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Waterbury, Connecticut
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Waterbury (nicknamed the "Brass City") is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, on the Naugatuck River, 33 miles (53 km) southwest of Hartford. As of 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the city had a total population of 107,902 and is the fifth-largest city in Connecticut and the second largest city in New Haven County.
Throughout the first half of the 20th century Waterbury had large industrial interests, and was the leading center of the United States for the manufacture of brassware (including castings and finishings), as reflected in the nickname the "Brass City" and the city's motto Quid Aere Perennius, Latin for "What Is More Lasting Than Brass[?]".
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Waterbury (nicknamed the "Brass City") is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, on the Naugatuck River, 33 miles (53 km) southwest of Hartford. As of 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the city had a total population of 107,902 and is the fifth-largest city in Connecticut and the second largest city in New Haven County.
Throughout the first half of the 20th century Waterbury had large industrial interests, and was the leading center of the United States for the manufacture of brassware (including castings and finishings), as reflected in the nickname the "Brass City" and the city's motto Quid Aere Perennius, Latin for "What Is More Lasting Than Brass[?]". It was noted for the manufacture of watches and clocks.
The city is located along Interstate 84 and has a Metro North railroad station. It is also home to Post University and a regional campus of the University of Connecticut.
History
The original settlement of Waterbury was in 1674 as a Town Plot section. In 1675 King Philip's War caused it to be vacated but the land was returned to in 1677, this time west of the first settlement. Both sites are now marked. The Algonquin name for the area was "Matetacoke" meaning "place without trees." Thus the settlement was named as "Mattatock" in 1673. The name changed to Waterbury on May 15, 1686, when the settlement was admitted as the 28th town in the Connecticut colony. It then included all or parts of the later towns of Watertown, Plymouth, Wolcott, Prospect, Naugatuck, Thomaston, and Middlebury. The name Waterbury was chosen because of all the streams flowing into the Naugatuck River. Growth was slow during Waterbury's first century. The lack of arable land discouraged new settlers and the residents suffered through the great flood of 1691 and the great sickness of 1712. After a century, Waterbury's population numbered just 5,000. Waterbury hit its stride as an industrial power in the early 1800s when it began to make brass, using a technology taken from the British. Not content with exploiting the know-how, these Yankee entrepreneurs lured talented craftsmen from across the sea to set up shop in Waterbury. As the "Brass Capital of the World," the city gained a reputation for the quality and durability of its goods. Waterbury was incorporated as a city in 1853. Waterbury supplied brass and copper used in Boulder Dam in Colorado. Waterbury brass was used for many other things in the United States such as minting disks for nickels, but the brass also went into South American coins. While the brass business boomed, thousands of immigrants poured into the city seeking factory jobs, including Italians, Irish, French-Canadians, Lithuanians, Jewish, and Slavs.
Another famous Waterbury product of the mid-19th century was Robert H. Ingersoll's one-dollar pocket watch, five million of which were sold. After this, the clock industry became as important as Waterbury's famed brass industry. Evidence of these two important industries can still be seen in Waterbury, as numerous clocktowers and old brass factories have become landmarks of the city. At its peak during World War II, 10,000 people worked at the Scovill Manufacturing Co, later renamed Century Brass. The city's metal manufacturing mills (Scovill Manufacturing, Anaconda American Brass, and Chase Brass & Copper were the largest) occupied more than 2 million square feet (180,000 m²) and more than 90 buildings.
Like many other cities that boomed during the manufacturing era, Waterbury began to decline in the second half of the 20th century. With the closing of the last brass mill in the 1970s Waterbury faced a grim future. Waterbury continued to decline, but has like many other cities in Connecticut been involved in many revitalization projects. Waterbury is working to revamp many of the city's unused freight yards and warehouses in order to turn them into office space. Along with this, the city has built numerous luxury hotels. Although the brass industry has since left Waterbury, metal works are still prominent to this day.
World War II
Due to its industrial prowess, Waterbury contributed greatly to the World War II cause both in production and in manpower. So much so that Waterbury was chosen as one of four American cities featured in The War, a documentary about the American experience during World War II by renowned filmmaker Ken Burns. The following is an excerpt from the documentary:
A gritty industrial city of approximately 100,000, situated at the Naugatuck and Mad Rivers in central Connecticut, Waterbury had been the center of the American brass industry since the early 19th century. By the 1920s, more than a third of the brass manufactured in the United States was made in the Naugatuck Valley, and Waterbury came to be known as the “Brass City.” Its skilled workers turned out screws, washers and buttons; showerheads and alarm clocks; toy airplanes and lipstick holders; and cocktail shakers.
“Waterbury was an industrial city,” Ray Leopold said. “A gathering place for some of the best mechanical, industrial talent probably in America. The talent there is just remarkable. There is no one nationality that seems to have a lead on it. They were Italian, Swiss, French, Irish, Asiatic, South American. This talent was very widespread.”
Waterbury was populated by successive waves of immigrants, primarily from Italy, Ireland, Eastern Europe and Great Britain. By 1930, nearly half of Waterbury’s population was foreign born. It was a city of close-knit, ethnic neighborhoods, where many residents remained their entire lives. Families packed into triple-decker homes, factory row housing and boarding houses, surrounding lively commercial districts with ethnic markets and bakeries, churches and movie houses.
“Everybody watched out for everybody else,” Anne DeVico said. “If I went outside, five minutes later everybody in the whole neighborhood would know it because that’s what they did. They watched out for everyone. So it was wonderful. I loved growing up like that. But then when the war came, our boys started going into the war. And then it wasn’t so much fun.”
