New Canaan, Connecticut

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Template:Short description Script error: No such module "redirect hatnote". Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Script error: No such module "Settlement short description".Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Script error: No such module "Check for conflicting parameters".Expression error: Unexpected < operator. New Canaan (Template:IPAc-en) is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 20,622 according to the 2020 census.[1] The town is part of the Western Connecticut Planning Region.

About an hour from New York City by train, the town is considered part of Connecticut's Gold Coast. The town is bounded on the south by Darien, to the west by Stamford, on the east by Wilton, on the southeast by Norwalk, and on the north by Lewisboro and Pound Ridge in Westchester County, New York.

New Canaan is known for its architecture and public parks such as Waveny Park, and a town center with boutiques. Residents sing carols on God's Acre every Christmas Eve, a town tradition since 1916.[2]

History

File:JWBarberEastViewNewCanaan.jpg
East view of Church Hill, the central part of New Canaan (1836) by John Warner Barber

Script error: No such module "Multiple image". In 1731, Connecticut's colonial legislature established Canaan Parish as a religious entity in northwestern Norwalk and northeastern Stamford. The right to form a Congregational church was granted to the few families scattered through the area. As inhabitants of Norwalk or Stamford, Canaan Parish settlers still had to vote, pay some taxes—no income tax, and many other modern taxes did not yet exist—serve on juries, and file deeds in their hometowns. Because Canaan Parish was not planned as a town when it was first settled in 1731, when New Canaan was incorporated in 1801, it found itself without a central common, a main street, or a town hall.[3]

Until the Revolutionary War, New Canaan was primarily an agricultural community; after the war, its major industry was shoemaking. As New Canaan's shoe business gathered momentum early in the 19th century, instead of a central village, regional settlements of clustered houses, mill, and school developed into distinct district centers. Some of the districts were centered on Ponus Ridge, West Road, Oenoke Ridge, Smith Ridge, Talmadge Hill, and Silvermine, a pattern that the village gradually outgrew.[3]

With the opening of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad to New Canaan in 1868, many of New York City's wealthy residents discovered the pastoral beauty of the area and built summer homes. Eventually, many of the summer visitors settled year-round, commuting to their jobs in New York City.[3]

Lewis Lapham, a founder of Texaco and great-grandfather of long-time Harper's Magazine editor Lewis H. Lapham, spent summers with his family at their estate that is now Script error: No such module "convert". Waveny Park next to Talmadge Hill and the Merritt Parkway.

In the 1890s, editor Will Kirk of the Messenger wrote an editorial in response to area editors who chided him, saying New Canaan was the "next station to hell." An alleged remark by a parched Civil War veteran marching in the Decoration Day Parade on an unusually hot day prompted the exchange. The remark was found untrue and Kirk, after enduring the comments of others, wrote about a "dream" of approaching the Pearly Gates in the company of his fellow editors. All others were turned away, but he, Will Kirk, was welcomed, because he, in fact, was from the "Next Station to Heaven."[4] Since then, the name has been controversial, with residents affectionately using the latter, and local critics of New Canaan still using the original nickname.

The "Harvard Five" and modern homes

New Canaan was an important center of the modern design movement from the late 1940s through roughly the 1960s, when about 80 modern homes were built in town. About 20 have been torn down since then.[5]

"During the late 1940s and 1950s, a group of students and teachers from the Harvard Graduate School of Design migrated to New Canaan ... and rocked the world of architectural design", according to an article in PureContemporary.com, an online architecture design magazine. "Philip Johnson, Marcel Breuer, Landis Gores, John M. Johansen and Eliot NoyesTemplate:Spaced ndashknown as the Harvard FiveTemplate:Spaced ndashbegan creating homes in a style that emerged as the complete antithesis of the traditional build. Using new materials and open floor plans, best captured by Johnson's Glass House, these treasures are being squandered as buyers are knocking down these architectural icons and replacing them with cookie-cutter new builds."[6]

"Other architects, well-known (Frank Lloyd Wright, for example) and not so well known, also contributed significant modern houses that elicited strong reactions from nearly everyone who saw them and are still astonishing today ... New Canaan came to be the focus of the modern movement's experimentation in materials, construction methods, space, and form", according to an online description of The Harvard Five in New Canaan: Mid-Century Modern Houses, by William D. Earls.[7]

Some other New Canaan architects designing modern homes were Victor Christ-Janer, John Black Lee, Allan Gelbin, and Hugh Smallen.[5]

The film The Ice Storm (1997) shows many of New Canaan's modern houses, both inside and out. The film (and Rick Moody's novel of the same name, upon which it is based) takes place in New Canaan; a mostly glass house situated on Laurel Road is prominently featured.

