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Old Saybrook, Connecticut
 
 
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Old Saybrook is a town
New England town

The New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. An institution that does not have a direct counterpart in most other U.S....
 in Middlesex County
Middlesex County, Connecticut

Middlesex County is located in the south central part of the U.S. state of Connecticut. As of 2000 the population was 155,071.As is the case with all eight of Connecticut's counties, there is no county government, and no county seat....
, Connecticut
Connecticut

Connecticut is a U.S. state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. The state borders New York to the west and south , Massachusetts to the north, and Rhode Island to the east....
, United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
. The population was 10,367 at the 2000 census. It contains the incorporated borough of Fenwick
Fenwick, Connecticut

Fenwick is a borough in Middlesex County, Connecticut, Connecticut, United States, in the town of Old Saybrook, Connecticut. The population was 52 at the 2000 United States Census, making it the least populous municipality in Connecticut....
.

History
Shortly after constructing their first settlement on the island of Manhattan, Dutch explorers established a short-lived trading post at present day Old Saybrook. The post was named Kievits Hoek, meaning "Plover's Corner" in English. Kievits Hoek was soon abandoned as the Dutch began to focus more on their new trading post, Fort Goede Hoop (Huys de Goede Hoop), at present-day Hartford.

The Saybrook Colony
Saybrook Colony

The Saybrook Colony was established in late 1635 at the mouth of the Connecticut River in what is today Old Saybrook, Connecticut and environs....
 was established in late 1635 at the mouth of the Connecticut River
Connecticut River

The Connecticut River is the largest river in New England, flowing south from the Connecticut Lakes in northern New Hampshire, along the border between New Hampshire and Vermont, through Western Massachusetts and central Connecticut into Long Island Sound at Old Saybrook, Connecticut....
, in what is today Old Saybrook and environs.






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Old Saybrook is a town
New England town

The New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. An institution that does not have a direct counterpart in most other U.S....
 in Middlesex County
Middlesex County, Connecticut

Middlesex County is located in the south central part of the U.S. state of Connecticut. As of 2000 the population was 155,071.As is the case with all eight of Connecticut's counties, there is no county government, and no county seat....
, Connecticut
Connecticut

Connecticut is a U.S. state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. The state borders New York to the west and south , Massachusetts to the north, and Rhode Island to the east....
, United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
. The population was 10,367 at the 2000 census. It contains the incorporated borough of Fenwick
Fenwick, Connecticut

Fenwick is a borough in Middlesex County, Connecticut, Connecticut, United States, in the town of Old Saybrook, Connecticut. The population was 52 at the 2000 United States Census, making it the least populous municipality in Connecticut....
.

History


Shortly after constructing their first settlement on the island of Manhattan, Dutch explorers established a short-lived trading post at present day Old Saybrook. The post was named Kievits Hoek, meaning "Plover's Corner" in English. Kievits Hoek was soon abandoned as the Dutch began to focus more on their new trading post, Fort Goede Hoop (Huys de Goede Hoop), at present-day Hartford.

The Saybrook Colony
Saybrook Colony

The Saybrook Colony was established in late 1635 at the mouth of the Connecticut River in what is today Old Saybrook, Connecticut and environs....
 was established in late 1635 at the mouth of the Connecticut River
Connecticut River

The Connecticut River is the largest river in New England, flowing south from the Connecticut Lakes in northern New Hampshire, along the border between New Hampshire and Vermont, through Western Massachusetts and central Connecticut into Long Island Sound at Old Saybrook, Connecticut....
, in what is today Old Saybrook and environs. John Winthrop, the Younger
John Winthrop, the Younger

John Winthrop , generally known as John Winthrop the Younger, was governor of Connecticut.He was born in Groton, Suffolk, England, as the son of John Winthrop, the founding governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony....
, son of the Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Massachusetts Bay Colony

The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, centered around the present-day cities of Salem, Massachusetts and Boston, Massachusetts....
, was designated Governor by the group that claimed possession of the land via a deed of conveyance from the Earl of Warwick. Winthrop was aided by Colonel George Fenwick and Captain Lion Gardiner
Lion Gardiner

