Noank, Connecticut
Encyclopedia
Noank is a village and census-designated place
(CDP) in the town of Groton
in New London County
, Connecticut
, United States
. The population was 1,830 at the 2000 census. The original settlement in Noank along Elm Street (Route 215) and east of it towards Morgan Point is listed as a historic district
on the National Register of Historic Places
.
, the CDP has a total area of 2.2 square miles (5.7 km2), of which 1.5 square miles (4.0 km2) is land and 0.7 square miles (1.7 km2) (30.32%) is water. The CDP includes areas further west and north from the original village, extending as far west as Palmer Cove and as far north as U.S. Route 1.
. The Pequot were taken under English protection in 1655 following the Pequot War
. The land comprising Noank Peninsula was acquired by James Morgan through a lottery in 1712.
In 1861, Charles Mallory and Elihu Spicer, Jr., established the C. H. Mallory and Company Steamship line. In 1879, Robert Palmer put steam railways into his shipbuilding plant in Noank. His company became one of the largest in the United States at the time for making wooden ships, building one thousand vessels ranging from fishing boats to sound steamers.
Around 1912, the Connecticut State Lobster Hatchery was established in Noank.
The community grew from a tradition of fishing, lobstering and boat-building and has more ship and boat yards than churches. The fishing sailboat type known as the "Noank Smack", of which the Emma C. Berry
is an example, is indigenous to this village. The Village of Noank hosts the longest running continuous Memorial Day Parade in the country held annually since 1875. The majority of the community was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1979 as an historic district
, including houses and businesses dating back to 1840. The significance of the historic district is primarily in the domestic architecture preserved in 240 houses.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 1,830 people, 846 households, and 501 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 1,187.7 people per square mile (458.8/km2). There were 911 housing units at an average density of 591.2 per square mile (228.4/km2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 96.45% White, 0.98% African American, 0.16% Native American, 1.31% Asian, 0.55% from other races
, and 0.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.79% of the population.
There were 846 households out of which 21.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.8% were married couples
living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.7% were non-families. 35.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.78.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 20.3% under the age of 18, 3.4% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 29.5% from 45 to 64, and 21.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 85.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.5 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $61,250, and the median income for a family was $77,596. Males had a median income of $59,091 versus $48,333 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $41,355. None of the families and 2.5% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no persons under 18 and 2.9% of those over 64.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) in the town of Groton
Groton, Connecticut
Groton is a town located on the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 39,907 at the 2000 census....
in New London County
New London County, Connecticut
New London County is a county located in the southeastern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. As of 2010 the population was 274,055. The total area of the county is , including inland and coastal waters....
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut 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
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 1,830 at the 2000 census. The original settlement in Noank along Elm Street (Route 215) and east of it towards Morgan Point is listed as a historic district
Historic district (United States)
In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The 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...
, the CDP has a total area of 2.2 square miles (5.7 km2), of which 1.5 square miles (4.0 km2) is land and 0.7 square miles (1.7 km2) (30.32%) is water. The CDP includes areas further west and north from the original village, extending as far west as Palmer Cove and as far north as U.S. Route 1.
History
In 1614, the area then known as "Nauyang" (meaning "point of land") was a summer camping ground of the PequotPequot
Pequot people are a tribe of Native Americans who, in the 17th century, inhabited much of what is now Connecticut. They were of the Algonquian language family. The Pequot War and Mystic massacre reduced the Pequot's sociopolitical influence in southern New England...
. The Pequot were taken under English protection in 1655 following the Pequot War
Pequot War
The Pequot War was an armed conflict between 1634–1638 between the Pequot tribe against an alliance of the Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, and Saybrook colonies who were aided by their Native American allies . Hundreds were killed; hundreds more were captured and sold into slavery to the West Indies. ...
. The land comprising Noank Peninsula was acquired by James Morgan through a lottery in 1712.
In 1861, Charles Mallory and Elihu Spicer, Jr., established the C. H. Mallory and Company Steamship line. In 1879, Robert Palmer put steam railways into his shipbuilding plant in Noank. His company became one of the largest in the United States at the time for making wooden ships, building one thousand vessels ranging from fishing boats to sound steamers.
Around 1912, the Connecticut State Lobster Hatchery was established in Noank.