The city, like the rest of the country, endured hard times during the Great Depression, as industries imploded and thousands were thrown out of work. But all that changed when America began to gear up for World War II, and local factories retooled for war production.
“Waterbury at that time, during the war — you could almost compare it to a miniature Times Square,” Tom Ciarlo said. “It was never quiet because there were so many factories and each factory had three shifts so they’re going around the clock. You didn’t have cars because there were no gasoline stamps, so you had to take buses. So we had busses running up and down from the center of town to different streets all over the city going constantly. And there was always a humming in the city. There was always something going on, the restaurants downtown were always booming. So were the bars. Theaters were always full. There was always something going on.”
The Mattatuck Manufacturing Company switched from making upholstery nails to cartridge clips for the Springfield rifle, and soon was turning out three million clips a week. The American Brass Company made more than two billion pounds of brass rods, sheets and tubes during the war. The Chase Brass and Copper Company made more than 50 million cartridge cases and mortar shells, more than a billion small caliber bullets and, eventually, some of the components used in the atomic bomb.
“Waterbury was the brass center of the world and we had every factory going full blast,” DeVico said. “Especially because it was the war. The war was going on. So we had factories. Everywhere you looked there were factories. And everybody — when they got out of school — went into the factories.”
Because of its concentration of war industries, Waterbury was believed to be a strategic bombing target for the German Luftwaffe. Waterbury Clock — which would later be known as Timex — built a new plant in 1942 to accommodate the military’s demands for mechanical time fuses and other aircraft and artillery equipment. The new factory was nestled among the Middlebury hills and could be flooded and covered with water in the event of an invasion. Its roof was painted with a tromp l’oeil mural of trees, water and grass to deceive enemy bombers. In the wake of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Waterbury hurriedly appointed air wardens to coordinate a local response to an air raid. The local barbers’ association volunteered to equip the city’s barbershops as first aid stations.
In August of 1945 when the war ended, special services were held at every Waterbury church and synagogue. As a sign of profound gratitude for the good news, some Italian-American women climbed the hill to Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church on their knees.
“We didn’t want to go home,” DeVico said. “Nobody went home. We were down there until one, two o’clock in the morning. The busses stayed. The busses even stayed because they knew we had to get home. Nobody had cars then. But it was wonderful, wonderful, wonderful day.”
The end of the war spelled the beginning of a sharp decline of Waterbury’s manufacturing base. Military contracts were cancelled in the months leading up to the Allied victory; within a week of V-J Day, 10,200 employees had been let go from Waterbury factories. Many would be rehired when the factories re-tooled for civilian production, but thousands of jobs were permanently lost. By the 1950s, plastic and aluminum had replaced brass for many uses, and cheaper labor overseas competed for the remaining jobs in brass manufacturing. By 1980, there were fewer than 5,000 workers remaining in the Naugatuck Valley’s brass plants.
“It seemed that the war effort was one that would go on forever,” Leopold said. “And as the war began to draw to its conclusion, we then began to deal with the team that was making its way into the community, renegotiating all the contracts. By and large, it meant termination of these wonderful contracts that had produced money that they had never earned before and might never earn again. And Waterbury was an area very hard hit by this.”
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 28.9 square miles (74.9 km²), of which, 28.6 square miles (74.0 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square miles (0.9 km²) of it (1.21%) is water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 107,271 people, 42,622 households, and 26,894 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,754.7 people per square mile (1,449.7/km²). There were 46,827 housing units at an average density of 1,639.0/sq mi (632.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 67.14% White, 16.31% Black or African American, 0.42% Native American, 1.51% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 10.91% from other races, and 3.66% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 21.77% of the population.
Waterbury is probably the most heavily Italian-American large city in Connecticut today. The Italian influence is especially strong in the Town Plot, Brooklyn, and North End neighborhoods. It has been said that 6 in 10 voters in Waterbury is of Italian decent and they often prove to be a decisive voting block in city elections. In addition the city is home to thriving French-Canadian, Portuguese, Lebanese, Lithuanian, and Albanian communities. Waterbury has strong Irish roots as well, especially in Washington Hill which is home to the city's annual St. Patrick Day's Parade. At the beginning of the 21st century, Waterbury had a growing Orthodox Jewish population.
There were 42,622 households out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.8% were married couples living together, 19.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.9% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.11.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.5% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $34,285, and the median income for a family was $42,300. Males had a median income of $35,486 versus $27,428 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,701. About 12.7% of families and 16.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.6% of those under age 18 and 11.1% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Waterbury has about 52,000 registered voters, of whom about 24,000 are Democrats. There are about 7,800 registered Republicans and the balance are largely unaffiliated, with a smattering belonging to minor parties.
John S. Monagan, who is a prolific author in addition to his political responsibilities, served as Waterbury's mayor from 1943 to 1948. He also served as its district's congressional representative from 1959 to 1973. George Harlamon, a member of the Waterbury Hall of Fame, was the city's 40th mayor. He served from 1969 to 1970 during a period of racial tension. The City is known for its hard nosed political culture compared locally to Cook County, Illinois, close elections, and a number of scandals. This reputation is so solidified that U.S. Senator Joseph I. Lieberman once joked that upon his death, he hoped to be buried in Waterbury so he could remain politically active.
