Easton, Connecticut

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Easton is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2020 census,[1] the population was 7,605. Easton contains the historic district of Aspetuck and the Plattsville census-designated place. It is a part of the Greater Bridgeport Planning Region, the New York metropolitan statistical area, and is bordered by the towns of Fairfield to the south, Newtown and Redding to the north, Weston to the west, and Monroe and Trumbull to the east.

In March 2023, Easton established a sister city relationship with Sviatohirsk, Donetsk, Ukraine.[2]

History

New York was first settled in 1757 by men and women from Fairfield. In 1762 a congregation called the North Fairfield Society was established, and it gradually evolved into Easton. In 1787 Weston, then including lands now defined as Easton, was incorporated out of Fairfield. The area was slow to develop because of the rough hills along the Aspetuck River, and so it was not until 1845 that what is now Easton separated from Weston. Today, half of the town's property is owned by the Aquarion Water Company of Connecticut, the major supplier of water in the area.

The deaf and blind activist Helen Keller lived the last several years of her life in Easton. Her house is still intact today and has been owned by several families since her death. The local middle school is named for her.

The 2009 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree was a Script error: No such module "convert". Norway Spruce donated from a private residence in Easton.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of Script error: No such module "convert"., of which Script error: No such module "convert". is land and Script error: No such module "convert". (4.2%) is water.

Demographics

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Historical population
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18501,432
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19603,407Script error: No such module "String".%
19704,885Script error: No such module "String".%
19805,962Script error: No such module "String".%
19906,303Script error: No such module "String".%
20007,272Script error: No such module "String".%
20107,490Script error: No such module "String".%
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U.S. Decennial Census[3]

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Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote". As of the census[4] of 2010, there were 7,490 people, 2,465 households, and 2,077 families residing in the town. The population density was Script error: No such module "convert".. There were 2,511 housing units at an average density of Script error: No such module "convert".. The racial makeup of the town was 96.74% White, 0.22% African American, 0.04% Native American, 2.02% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.41% from other races, and 0.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.76% of the population.[4]

Of the 2,465 households, 42.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 75.8% were married couples living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.7% were non-families. 12.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.95 and the average family size was 3.23 individuals.[5]

In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.7% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 37% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.3 males. The sex ratio is 94.3 males per 100 females.[5]

The median income for a household in the town was $132,000, and the median income for a family was $155,227. Males had a median income of $101,636 versus $83,333 for females. The per capita income for the town was $59,546. About 2.2% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 2.6% of those age 65 or over.[5]

Arts and culture

File:Easton Fireman's Carnival. August 5, 2021.jpg
2021 Easton Fireman's Carnival

Places within Easton listed on the National Register of Historic Places include Aspetuck Historic District, Ida Tarbell House, and Bradley-Hubbell House. The annual Easton Fireman's Carnival is an event run by the Easton Fire Department that occurs every summer. It features games and food in addition to rides provided by the Stewart Amusement Company. The carnival's proceeds help pay the yearly operating costs, improvements to house and equipment, and high priority gear. In 2020, the carnival was canceled for the first time in 63 years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[6][7]

Easton's centuries-old Union Cemetery is a well-known ghost-hunting site, called one of the "most haunted" sites in the United States.[8]

Government

Historically, Easton has been a reliably Republican stronghold. In 1964, it was one of only eleven Connecticut towns to vote for Barry Goldwater. Easton also gave Goldwater his biggest margin in the state, being the only town to give him more than 60% of the vote.[9] However, in 2016, town residents voted for Democrat Hillary Clinton with a plurality.[10] In 2020, Joe Biden improved upon the Democratic margin in the town,[11] though it fell slightly under Kamala Harris in 2024.[12]

Voter registration and party enrollment as of November 5, 2018[13]
Party Active voters Inactive voters Total voters Percentage
Republican 1,793 68 1,861 31.67%
Democratic 1,487 60 1,547 26.33%
Unaffiliated 2,320 68 2,388 40.64%
Minor parties 75 5 80 1.36%
Total 5,675 201 5,876 100%