Lion Gardiner , an early English settler and soldier in the New World, founded the first English people settlement in what became the state of New York....
. As the principals of the group who had planned to settle the colony were supporters of Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell

Oliver Cromwell was an English people Military history of the United Kingdom and Politics of England leader best known for his involvement in making England into a republican Commonwealth and for his later role as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
 and remained in England during the English Civil War
English Civil War

The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Roundhead and Cavalier. The First English Civil War and Second English Civil War civil wars pitted the supporters of Charles I of England against the supporters of the Long Parliament, while the Third English Civil War saw fighting between supporters...
, the colony struggled. In 1644, Fenwick agreed to merge the colony with the more vibrant Connecticut Colony
Connecticut Colony

The Colony of Connecticut was an English colony that became the U.S. state of Connecticut. Originally known as the River Colony, it was organized on March 3, 1636 as a haven for Puritan noblemen....
 a few miles up river, which purchased the land and fort from him.

The design of the Flag of Connecticut
Flag of Connecticut

The flag of Connecticut consists of a white baroque shield with three grapevines on a field of azure blue. The banner below the shield reads "Qui Transtulit Sustinet," , the state's motto....
 comes from the seal of Saybrook Colony. The seal was brought from England by Colonel George Fenwick, and depicted 15 grapevines and a hand in the upper left corner with a scroll reading "Sustinet qui transtulit".

In 1659, settlers from Saybrook purchased land from Chief Uncas, leader of the Mohegan
Mohegan

The Mohegan tribe is an Algonquian-speaking tribe that lives in eastern upper Thames valley Connecticut. The Mohegan were originally a conjoined tribe with the Pequot until the period of European contact in the 17th century, briefly coming under Pequot rule in the 1630s until the dominant tribe was destroyed in 1637....
 Native American tribe, to found Norwich
Norwich, Connecticut

Norwich, known as "The Rose of New England," is a city in, and former county seat of, New London County, Connecticut, Connecticut, United States....
, Connecticut
Connecticut

Connecticut is a U.S. state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. The state borders New York to the west and south , Massachusetts to the north, and Rhode Island to the east....
.

On October 9, 1701 the Collegiate School of Connecticut was chartered in Old Saybrook. It moved to New Haven
New Haven, Connecticut

New Haven is the third largest municipality in Connecticut, after Bridgeport, Connecticut and Hartford, with a core population of about 124,000 people....
 in 1716, and was later renamed Yale University
Yale University

Yale University is a private university in New Haven, Connecticut. Founded in 1701 as the Collegiate School, Yale is the Colonial Colleges institution of higher education in the United States and is a member of the Ivy League....
.

The Turtle
Turtle (submarine)

Turtle was the world's first submarine used in battle. It was invented in Connecticut in 1775 by Patriot David Bushnell as a means of attaching Naval mine to ships in a harbor....
 - the first American submarine - was invented in Westbrook Connecticut in 1775 by David Bushnell; a replica is housed at Old Saybrook Senior High School
Old Saybrook Senior High School

Old Saybrook Senior High School is a secondary school located in Old Saybrook, Connecticut, USA. It has a current enrollment of 463 with a student to teacher ratio of about 11.60....
.

Recent developments

As of early 2007, plans were underway to return the former town hall building to its original use as a theater. The building is to be named the "Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center and Theater
The Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center

The Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center is a future theatre, coming to Old Saybrook, Connecticut in 2009. It is the only theatre named for Katharine Hepburn, the 4-time Academy Award winning actress, in the world....
". The town has committed spending almost $2 million on the renovation, and at least $810,000 is to be contributed by the state. A committee is attempting to raise another $2.5 million, partly for the renovation and to add two wings, but also for an endowment. The structure was originally built in 1901 and was a theater until the 1940s. After renovations, the theater will seat 268, and Hepburn memorabilia will be displayed there.