Waterbury's scandalous past dates back to 1940 when Mayor T. Frank Hayes and 22 others were convicted of conspiracy to defraud the City of Waterbury. Hayes received a 10-15 year sentence and served six years. Ironically, the massive corruption scheme was exposed with the help of then comptroller Sherwood Rowland, grandfather of Gov. John Rowland, who was convicted on corruption charges in 2004. The recently published book, Publisher vs. Politician: A Clash of Local Titans, by author William A. Monti is an account of the rise and fall of T. Frank Hayes and focuses on his election campaigns, his bitter fights with William J. Pape, publisher of two local newspapers, and his ultimate trial, conviction, and sentencing for corruption. Ironically, what appeared to have been a defeat for Hayes was not really a victory for Pape, and the stage was set for further corruption in Waterbury in the second half of the 20th century.
Three recent mayors have been indicted while in office. In 1988, Mayor Edward "Mike" Bergin was arrested on a charge of taking a bribe over towing contracts. He was acquitted three years later. His successor, former Mayor Joseph Santopietro, and six others were convicted in 1992 of conspiring with bankers and developers to trade favors for bribes and kickbacks disguised as loans. Most recently Mayor Philip Giordano, was indicted while in office and later convicted on sexual abuse charges discovered by the FBI while they were investigating corruption in City Hall. Waterbury was in serious financial straits due to years of mismanagement resulting in the city's finances being take over by the State of Connecticut. The State Oversight Board oversaw city business for several years and have since left following consecutive years of balanced budgets. The successors to Giordano, former Acting Mayor Sam Caligiuri and present and 45th Mayor Michael Jarjura have managed the city without major controversy since 2001.
A number of Presidential candidates have campaigned in Waterbury due to its pivotal role in statewide elections. The most famous was the election eve visit on the Green by John F. Kennedy in 1960. Forty thousand people waited until 3 a.m. on the Green to greet Presidential Candidate John F. Kennedy, Sunday, November 6, 1960. Sen. Kennedy spoke to them from the balcony of the Roger Smith Hotel (now called the Elton). Pierre Salinger later said it was the greatest night of the campaign. In September 1984 Ronald Reagan held a huge noontime election rally at the same location. In July 2006 former President Bill Clinton made a campaign appearance at the Palace Theatre for Senator Joe Lieberman during his campaign for re-election to the U.S. Senate. Shortly after the Democratic primary, Tom Swan, campaign manager for Lieberman's opponent Ned Lamont, described Waterbury as a place where "the forces of slime meet the forces of evil" after a large majority of the town's voters backed Lieberman. Swan claimed he was referring to former Mayor Philip A. Giordano and former Governor John G. Rowland.
Governor John G. Rowland served ten months in a federal prison until February 10, 2006. He was released from federal prison with the stipulation that he serve four months house arrest with an electronic ankle bracelet monitor until June, 2006.
In January, 2008 Waterbury Mayor Michael Jarjura announced that he would hire Rowland as a economic development advisor for the city. Rowland began work in February and is receiving an annual salary of $95,000 as the city's economic development coordinator
Education
The city's schools are operated by Waterbury Public Schools under the leadership of superintendent Dr. David L. Snead and a board of education that consists of ten elected members and the city mayor, who acts as the chairman ex-officio.
The four public high schools in Waterbury are Crosby, Kennedy, Waterbury Arts Magnet and Wilby High Schools. Private high schools include Chase Collegiate (formerly St. Margaret's-McTernan), Holy Cross High School, and Sacred Heart High School. W. F Kaynor Tech, the city's only tech school, is operated by the state and has gone under renovation. The Waterbury Arts Magnet School recently opened across from the University of Connecticut's Waterbury campus.
In addition, Waterbury is home to the Yeshiva Gedolah School of Waterbury, which provides Orthodox Jewish education from kindergarten to post-High School students. It is operated by the Yeshiva Community of Waterbury.
Waterbury is also home to Post University, a private liberal arts college, and Naugatuck Valley Community College.
Neighborhoods
Waterbury is a city of neighborhoods. Their distinctive character, shaped by the history and geography of the city, has led residents to form an unusual loyalty to their neighborhood.
Vibrant ethnic communities distinguished the city neighborhoods. Clusters of shops at the street corners offered neighborhood residents everything they could desire, creating villages within the city. For many people, home, work and community life was contained within their neighborhood. Downtown, a short walk away, was “the city”, offering live theater, fancy stores, parades and spectacles.
- Downtown
- Waterville
- Town Plot
- Washington Hill
- Hopeville
- Brooklyn
- East End
- Bunker Hill
- Hillside
- Bucks Hill
- South End
- East Mountain
- Overlook
- North Square
- Robinwood
- West Side
- Country Club
- North End
- Long Hill
- Crownbrook
Historic Happenings
- See also .
- The Mattatuck Drum Band, which was founded in 1767, is the oldest continuing active musical organization in the country.
- Waterbury's Post Office was once known for its fancy stamp cancellations created by John W. Hill, the Waterbury postmaster from 1869 to 1886.
- Waterbury's Fr. Michael J. McGivney founded The Knights of Columbus in New Haven, Connecticut on February 2, 1882. Though the first councils were all in Connecticut, the Order spread throughout the United States in the following years.
- Established in 1894, St. Joseph's Church holds the distinction of being the first Lithuanian worshiping community in Connecticut.
- The first Unico Club was founded in Waterbury in 1922. It now has 8,000 members and 150 regional groups. The membership is composed of business and professional people of Italian lineage or those who are married to an Italian-American. The clubs sponsor educational, cultural and civic programs.
- Sacred Heart was the first Catholic High School in Connecticut, September 6, 1922.
- One of the first full-length sound motion pictures was made in the 1920s at the studios of the Bristol Co. at Platts Mills by Professor William Henry Bristol, who experimented for years with sound pictures.