Easton's politics shifted significantly in the late 2010s. In 2019, the town elected orthopedic surgeon David Bindelglass as First Selectman, the first Democrat to hold the position in four decades with a rare Democratic-majority Board of Selectman as well. He was re-elected in 2021 and 2023. His margins of victory increased with each term, with his 2023 victory occurring alongside the "most decisive victory for Democrats ever in municipal elections," according to local media.[14]

However, Republicans were able to regain power in 2025 after Bindelglass announced his retirement. Republican Dan Lent defeated Democratic Selectman Nick D'Addario to become First Selectman by 5 votes, allowing the Republican Party to hold the office of First Selectman and a majority of the Board of Selectman for the first time since 2019.[15][16][17] It was the only town in Connecticut to flip control from Democratic to Republican amidst poor performances for the GOP across the state and the country.[18]

Presidential elections

Easton town vote
by party in presidential elections[19]
Year Democratic Republican Third Parties
align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|2024 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|53.92% 2,627 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|43.94% 2,141 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|2.13% 104
align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|2020 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|55.29% 2,777 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|43.36% 2,178 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|1.35% 68
align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|2016 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|48.67% 2,203 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|47.08% 2,131 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|4.24% 192
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|2012 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|43.16% 1,841 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|55.79% 2,380 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|1.05% 45
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|2008 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|49.47% 2,238 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|49.93% 2,259 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.60% 27
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|2004 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|44.34% 2,002 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|54.53% 2,462 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|1.13% 51
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|2000 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|42.76% 1,783 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|52.18% 2,176 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|5.06% 211
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|1996 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|38.86% 1,475 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|50.16% 1,904 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|10.99% 417
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|1992 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|30.85% 1,232 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|47.80% 1,909 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|21.36% 853
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|1988 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|29.94% 1,106 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|68.65% 2,536 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|1.41% 52
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|1984 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|24.83% 895 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|74.79% 2,696 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.39% 14
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|1980 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|23.91% 821 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|64.11% 2,201 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|11.97% 411
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|1976 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|29.38% 921 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|69.92% 2,192 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.70% 22
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|1972 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|23.77% 681 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|74.24% 2,127 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|1.99% 57
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|1968 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|27.05% 655 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|68.07% 1,648 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|4.87% 118
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|1964 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|38.09% 801 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|61.91% 1,302 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.00% 0
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|1960 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|24.39% 466 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|75.61% 1,445 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.00% 0
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|1956 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|14.79% 251 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|85.21% 1,446 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.00% 0
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|1952 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|17.87% 262 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|76.74% 1,125 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|5.39% 79
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|1948 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|22.35% 215 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|75.16% 723 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|2.49% 24
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|1944 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|26.70% 236 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|73.30% 648 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.00% 0
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|1940 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|36.69% 277 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|63.31% 478 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.00% 0
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|1936 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|42.75% 233 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|57.25% 312 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.00% 0
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|1932 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|35.90% 149 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|64.10% 266 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.00% 0
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|1928 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|23.40% 88 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|75.00% 282 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|1.60% 6
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|1924 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|29.24% 88 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|67.11% 202 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|3.65% 11
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|1920 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|32.26% 101 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|67.10% 210 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.64% 2
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|1916 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|49.50% 98 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|50.00% 99 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.50% 1
align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|1912 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|41.63% 82 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|34.51% 68 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|23.86% 47
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|1908 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|38.95% 74 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|61.05% 116 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.00% 0
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|1904 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|29.08% 57 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|70.92% 139 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.00% 0
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|1900 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|36.56% 68 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|63.44% 118 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|00.0% 0
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|1896 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|18.81% 41 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|70.64% 154 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|10.55% 23
align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|1892 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|50.80% 127 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|49.20% 123 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.00% 0
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|1888 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|40.25% 97 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|57.67% 139 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|2.08% 5
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|1884 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|47.82% 121 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|52.18% 132 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.00% 0
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|1880 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|48.11% 153 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|51.89% 165 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.00% 0
align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|1876 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|56.45% 162 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|43.55% 125 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.00% 0
align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|1872 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|51.56% 132 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|48.44% 124 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.00% 0

