's NASCAR career began in 1995 in the Busch Series...
, former NASCARThe National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
Nextel CupThe NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is the top racing series of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing . The series was originally known as the Strictly Stock Series and Grand National Series . While leasing its naming rights to R. J...
driver (retired due to head injury)
- Laura Nyro
Laura Nyro was an American songwriter, singer, and pianist. She achieved considerable critical acclaim with her own recordings, particularly the albums Eli and the Thirteenth Confession and New York Tendaberry, and had commercial success with artists such as Barbra Streisand and The 5th...
, singer-songwriter
- William R. Ratchford
William Richard Ratchford was a U.S. Representative from Connecticut.Born in Danbury, Connecticut, Ratchford graduated from Danbury High School, Danbury, Connecticut, in 1952. He received a B.A. from the University of Connecticut, Storrs, in 1956, where he was a member of the Chi Phi Fraternity....
, politician: served as state representative, Connecticut Speaker of the House, and a U.S. Congressman for three terms
- Neil Rudenstine, ex-president of Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
- Dr. Ian Smith
Dr. Ian K. Smith, M.D. is an American physician and author best known for his appearances on VH1's Celebrity Fit Club series, The View, and as a correspondent for NBC News. He is also the host of HealthWatch with Dr. Ian Smith, a nationally-syndicated daily news feature heard on American Urban...
, panelist on VH1VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's Celebrity Fit Club
- Roy M. Terry
-Biography:Born in Brooklyn, New York, Terry later moved to Danbury, Connecticut and was an ordained Methodist pastor. He was a graduate of Syracuse University and Yale Divinity School. Terry passed away on May 12, 1988.-Career:...
, Chief of Chaplains of the U.S. Air Force
- John Hubbard Tweedy
John Hubbard Tweedy was a delegate to the United States Congress from Wisconsin Territory from September 1847 to June 1848 being elected from the Whig Party.-Career:Tweedy was born in Danbury, Connecticut...
, U.S. Congressional Delegate from the Wisconsin TerritoryThe Territory of Wisconsin was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 3, 1836, until May 29, 1848, when an eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Wisconsin...
- Samuel Tweedy
Samuel Tweedy was a United States Representative from Connecticut.Born at Nine Partners, New York in 1776, he later moved to Danbury, Connecticut...
(1776–1868) was a United States Representative from Connecticut.
- R. Gordon Wasson (1898–1986) was one of the first westerners to participate in a Mazatec sacred mushroom ritual and study psychedelic mushrooms.
- Michael Whelan
Michael Whelan is an American artist of imaginative realism. For more than 30 years he worked as an illustrator specializing in science fiction and fantasy cover art...
, science fiction and fantasy artist
- Zalmon Wildman
Zalmon Wildman was a United States Representative from Connecticut. He was born in Danbury, Connecticut where he completed preparatory studies. He was manufacturer of hats and he established the first hat stores in Charleston, South Carolina and Savannah, Georgia in 1802...
(1775–1835), United States Representative from Connecticut
- Peter Wiley
Peter Wiley is a cellist and cello teacher. He attended the Curtis Institute of Music at 13 years of age, where he studied with David Soyer...
, cellist
External links