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". are land and 0.3 square mile (0.78 km2), or 1.56%, is covered by water. New Canaan is the only municipality on the Connecticut Panhandle that does not border the coast. Proximity to New York City proved worthy of its own connection to the New Haven Railroad, making New Canaan the only town with such a branch line. New Canaan station and Talmadge Hill station are both on the New Canaan Branch of the New Haven Line, and transfer is possible in Stamford south to Manhattan. Many New Canaan residents commute to New York regularly, with travel time to Grand Central Terminal around 65 minutes. New Canaan is also heavily served by the historic Merritt Parkway, as the third municipality one traverses when driving through Connecticut from New York City.

The town includes the following sections: New Canaan Town Center, Talmadge Hill, Ponus Ridge, West, Oenoke Ridge, Smith Ridge, and part of Silvermine (which extends into Norwalk and Wilton).

Government

United States Congress

Senators Name Party Assumed office Level
  Senate Class 1 Richard Blumenthal Democratic 2011 Senior Senator
  Senate Class 3 Chris Murphy Democratic 2013 Junior Senator
Representatives Name Party Assumed office
  District 4 Jim Himes Democratic 2009

Connecticut General Assembly

Connecticut State Senate

District Name Party Assumed office
  26 Ceci Maher Democratic 2023
  36 Ryan Fazio Republican 2021

Connecticut House of Representatives

District Name Party Assumed office
  42 Keith Denning Democratic 2023
  125 Tom O'Dea Republican 2013
  142 Lucy Dathan Democratic 2019

Local government

New Canaan is led by a First Selectman, who is one of three members of the Board of Selectmen. As of November 2023, the First Selectman is Republican Dionna Carlson.

The legislative body of the town is a twelve-member Town Council.

Taxes

In 2023, the mill rate of New Canaan was 18.372.[8]

Politics

New Canaan was one of five towns in Connecticut that backed former Governor John Kasich of Ohio over Donald Trump in the 2016 Republican presidential primary. Kasich received 1,362 votes (47.84%) ahead of Trump, who garnered 1,168 votes (41.03%). U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas finished third with 262 votes (9.20%).[9]

New Canaan was historically a Republican stronghold. However, the town has trended Democratic in recent elections.[10] The town swung from a 64% win for Mitt Romney in 2012 to a 52% win for Hillary Clinton in 2016.[11][12] This change mirrored a national trend of suburban voters turning away from Donald Trump. In 2020, Joe Biden won New Canaan over Trump by a margin of nearly 20 points.[13] Despite a rightward shift in 2024, town voters still delivered a victory to Kamala Harris of roughly 13 percentage points.[14]