Education

Easton has three schools: Samuel Staples Elementary school, for children in grades from kindergarten to 5th grade, Helen Keller Middle School, for children in grades 6 through 8, and the private school Easton Country Day for children K–12 (formerly Phoenix Academy). High school students attend Joel Barlow High School in Redding.

Media

Like the rest of Fairfield County, Easton is in the New York City media market yet also receives channels from the New Haven-Hartford media market, receiving television channels from both.[20][21][22]

Newspapers

Easton has many local newspapers of its own, but most of them are not well documented, with almost no info on them online. Despite this, the newspapers where there is readily accessible information available contain of mix of both printed and digital papers.

Easton Courier (1978–2018)

The Easton Courier began production in 1978. It was a print newspaper, different from its successor in 2020. It stopped publication in 2018 due to a lack of advertisements.[23]

Easton Courier (2020–present)

The successor to the Easton Courier began work in 2018 after its closure. It began when Jim Castonguay, Director of the School of Communications, Media and the Arts at Sacred Heart University, reached out to former Easton Courier chief editor Nancy Doniger via LinkedIn, proposing the idea of a news publication created by students and faculty partnered up with the citizens of Easton. Local leaders embraced the idea after being presented with it.[24] The newspaper began publication on February 29, 2020, as an online source with involvement from the town government. Since the newspaper is a nonprofit, it runs on donations from the public.

Infrastructure

File:EastonCT EMS front.jpg
Easton Volunteer Emergency Medical Service

Emergency medical services

Easton Volunteer Emergency Medical Service was established in 1946 and currently has two ambulances, a staff of three Chief officers, two career technicians and 29 volunteers.[25]

Fire department

Easton is protected by eight paid firefighters of the Easton Fire Department (EFD) and the volunteer firefighters of the Easton Volunteer Fire Company # 1. Founded in 1921, EFD operates out of one fire station, and runs an apparatus fleet of three engines, one attack engine, one haz-mat unit, one brush unit, and one command vehicle. The Easton Fire Department responds to over 500 emergency calls annually. In 2015, the fire department responded to 539 incidents.[26]

Police department

The Easton Police Department includes a K9 unit, D.A.R.E, and an animal control unit.[27] The Easton Police Explorer Post 2001 is an affiliated with the department.[28] Easton Police are also first responders for all EMS calls in town. They are all certified EMR's or EMT's and can provide oxygen, perform basic first aid, and defibrillation.[29]

Bridge

The Route 59 bridge in Easton, which carries more than 10,000 cars and trucks every day over the Mill River, has a substructure rated in critical condition by state safety inspectors. In 2007, the bridge was one of 12 in the southwestern part of the state with "critical" safety inspection ratings.[30]

Bridge Construction

In 2019, construction was conducted on a South Park Avenue bridge over Mill River[31] which ended in the summer of 2020.[32] In May 2021, construction on another bridge on South Park Avenue began[33][34] which ended in December of the same year.[35]

Notable people

Sister cities

See also

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Notes

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  8. Rogak, Lisa (2004). Stones and Bones of New England: A Guide to Unusual, Historic, and Otherwise Notable Cemeteries. Globe Pequot. Template:ISBN.
  9. Statement of Vote, General Election, November 3, 1964
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  30. Kaplan, Thomas, Martineau, Kim, and Kauffman, Matthew, "12 state bridges are judged to be in critical condition" article in The Advocate of Stamford, Connecticut, article reprinted from The Hartford Courant, August 5, 2007, pp. 1, A6
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  38. "A Message From First Selectman David Bindelglass". Easton CT Government. Retrieved March 24, 2023.-95/

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External links

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