Notable residents

  • Vin Baker
    Vin Baker

    Vincent Lamont Baker is a former United States professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association. He appeared in four consecutive National Basketball Association All-Star Games before his career was troubled by alcoholism....
     — Professional basketball player in the NBA (1993-2006)
  • Art Carney
    Art Carney

    Arthur William Matthew ?Art? Carney was an Academy Award- and Emmy Award-winning United States actor in film, Stage , television and radio programming....
     — Academy Award- and Emmy Award-winning American actor in film, stage, television and radio.
  • Katharine Houghton Hepburn — A four-time Academy Award-winning American star of film, television and stage, she lived in the Fenwick borough of town.
  • John Clellon Holmes
    John Clellon Holmes

    John Clellon Holmes , born in Holyoke, Massachusetts Massachusetts, was an author, poet and professor, best known for his 1952 novel Go . Go is considered the first "Beat Generation" novel, and depicted events in his life with friends Jack Kerouac, Neal Cassady and Allen Ginsberg....
     — American writer and poet associated with the "Beat Generation
    Beat generation

    The Beat Generation is a term used to describe a group of American writers who came to prominence in the 1950s, and also the cultural phenomena that they wrote about and inspired ....
    " crowd.
  • Ann Petry
    Ann Petry

    Ann Petry was an African American author....
     — African-American novelist, journalist and biographer.
  • Elmer Eric Schattschneider
    Elmer Eric Schattschneider

    Elmer Eric Schattschneider was an American political scientist.He received his B.A. and M.A. at the University of Pittsburgh and his Ph.D. at Columbia University....
     — A prominent political scientist and former president of the American Political Science Association from 1956 to 1957


Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau
United 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 town has a total area of 21.6 square miles (56.0 kmē), of which, 15.0 square miles (39.0 kmē) of it is land and 6.6 square miles (17.0 kmē) of it (30.45%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census
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....
 of 2000, there were 10,367 people, 4,184 households, and 2,920 families residing in the town. 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 689.5 people per square mile (266.1/kmē). There were 5,357 housing units at an average density of 356.3/sq mi (137.5/kmē). The racial makeup of the town was 95.75% White, 1.01% African American, 0.08% Native American, 1.72% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.45% from other races
Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are Self-concept data items in which residents choose the Race in the United States or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are of Hispanic or Latino origin ....
, and 0.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.87% of the population.

There were 4,184 households out of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.4% were married couples
Marriage

Marriage is a social, spirituality, or law union of individuals. This union may also be called matrimony, while the ceremony that marks its beginning is usually called a wedding and the married status created is sometimes called wedlock....
 living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.2% were non-families. 25.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the town the population was spread out with 21.7% under the age of 18, 4.1% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 27.6% from 45 to 64, and 21.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 89.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $62,742, and the median income for a family was $72,868. Males had a median income of $48,527 versus $36,426 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income

Per capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone....
 for the town was $30,720. About 1.5% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.9% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.

List of National Historic Sites in Old Saybrook


  • Black Horse Tavern, added December 1, 1978
  • Elisha Bushnell House, added November 29, 1978
  • Connecticut Valley Railroad Roundhouse and Turntable Site, added April 28, 1994
  • Jedidiah Dudley House, added April 12, 1982
  • Samuel Eliot House, added November 9, 1972
  • General William Hart House, added November 9, 1972
  • James Pharmacy, added August 5, 1994
  • Lynde Point Lighthouse, added May 29, 1990
  • Old Saybrook South Green, added September 3, 1976
  • Old Saybrook, added November 29, 1978
  • Humphrey Pratt Tavern, added November 7, 1972
  • Saybrook Breakwater Lighthouse, added May 29, 1990
  • William Tully House, added March 15, 1982
  • Ambrose Whittlesey House, added August 23, 1985
  • John Whittlesey, Jr. House, added October 26, 1984


See also

  • Old Saybrook (Amtrak station)
    Old Saybrook (Amtrak station)

    Old Saybrook is a regional rail train station located in Old Saybrook, Connecticut, Connecticut. It is served by both Amtrak and the Connecticut Department of Transportation's Shore Line East....
  • Saybrook
    Saybrook, Illinois

    Saybrook is a village in southeast McLean County, Illinois, Illinois, United States. The population was 764 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Bloomington, Illinois–Normal, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area....
    , Illinois is named in honor of Old Saybrook.

External links