Registration and Party Enrollment Statistics as of October 31, 2023[15]
Party Active voters Inactive voters Total voters Percentage
Republican 5,051 634 5,685 36.23%
Democratic 3,750 445 4,195 26.74%
Unaffiliated 4,903 713 5,616 35.80%
Minor parties 158 35 193 1.23%
Total 13,862 1,827 15,689 100%
New Canaan town vote
by party in presidential elections[16]
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"|55.49% 6,014 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|42.44% 4,600 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|2.06% 224
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"|59.02% 7,298 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|39.26% 4,855 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|1.72% 212
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"|52.59% 5,767 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|41.41% 4,541 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|6.00% 658
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"|35.02% 3,804 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|64.13% 6,966 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.85% 92
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"|46.61% 5,187 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|52.81% 5,877 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.58% 64
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"|38.32% 4,180 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|60.67% 6,618 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|1.01% 110
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"|33.93% 3,516 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|62.73% 6,501 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|3.34% 346
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"|32.37% 3,087 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|61.77% 5,890 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|5.86% 559
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"|30.72% 3,438 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|56.21% 6,292 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|13.07% 1,463
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"|27.14% 2,831 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|72.09% 7,520 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.77% 80
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"|23.66% 2,564 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|76.12% 8,249 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.22% 24
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"|19.87% 2,102 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|67.31% 7,120 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|12.82% 1,356
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"|28.17% 2,887 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|71.52% 7,329 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.31% 32
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"|29.50% 2,915 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|69.85% 6,903 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.66% 65
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"|31.96% 2,802 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|66.12% 5,796 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|1.92% 168
align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|1964 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|52.50% 4,022 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|47.50% 3,639 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"|27.95% 1,970 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|72.05% 5,079 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"|20.33% 1,213 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|79.67% 4,755 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"|24.98% 1,276 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|73.81% 3,771 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|1.21% 62
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"|23.03% 942 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|74.18% 3,035 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|2.79% 114
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"|31.14% 1,163 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|68.86% 2,571 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"|28.46% 1,015 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|71.54% 2,552 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"|35.98% 940 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|64.02% 1,673 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"|33.97% 746 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|66.03% 1,450 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"|31.95% 614 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|67.53% 1,298 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.52% 10
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"|20.63% 293 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|75.07% 1,066 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|4.30% 61
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"|21.55% 267 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|76.52% 948 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|1.93% 24
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"|33.73% 254 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|65.07% 490 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|1.20% 9
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|1912 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|34.32% 266 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|44.52% 345 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|21.16% 164
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"|24.89% 171 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|74.68% 513 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.43% 3
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"|31.01% 192 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|67.53% 418 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|1.46% 9
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"|31.67% 190 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|67.50% 405 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.83% 5
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"|22.45% 139 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|73.99% 458 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|3.56% 22
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|1892[17] align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|44.25% 277 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|52.72% 330 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|3.03% 19
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"|43.07% 264 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|51.88% 318 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|5.05% 31
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"|46.24% 264 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|53.76% 307 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"|48.46% 300 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|51.54% 319 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"|51.27% 323 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|48.73% 307 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"|52.78% 285 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|47.22% 255 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.00% 0
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|1868 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|43.39% 233 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|56.61% 304 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.00% 0
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|1864 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|40.80% 206 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|59.20% 299 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.00% 0
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|1860 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|27.86% 190 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|45.16% 308 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|26.98% 184
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|1856 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|38.90% 198 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (US)/meta/shading"|61.10% 311 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.00% 0
align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|1852 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|55.11% 221 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Party color"|44.89% 180 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.00% 0
align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|1848 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|44.52% 195 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Party color"|42.01% 184 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|13.47% 59
align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|1844 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|50.22% 225 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Party color"|49.78% 223 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.00% 0
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Party color"|1840 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|48.78% 220 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Party color"|51.22% 231 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.00% 0
align="center" style="background-color:Template:Party color"|1836 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|48.19% 93 align="center" style="background-color:Template:Party color"|51.81% 100 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.00% 0
1832 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|17.36% 29 58.69% 98 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|23.95% 40
1828 align="center" style="color:black;background-color:Template:Democratic Party (US)/meta/shading"|2.38% 2 97.62% 82 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.00% 0

Demographics

<templatestyles src="US Census population/styles.css"/>

Historical population
CensusPop.Template:Sronly%±
18101,599—
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18502,600—
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196013,466Script error: No such module "String".%
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198017,931Script error: No such module "String".%
199017,864Script error: No such module "String".%
200019,395Script error: No such module "String".%
201019,738Script error: No such module "String".%
202020,622Script error: No such module "String".%
U.S. Decennial Census[18]

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As of the census[19] of 2000, 19,395 people, 6,822 households, and 5,280 families were residing in the town. The population density was Script error: No such module "convert".. The 7,141 housing units averaged 322.7 per square mile (124.6/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 95.27% White, 1.04% African American, 0.04% Native American, 2.29% Asian, 0.39% from other races, and 0.98% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 1.74% of the population.

Of the 6,822 households, 41.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.2% were married couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.6% were not families. About 19.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83, and the average family size was 3.26.

In the town, the population was distributed as 31.2% under the age of 18, 3.3% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.7 males.