The community grew from a tradition of fishing, lobstering and boat-building and has more ship and boat yards than churches. The fishing sailboat type known as the "Noank Smack", of which the Emma C. Berry
Emma C. Berry (sloop)
Emma C. Berry is a fishing sloop located at Mystic Seaport in Mystic, Connecticut, United States, and one of the oldest surviving commercial vessels in America. It is the last known surviving American well smack. This type of boat is also termed a sloop smack or Noank smack. The Berry was built...
is an example, is indigenous to this village. The Village of Noank hosts the longest running continuous Memorial Day Parade in the country held annually since 1875. The majority of the community was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1979 as an historic district
Historic district (United States)
In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
, including houses and businesses dating back to 1840. The significance of the historic district is primarily in the domestic architecture preserved in 240 houses.
Demographics
Census
A 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 1,830 people, 846 households, and 501 families residing in the CDP. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,187.7 people per square mile (458.8/km2). There were 911 housing units at an average density of 591.2 per square mile (228.4/km2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 96.45% White, 0.98% African American, 0.16% Native American, 1.31% Asian, 0.55% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race 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 0.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.79% of the population.
There were 846 households out of which 21.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.8% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.7% were non-families. 35.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.78.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 20.3% under the age of 18, 3.4% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 29.5% from 45 to 64, and 21.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 85.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.5 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $61,250, and the median income for a family was $77,596. Males had a median income of $59,091 versus $48,333 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per 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 CDP was $41,355. None of the families and 2.5% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no persons under 18 and 2.9% of those over 64.
Notable residents, visitors, and cultural references
As a picturesque coastal village, Noank has been the home or second home of several artists and other notable people, and has been represented in several works of art. Notable people and cultural references related to Noank include:- Painter Robert BrackmanRobert BrackmanRobert Brackman was an artist and teacher of Russian origin, best known for large figural works, portraits, and still lifes.-Biography:Born in Odes'ka Oblast, Ukraine, he emigrated from the Russian Empire in 1908....
(1898–1980) lived and worked here. Then-resident Nick Nelson Jr. modeled for Brackman's "Boy from Main Street" painting and others of Brackman's paintings. - Aviatrix Amelia EarhartAmelia EarhartAmelia Mary Earhart was a noted American aviation pioneer and author. Earhart was the first woman to receive the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded for becoming the first aviatrix to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean...
married George Palmer PutnamGeorge P. PutnamGeorge Palmer Putnam was an American publisher, author and explorer. Known for his marriage to and being the widower of Amelia Earhart, he had also achieved fame as one of the most successful promoters in the United States during the 1930s.-Early life:Born in Rye, New York, he was the son of John...
in Noank on February 7, 1931. - Arctic explorer Peter FreuchenPeter FreuchenPeter Freuchen, born Lorenz Peter Elfred Freuchen was a Danish explorer, author, journalist and anthropologist.-Biography:...
(1886–1957) had a second home in Noank. - World War II Navy Admiral William HalseyWilliam Halsey, Jr.Fleet Admiral William Frederick Halsey, Jr., United States Navy, , was a U.S. Naval officer. He commanded the South Pacific Area during the early stages of the Pacific War against Japan...
lived here. - American choral music composer Mark Daniel MerrittMark Daniel MerrittMark Daniel Merritt is an American composer and arranger with published choral works mostly for church choirs. Merritt's recent commissions, include a commission in 2007 partially funded by the Kentucky Arts Council, to compose the score to the musical River Dreams, which had its world premiere...
(1961-) lived in Noank during his childhood. - Fisherman, painter, and writer and storyteller Ellery ThompsonEllery ThompsonEllery Thompson was an American sea captain and writer. In 1950 he wrote Draggerman's Haul: The Personal Story of a Connecticut Fishing Captain which described Captain Nick Nelson and other residents of Noank, Connecticut....
lived and worked here. Captain Nick Nelson and other "notable" Noankers are mentioned in his book Draggerman's Haul. - The lobster-shack visited by the protagonist in the movie Mystic PizzaMystic PizzaMystic Pizza is a 1988 American coming of age film directed by Donald Petrie and starring Annabeth Gish, Julia Roberts, and Lili Taylor.The title of the film was based on a pizza shop that caught the eye of Hollywood screen writer, Amy Holden Jones...
is Ford's Lobsters in Noank. - Noank is mentioned in Theodore DreiserTheodore DreiserTheodore Herman Albert Dreiser was an American novelist and journalist of the naturalist school. His novels often featured main characters who succeeded at their objectives despite a lack of a firm moral code, and literary situations that more closely resemble studies of nature than tales of...
's short story A Doer of the Word.