- The Ingersoll-Waterbury Watch Company produced the in 1933. The watch was so popular that over 11,000 were sold the first day, and it saved the company from bankruptcy.
- The Eastern Color Printing Company, which was owned by the Waterbury Republican-American newspaper, printed comic books and Sunday newspaper comics sections at their plant on Leavenworth Street. Famous Funnies: a carnival of comics, which they published in 1933, was the first issue of a bi-monthly publication that became the first regularly published comic book series sold on newsstands.
- W1XBS in Waterbury was one of only four radio stations in the country that began experimental high fidelity broadcasting in 1934. The station broadcast at 1530 kc, and joined the CBS Radio Network on December 1, 1938. They moved to 1590 kc and changed the call letters to WBRY in 1941, in accordance with the North American Radio Broadcasting Agreement. This facility, later known as WQQW, has been dark (off the air) for many years now.
- Victor Zembruski started his Polish Eagles show on Waterbury radio station WATR in 1934. It is now the oldest continuously broadcast show on American radio, with his wife Sophie Zembruski still playing traditional and contemporary Polish music every Sunday morning.
- The Chase Dispensary, a medical clinic for employees of the Chase Brass & Copper Co., opened one of the first birth control clinics in the country in 1938.
- The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, the most famous of James Thurber’s short stories, is set in Waterbury in 1939.
- The , which operated over 200 stores in 1955, stemmed from a single Case Clothes store opened in a factory building on Mill Street in Waterbury in 1940.
- Massive metal sculptures by Alexander Calder were fabricated in Waterbury at the Waterbury Iron Works and Segre Iron Works in the 1950s.
- Waterbury radio station WWCO and disk jockey Les Davis were featured in an article in the April 25, 1955 issue of Life Magazine. The station is still on the air and provides a blend of issues-oriented talk, news and information, a small amount of music programming in addition to being Waterbury's home for New York Yankees baseball. Before FM radio came into popularity in the mid-1970s, WWCO was the major top 40 radio station in Waterbury, with a heyday from the 60s into the early 70s.
- The Today Show on NBC was broadcast from the Hotel Elton on August 18, 1955 to cover the festivities for the world premiere of Waterbury native Rosalind Russell’s movie The Girl Rush at the State Theater that evening.
- A major flood on August 19, 1955 caused over 50 million dollars in property damage and the deaths of 29 Waterbury residents. The Today Show provided live coverage of the flood to the country.
- In 1957, Waterbury's George Metesky, New York City's "Mad Bomber" was arrested. Metesky's reign of terror from 1940 - 1957 was provoked by the denial of his Workmen's Compensation claim by Con Edison after a gas accident in the plant caused him chronic lung problems. Fifteen people were injured by Metesky's bombs, and he spent sixteen years in jail. The bomb sites like Macy's, Radio City Music Hall, and the subway, were linked because they all used Con Edison electric power. Metesky returned to the headlines in 1995 when the FBI examined his case in an attempt to catch the Unabomber.
- Five thousand people lined the streets on May 12, 1984, as Waterbury residents Joseph Carrah, Thomas Fava, Frank Fulco, Gary Coles, Richard Boutot, Bob Wesson and others carried the Olympic Torch through Waterbury on its way from Greece to California for the 1984 Summer Games.
- The movie Stanley & Iris (1990), starring Jane Fonda and Robert De Niro, was filmed in Waterbury.
- Waterbury’s economic decline in the 1970s and 1980s resulted in it being ranked as having the worst quality of life of 300 U.S. metropolitan areas by Money Magazine in 1992.
- Waterbury was rated as one of the "10 Worst Places to Live in America" in the .
- Waterbury was also recently rated as the one of the "Worst Places for Businesses and Careers in America" by Forbes Magazine in April 2008 .
- One of the last remaining Howard Johnson's Restaurants in the country was located in Waterbury. The long time American restaurant icon known for its fried clams, fish frys and 28 flavors of ice cream closed in early 2007 after 50 years in business. It was the last Howard Johnson's in the country to still retain the trademark orange roof. At its peak, there were over 1,000 Howard Johnson's Restaurants operated nationwide, now there are only three still in business.
- Waterbury is the number one jurisdiction in Connecticut for juries handing out death sentences, 6 out of 7 of the prisoners on death row come from Waterbury.
- On April 23, 1987, L'Ambiance Plaza in Bridgeport, CT collapsed in the worst construction accident in Connecticut history. Of the 28 victims, 12 hailed from Waterbury, 10 of them being immigrants from Pontelandolfo, Italy. The tragedy was felt in both Waterbury and Italy, as stated in the book "Why Buildings Fall Down" by Matthys Levy and Mario Salvadori:
"The small town of Pontelandoflo, Italy, had sent its sons and daughters to Waterbury, CT for one hundred years and now mourned ten of its own who died in the collapse." - Frank S. Moore was the first black principal in the Waterbury School system. He was appointed posthumously in 1973. Mr. Moore was a long-time educator and civil rights activist.
Landmarks
Union Station Clocktower
Constructed by the world famous architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White of N.Y. for the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad Company, the Union Station on Meadow Street was modeled after the Torre del Mangia at the Palazzo Publico in Siena, Italy. It cost $332,000 to build in 1909. The clocktower is high and has 318 steps. The clock was made by Seth Thomas Co. with a dial in diameter with tall Roman numerals. The eight she-wolf gargoyles are a reminder of the myth of Romulus and Remus. The tower opened July 12, 1909. Union Station is now the home of the Waterbury Republican-American newspaper, which serves over 120,000 subscribers in the Greater Waterbury area, and the city's Metro-North railroad station is on a platform next to the building.