Per the 2000 Census, the median income for a household in the town was $141,788, and for a family was $175,331. Males had a median income of $100,000 versus $53,924 for females. The per capita income for the town was $82,049. About 1.4% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.2% of those under age 18 and 2.2% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Points of interest

  • New Canaan Nature Center
  • Waveny Park on South Avenue was developed in 1912 by Lewis Lapham on what had been Prospect Farm, an early summer estate. In 1967 the Town acquired the 'castle' (Lapham's mansion on the property) and Script error: No such module "convert". of surrounding parkland."[3]
  • Silvermine Arts Center
File:Moreno Clock New Canaan.png
Moreno Clock located on Elm Street where it meets with South Avenue in New Canaan

National Register of Historic Places

File:Glasshouse-philip-johnson.jpg
The Glass House
  • Hampton Inn – 179 Oenoke Ridge; also known as The Maples Inn, which was built by the Elwood brothers in Queen Anne, Colonial Revival style. (added November 27, 2004)
  • Hanford Davenport House – 353 Oenoke Ridge (added September 3, 1989)
  • John Rogers Studio – 33 Oenoke Ridge; built in 1878 by John Rogers, who was called "the people's sculptor" in the late 19th century. The studio houses a collection of the artist's famous groups of statuary, many sculpted on site (added November 15, 1966).[20] "He used this studio from 1876 to the end of his life. The John Rogers studio houses one of the finest collections of Rogers Groups in the nation."[21]
  • Landis Gores House – 192 Cross Ridge Rd. "With its flat-roofed single-story form, full-height glass walls, and emphasis on horizontal planes, the house he designed for himself in New Canaan is an outstanding example" of modernist architecture.[22] (added April 21, 2002)
  • Maxwell E. Perkins House – 63 Park St. (added June 6, 2004)
  • Philip Johnson Glass House – 798–856 Ponus Ridge Rd. (added March 18, 1997)
  • Richard and Geraldine Hodgson House – 881 Ponus Ridge Rd. (added February 28, 2005)

Seasonal events

New Canaan Nature Center Fall Fair: The fair offers activities for all ages from hay mazes to Old Faithful Antique Fire Truck rides to apple sling shots.[23]

All Hallows Eve (Halloween) Parade: No matter your costume, children of all ages and their dogs can receive a goody bag and march in the Parade led by the Old Faithful Antique Fire Truck which is sponsored by the New Canaan Chamber of Commerce.[24]

Holiday Stroll: Hosted by The Chamber of Commerce, downtown New Canaan celebrates with Christmas carolers, the lighting of the trees along Elm Street, the arrival of Santa Claus, and extended store hours.[25]

Christmas Carolling on God's Acre: since 1919 New Canaan residents have been gathering on God's Acre every Christmas Eve to sing Christmas carols with the New Canaan Town Band. The New Canaan town band was founded in 1831 and is the second oldest town band in the United States.[26]

Easter Egg Hunt: At the Annual Town Easter Egg Hunt, sponsored by the Young Women's League of New Canaan, children are able to collect candy-filled Easter eggs, get their faces painted, take pictures with the Easter bunny, and participate in many other festive activities.[27]

Saint Mark's May Fair: Provides carnival rides and May Fair's famous strawberry shortcake.[28]

Family Fourth Fireworks: Town residents gather at Waveny Town Park for picnicking, live music, bounce houses, and fireworks.[29]

Juneteenth "Hearts of Freedom" Community Celebration put on by Stand Together Against Racism (S.T.A.R) annually on June 19 on the lawn of the New Canaan Historical Society. Features live music, local black-owned food trucks, kids activities and is free to attend. https://www.star-ct.org/juneteenth