Municipal Stadium
The stadium was built in 1930 originally as a dog track which attributes to its unique, if not odd, layout. It holds 6,000 people. It is somewhat unique that it only has permanent stands along the first base line, while bleachers lie along the third base side.
It was home to minor league baseball for the majority of its existence, begining in 1947 with the Colonial League and from 1966 to 1986 with the AA Eastern League as an afiliate of the Dodgers, Reds, Giants, Indians, Pirates, A's, and Angels.
In 1997 the Stadium became home to the Waterbury Spirit which spent four seasons in the Independent League.
Several future major leaguers played at the stadium, including Bobby Bonds, Paul O'Neill, Wally Joyner, Cory Snyder, and Danny Tartabull.
It is now primarily used for sporting events, primarily football and baseball, for most of the city's High Schools and Little Leagues.
The stadium has been home to a few historic events also, woman's softball pitcher Joan Joyce struck out Ted Williams, Dom Dimaggio, and Johnny Pesky, in order in the stadium, and in 1947 several members of the New York Yankees including Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, Phil Rizzuto, and Spec Shea, played an exhibition game against the Waterbury Timers in the stadium.
The Apothecary Building
The , the focal point of Exchange Place in the center of Waterbury at the intersection of South Main and Bank Streets, was built in 1893 and housed the Apothecaries Hall Pharmacy for over 70 years.
Carrie Welton Fountain
The 2,500 pound statue on the on the is in memory of Caroline Josephine Welton's black stallion, Knight, and her love of animals. The fountain was dedicated November 10, 1888.
Soldiers' Monument
Sculpted by former Waterbury resident George C. Bissell as a tribute to the whole Civil War experience, the -high bronze on the west end of The Green was cast in Paris and cost $25,000. It was dedicated October 23, 1884. Other Bissell works include: Memorial to Scottish American soldiers of the Civil War located in Edinburgh, Scotland, and many statues in Riverside Cemetery, including one of Waterbury Civil War hero, Col. John L. Chatfield. The poem on the Soldiers Monument, by Dr. Joseph Anderson of Waterbury history fame, was included in the Library of American Literature:
Brave men, who rallying at your country's call Went forth to fight - if Heaven willed, to fall: Returned, ye walk with us through sunnier years And hear your nation say, God bless you all! Brave men, who yet a heavier burden bore And came not home to hearts by grief made sore! They call you dead and lo ye grandly live. Shrined in the nation's love forevermore!
Veterans' Monument
Designed by Luis Fucito for the City of Waterbury for about $55,000, it was intended in honor of all those who have served in the wars of our country. The star was dedicated on May 30th, 1958 and is located on the west end of The Green.
Hotel Elton
Built in 1905, the Hotel Elton on the Waterbury Green was a grand hotel which served as the starting point for the "Ideal Tour". Created by the Elton's first manager, Almon Judd, this tour created a convoy of early automobiles which journeyed to New England resorts. President John F. Kennedy made a campaign speech from the balcony on Nov. 6, 1960. The Elton was considered one of New England's most elegant hotels until the 1960s, when it became the Roger Smith Hotel. It is now an assisted living facility.
Cass Gilbert Historic District
Nationally renowned architect Cass Gilbert won a competition to design Waterbury's City Hall building on Grand Street, which was completed in 1915. Gilbert was then hired to design the Chase Headquarters Building (facing City Hall and now a municipal building housing the mayor's office); a bank building next to City Hall; the Lincoln House and the Chase Dispensary buildings on Field Street; the Waterbury Club on West Main Street (demolished in the 1960s); and coordinated the landscaping of Library Park with the Olmsted Brothers in the 1920s.
Christopher Columbus statue
The statue was completed by sculptor Frank C. Gaylord of Barre, VT for the Christopher Columbus Committee and the Waterbury Unico National Club at a total cost of $45,000, $25,000 for the statue and $20,000 for the base. The is made of granite and weighs 12,000 pounds. Standing in front of City Hall, this statue was dedicated Oct. 12, 1984. The Christopher Columbus Time Capsule, closed Oct. 12, 1992 to be opened October 12, 2092, is behind the monument.
The base of the sculpture reads:
Cristoforo Columbo
1451-1506
Discover of America
October 12, 1492
Ben Franklin statue
The seated in front of the Silas Bronson Library on Grand Street was designed by renowned sculptor Paul Wayland Bartlett, a one-time Waterbury resident. The 1700 pound statue was made possible by a $15,000 donation from Elisha Leavenworth. After completion, it made a 22-city tour, with celebrations in each city, from Baltimore to Boston and then to Waterbury where it was dedicated June 3, 1921.
Waterbury Courthouse
The on the corner of Grand and Meadow Streets, with its graceful curved facade and brass-bedecked entranceway, was the headquarters of the Anaconda American Brass Company for over 50 years. A large addition was put on the building in 1998.
Waterbury Clock Company
The Waterbury Clock Company buildings on Cherry Ave. were constructed in 1857. By the end of the 19th century, the company employed 3,000 workers and turned out 20,000 clocks and watches a day. The Great Depression sent the Waterbury Clock Co. into receivership, and the company was eventually sold to the United States Time Corp. (Timex) in 1942. Manufacturing operations here ceased when production was moved to a new factory in Middlebury CT, and the buildings now house several small businesses.
Harrub Pilgrim Memorial
The 175 ton, long was carved out of French granite by Hermon Atkins MacNeil of New York. Charles Harrub, an engineer for the American Brass Company, donated the $100,000 needed for the project to honor his wife and the Pilgrims. Dedicated October 11, 1930 at its original location at the entrance to Chase Park across from the Freight Street bridge, it was moved for the construction of the Interstate Route 84 / Route 8 interchange and is now located at the corner of Highland Avenue and Chase Parkway.
Chief Two Moon Laboratory
Chief Two Moon Meridas built in 1925 and manufactured his world famous herbal medications there until his death in 1933. The Indian Heads and two moons engraved on the front exterior walls have been retained on the building.
Holy Land USA
was an park in Waterbury, CT representing a miniature Jerusalem and Bethlehem. It was one of Connecticut’s biggest tourist attractions in the 1960s and 1970s with 50,000 visitors per year. Holy Land USA was built in the 1950s by local attorney John Baptist Greco. The 50' cross was designed and built by Frank Veto Lyman. This steel cross was once lit up purple for Lent and red for the Christmas season. Holy Land USA closed in 1984 and the plaster, wire caves and structures are now in miserable shape. Some local residents wish to see the place restored while others want it razed and turned into a park.
On November 20, 2002, Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart spoofed Holy Land in a segment with correspondent Stephen Colbert satirically comparing the park to Israel.
The cross is one of Waterbury's most beloved and prominent landmarks. Illuminated at night, it was a beacon seen from many homes and thousands of motorists passing daily on highways below. Pilots even used it for orientation.
In April 2008, workmen took down the former cross, which had become unstable from years of weathering and repeated attacks by vandals. The Religious Teachers Filippini, an order of nuns that owns the property, paid $250,000 to have it replaced with a cross that is a little shorter, a bit thinner, but more durable. In addition, the cross is not illuminated like the previous ones, instead it is lit by surrounding flood lights.
On June 18, 2008 the new cross was blessed and rededicated by Archbishop Henry J. Mansell. The new cross is actually the third giant cross to grace the site. The original was tall and was erected in 1956. The cross was dedicated to world peace in a ceremony attended by 1,200 people in November of that year. It was the beginning of Holy Land.
That original cross was replaced in 1968, by a cross of steel girders and plastic that housed fluorescent lights that reached into the sky. That cross was dedicated to peace and also to the slain John and Robert Kennedy.
Today, much of what was Holy Land is in ruins. Broken pavement lines the road winding through the property. Yellow tape blocks access to displays, many of which have been smashed by vandals. While the site is officially off-limits, people still skirt no-trespassing signs to visit..
Mattatuck Museum
The Mattatuck Museum Arts and History Center is the only museum in Connecticut dedicated to collecting and exhibiting Connecticut artists and sculptors. Previously housed in the historic Kendrick House on the other side of The Green, the museum moved to the former Masonic Temple in 1986. The renovation and construction was designed by noted Argentine-born architect Cesar Pelli. Exhibits in the ground floor galleries reveal the history of Waterbury and surrounding towns. New additions to the history exhibit include an interactive display about the region's slavery history. Recent additions to the art collections include a gallery display about Alexander Calder and a "Giant Critter" designed by Calder in the museum's courtyard.
TIMEXpo Museum
Another educational landmark of Waterbury is the . The museum, which is in what were formerly factory buildings of the Scovill Manufacturing Company, opened to the public in May, 2001. There are three floors of exhibits that explore the heritage of the world-famous Timex Corporation, tracing back to its early days as the Waterbury Clock Company. Visitors can witness the birth and growth of Timex, enjoying demonstrations of the inner workings of clock and watches. Within the museum there are a variety of hands on exhibits with craft activities, and computer interactions.
Brass Mill Center
The Brass Mill Center & Commons is a shopping venue built on the site of old Scovill Manufacturing Co. factory buildings near the center of Waterbury. It houses many stores and restaurants including Old Navy, American Eagle, Hollister & Co., Brookstone, Barnes & Noble, Chili's, and TGI Friday’s, Macy’s, JCPenney, Sears,and Burlington Coat Factory.
Palace Theatre
Originally opened in 1922, the Palace Theatre was home to films and vaudeville shows. It operated for nearly seventy years before being closed in 1987. Thanks to the financial backing of the State of Connecticut and the support of then-Governor Rowland, the theatre reopened on November 12, 2004.
Warren Fox Kaynor Technical High School
W.F Kaynor Technical High school (section) Founded In 1954, It is Waterbury's Only Tech school . Since 2006,has beening going through a 53 million dollar up grade and will be finish by June 2009
Chase Collegiate School
The Chase Collegiate School is a private day school formerly known as Saint Margaret's-McTernan established in 1865.Founded by Chase Brass and Copper company
Minicucci's Men's Clothing store
The oldest remaining store in downtown Waterbury. Minicucci's is owned today by Arnold Minicucci who inherited the store from his father, Erasamo Minicucci. The store was founded in the early 1900s and still exists on Bank Street.
On the National Register of Historic Places
George S. Abbott Building 235-247 N. Main St.
Bank Street Historic District 207-231 Bank St.
Benedict-Miller House 32 Hillside Ave.
Beth El Synagogue 359–375 Cooke St.
Bishop School 178 Bishop St.
Downtown Waterbury Historic District - Roughly bounded by Main, Meadow, and Elm Sts.
Elton Hotel 16-30 W. Main St.
Lewis Fulton Memorial Park - Roughly bounded by Cook, Pine, Fern and Charlotte Sts.
Hamilton Park - Roughly bounded by Silver St., E. Main St., Idylwood Ave., Plank Rd., the Mad River and I-84
Enoch Hibbard House and George Grannis House 41 Church St. and 33 Church St.
Notable residents
- Marcus "The Allen Boy" Allen, producer, musician and songwriter, half of the Grammy award winning production team the Heavy Weights(Rihanna, Ne-yo, Heather Headley). He and his partner Joe "Jojo Beats" Sparkman were signed to R&B superstar Ne-Yo's record label Compound Entertainment, Graduated 2001 Wilby High School in Waterbury
- Michael Bergin, first male supermodel
- William H. Bristol, inventive genius and pioneering manufacturer, was born in Waterbury. In 1915, he invented the “Bristolphone” to simultaneously record voices and other sounds with motion in moving pictures. His Bristol Co. in Waterbury manufactured the largest and most complete line of industrial instruments in the world from the early 1900s to the 1960s.
- Joe Cipriano, Television Announcer, he was known as Tom Collins on WWCO in Waterbury and today is the voice of the Fox and NBC TV Networks and the announcer for Deal Or No Deal and 1 vs. 100.
- Deirdre Coleman-Imus, Waterbury-born actress with appearances on The Cosby Show, Regis and Kathie Lee, a French perfume commercial that won a Cannes Award and star of a one-woman show, Gorgeous Mistakes. Married famed radio personality Don Imus in 1995.
- B. Jay Cooper, Waterbury born, served as deputy White House press secretary to Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, as director of public affairs at the U.S. Department of Commerce under Secretary Malcolm Baldrige, as director of public affairs at Yale University.
- Roger Connor, major league baseball player in the Baseball Hall of Fame
- Bob Crane, actor, of Hogans Heroes fame was born in Waterbury and had a radio program on WATR.
- Chris "Big Dog" Davis, producer, musician, and song writer who's worked with several R&B and jazz artists including Brian McKnight, George Clinton, Maysa Leak, and Phil Perry.
- Andre "mrDEYO" Deyo, singer songwriter, best known for writing "Jenny From The Block" for Jennifer Lopez in 2002, graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in Waterbury.
- Allie DiMeco, actress, best known for playing Rosalina in The Naked Brothers Band on Nickelodeon.
- Joe Diorio, jazz guitarist and recording artist
- Damane Duckett, born and raised in Waterbury, is an American football offensive tackle for the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL. Duckett has also played for the New York Giants and the Carolina Panthers.
- Joe Famiglietti, New York City news reporter. A stalwart for the City Hall beat, Famiglietti worked for the New York Daily Mirror until it folded in 1963, when he became a City Hall reporter for WABC Radio. He was a founding member and former president of the New York Press Club and famous for masquerading as a U.S. customs agent to get an exclusive interview with legendary mobster Charles "Lucky" Luciano. When Luciano was being deported from the U.S. in 1946, Famiglietti donned a customs agent's uniform and sneaked a one-on-one interview with him in his native language.
- Entertainer Nick Apollo Forte had a major role in Woody Allen’s movie in 1984.
- Stan Freeman, nationally known composer, lyricist, musical arranger, conductor, and studio musician.
- Dr. Robert Gallo, a U.S. biomedical researcher, best known for his role in identifying the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) as the infectious agent responsible for the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
- “Wildman Steve" Gallon grew up in Waterbury and was a disk jockey on WWCO in the 1950s. He forged a 40-year career as a DJ, media personality, comedian, recording artist and movie actor, releasing over a dozen recordings in the 1970s and 1980s, and starring in several movies. He was the first black comedian to chart on Cash Box and the first to sell a million records.
- Mordechai Gifter, One of America's leading Torah Scholars, served as rabbi of Waterbury's Jewish community from 1941 - 1945. He then moved to Cleveland where he ultimately became the Dean of the Rabbinical College of Telshe, also known as Telz Yeshiva.
- Philip Giordano, former mayor of Waterbury, (R) was stripped of power in 2001 after a corruption investigation revealed alleged sexual acts with a minor and other possible pedophilia charges. In 2003, he was convicted and sentenced to 37 years in federal prison.
- Ryan Gomes, Minnesota Timberwolves forward, was born in Waterbury and attended Wilby High School.
- Bill Gonillo, sportscaster who was Sports Director at Norwalk's News 12. He won the Associated Press "Broadcast of the Year" award twice as the voice of Yale Sports for WELI radio in New Haven and three times at News 12. He is the only announcer in Connecticut broadcast history to win the honor for work in both radio and television. He was co-host of Inside Yankee Baseball Saturday mornings on ESPN Radio 1300. Gonillo, known for his commitment and involvement in Fairfield County sports, died on September 23, 2007.
- Porter Goss, former Director of the CIA, was born in Waterbury.
- began her acting career with Sylvester Poli's stock theater company, The Poli Players, in 1921 and performed in more than 45 films during her brief movie career from 1930 to 1935.
- (real name Joe Mulhall), an announcer on WWCO, WATR, and WBRY in Waterbury in the 1950s while in high school, was a top rated radio personality on WPOP and WDRC in Hartford in the 1960s and on KIIS in Los Angeles in the 1970s. He published his autobiography in 2002.
- Frank Hogan, former District Attorney of New York County for more than 30 years. Dubbed "Mr. Integrity" for his work with prosecuting organized crime.
- George P. Harlamon, Mayor 1968-1970. Elected to Waterbury Hall of Fame 2003.
- Al Heavens, whose syndicated Real Estate news and advise column can be seen in over 200 newspapers.
- David Hoadley, president of the Panama Railway
- Julius Hotchkiss (1810-1878) was a United States Representative from Connecticut and Mayor of Waterbury.
- One of the greatest woman athletes of all time, Joan Joyce made her name as an All-American softball player but also excelled in basketball, bowling, and golf, and struck out baseball legends Ted Williams and Hank Aaron with her 110+ mph pitches in exhibition games.
- Billiards champion Edwin Kelly was inducted into the Billiards Congress of America Hall of Fame in 2003.
- Annie Leibovitz, celebrated portrait photographer, was born in Waterbury in 1949.
- , actor best known for his role as Mike Silletti on the TV show Rescue Me
- Talia Madison, Professional Wrestler
- Timmy Maia R&B/Soul singer, song writer, and performing artist.
- Richard A. Mastracchio, a NASA Astronaut who was a member of the Atlantis shuttle crew in 2000 and is currently a member of the Endeavour crew which launched on August 8, 2007.
- Paul Matasavge, Superior Court Judge, Parade Football All-American, All-State Tackle, Penn Stateand Holy Cross Football Star.
- Dylan McDermott, actor and star of the acclaimed television series The Practice, was born and raised in Waterbury.
- Father Michael J. McGivney, Catholic priest and founder of The Knights of Columbus
- Chief Two Moon Meridas lived in Waterbury from 1914 to 1933 and claimed to be a full-blooded Pueblo Indian, but many doubted his assertions. He sold Chief Two Moon Tonic, laxatives, ointments, creams and herbal powders that were made in his laboratory on East Main Street throughout the United States and Europe. Meridas was one of the first inductees to the Waterbury Hall of Fame in 1997.
- Ravenna Miceli, radio and television personality
- Arnold Minicucci, Owner of the oldest remaining mens clothing store in Waterbury. The store still exists and is located on 31 Bank Street.
- Rev. Joseph Moffo, Roman Catholic priest who appeared in the Godfather Part II. Fr. Moffo was pastor of St. Joseph's Church in New York City where a portion of the movie was being filmed and was asked to play the part of a priest.
- V. James Onalfo, Deputy Commissioner & Chief Information Officer of the New York City Police Department.
- , nationally known sports columnist for the New York Daily Mirror from 1924 to 1963 and a frequent crusader against corruption in boxing, wrestling, and other sports. Damon Runyon called Parker "the most constantly brilliant of all sportswriters”.
- Mario Pavone, jazz bassist, composer, bandleader and recording artist
- Jimmy Piersall, professional baseball player, who battled bi-polar mental illness and was portrayed by Anthony Perkins in the movie "Fear Strikes Out"
- The Playmates, a pop music group, consisting of Donny Conn, Morey Carr, and Carl Chicchetti. The Playmates had two hit songs, "Jo Ann"; and their biggest hit, "Beep Beep" (a song about a Nash Rambler) in 1958
- Peter M. Ferreira, Critically acclaimed concert violinist, recording artist and author.
- Peter Polaco, aka Justin Credible, a Professional Wrestler
- Dr. Peter Pronovost, an intensive care specialist at Johns Hopkins Hospital, named by TIME Magazine in 2008 as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
- Patricia Rado, president and chief operating officer of the American Stock Exchange. She is the first woman to hold the post in the exchange's nearly 100-year history.
- Sheryl Lee Ralph, a Waterbury born Tony Award-nominated Jamaican-American actress and singer best known for her work in Broadway productions such as Dreamgirls (for which she was nominated for a Tony Award)
- John G. Rowland, Waterbury native and former Governor of Connecticut, (R) resigned from office on July 1, 2004 after prolonged investigation for corruption. In April, 2005 he began serving a one year sentence. He has been released from prison and now resides in Middlebury.
- Rosalind Russell, actress, grew up in Waterbury.
- Joseph Santopietro, former mayor, (R) had been convicted for corruption in 1992.
- Well-known in music circles, guitar historian James Shine, Jr. was born and raised in the North End of Waterbury.
- John Sirica, Watergate judge, was born and raised in Waterbury. He was Time magazine's Man of the Year in 1973.
- Peter Stangl, Chairman and CEO of New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) from 1991 to 1995.
- Terry Tata, Major League Baseball umpire from 1973 to 1999. During his career, he officiated four World Series and three All-Star games.
- Actress Gene Tierney attended St. Margaret's School for Girls in Waterbury, but grew up in the Brooklyn Borough of New York City.
- Fay Vincent, the 8th commissioner of Major League Baseball from September 13, 1989 to September 7, 1992.
- Dave Wallace, Major League Baseball pitching coach, and a former General Manager and player who spent the majority of his career in the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets organizations. He also worked for the Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros. In October 2007 the Seattle Mariners organization hired Wallace as special assistant to the general manager.
Sister cities
See also
External links
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- Photos and memories of Waterbury neighborhoods presented by the Mattatuck Historical Society.
- An online tour of Waterbury in vintage images from the late 1800s to the 1970s.
- A narrated slideshow about the “Big 3” Waterbury manufacturing companies in the first half of the 20th century presented by the Mattatuck Historical Society.
- A collection of newspaper and personal photos of the 1955 flood and the destruction it left behind.
- Postcards and personal photos showing Waterbury’s greatest tourist attraction in its heyday.
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- Profiles of Waterbury natives and residents who have made a significant impact on the history of Waterbury or who have achieved recognition for their accomplishments throughout the city, state, country or world.
- includes historical information.
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- Issues, People, Events - Waterbury’s Independent Newspaper
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