Institutions and organizations

File:Grace Farms Interior View from Exterior.JPG
Grace Farms, a cultural and humanitarian center in New Canaan.
  • New Canaan Museum & Historical Society – operates seven museums, preserves five historic buildings, collects and preserves material thought to be of local historical value, and supports education programs such as school tours, special exhibits, seminars and publications on New Canaan history. The society was founded in 1889 and is housed in New Canaan's first town hall.[30]
  • Harmony Lodge No. 67 Ancient, Free & Accepted Masons – the oldest voluntary society in the Town of New Canaan.[31][32] It was chartered by the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of the State of Connecticut and, with its establishment in 1763, became the first masonic lodge in lower Fairfield County. The only masonic lodges in the area at that time were Union Lodge No. 5 of Stamford and St. John's No. 6 in Norwalk.[33] This meant that the brothers of Canaan Parish, prior to 1825, had to meet either at Union No. 5, which often physically met at Greenwich, Stamford, and sometimes Bedford, NY or at St. John's No. 6 in Norwalk. Once Canaan Parish was incorporated into a separate town, Brothers Samuel Carter, Jr., John Seely, Eliphalet Weed and several other members, requested the recommendation of St. John's Lodge No. 6 in Norwalk to the Grand Lodge for a charter to establish a new lodge in the Town of New Canaan which was granted on May 30, 1825.[34] In 1954, the Lodge, in a three-way swap, bought the old Methodist Church building on Main Street, and Harmony Lodge No. 67 has been at this site ever since.[34]
  • New Canaan Society (NCS) - a nationwide movement of over 24,000 men who gather to encourage each other in friendship and faith, aiming to support one another in becoming better husbands, fathers, and leaders in their communities and workplaces.[35]
  • Silvermine Arts Center
  • New Canaan Red Cross
  • New Canaan Land Trust
  • New Canaan Library
  • Grace Farms

Education

File:NewCanaanCTHighSchEntrance07252007.JPG
New Canaan High School
File:SaxeMiddleSchNewCanaanCT07252007.JPG
Saxe Middle School

The New Canaan Public Schools system has gained national recognition for its high performance; for example, a 2010 edition of Forbes rated New Canaan as the third-ranked school district in the United States for communities with a median home price of $800,000 or greater.[36] In 2019, New Canaan High School US News & World Report ranked New Canaan High School the sixth-best public high school in Connecticut behind Darien and Weston, and one of the top in the nation.[37]

In 2009, the district was the highest-performing school district in the state based on the frequency of top-tier performances on the Connecticut Mastery Tests (CMTs), which are administered to all third- through eighth-graders, and the Connecticut Academic Performance Tests (CAPTs), which are given to 10th-graders.[38] In 2008, the median SAT score (verbal, math and writing) for district students was 1804, the highest in Connecticut.[39]

In its November 2009 edition, Connecticut magazine rated New Canaan's school system first among 29 towns with a population of 15,000–25,000.[40] That category included Darien, Wilton, Ridgefield, Avon, Simsbury, Farmington, Southbury, Guilford, and other high-performing districts. The ranking was based on 2007–2009 CMTs, results from the 2007–2009 CAPTs, local SAT scores for 2006–2008, and the percentage of 2007 high school graduates who enrolled in college.[41]

Twenty-two students in the New Canaan High School class of 2009 were National Merit Commended Scholars. In addition, four students were National Merit Scholars, four were National Merit Semifinalists, and one was a Hispanic National Recognition Scholar.[42]

Of the New Canaan High School graduates who enrolled in college in the fall of 2009, 30% did so at a college designated "Most Competitive" by Barron's magazine, 24% enrolled at an institution considered "Highly Competitive", and 26% entered a college deemed to be "Very Competitive".[43]

The New Canaan High School Library was the recipient of the 2010 National School Library Program of the Year Award, given by the American Library Association. In addition to the award, the high school also received a $10,000 prize donated by Follet Library Resources.[44]

The New Canaan school system is also notable for its achievements in extracurricular activities. In 2010, the New Canaan High School won the FCIAC Cup, given to the most successful athletic program among the 19 high schools competing in the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference. The New Canaan High School drama program won seven awards at the 2010 Connecticut High School Musical Theatre Awards.[44]

New Canaan is one of the few school systems in Connecticut to offer foreign-language instruction to students before middle school, as a Spanish program exists for all grades to expose students to a foreign language earlier in their lives.[45] Grades 6–12 have language offerings that include French, Latin, Mandarin Chinese, and Spanish.

In June 2012, 24/7 Wall St. ranked New Canaan as the eighth-wealthiest school district in the United States.[46]

New Canaan has five public schools:

  • Elementary Schools: West School, South School, and East School
  • Middle School: Saxe Middle School
  • High School: New Canaan High School

New Canaan also has two private schools:

St. Aloysius School, once a K–8 Catholic school, closed in 2023 due to low enrollment.[47]

Gallery

Media

New Canaan is served by a town newspaper, New Canaan Advertiser, a Hearst owned publication. Two daily newspapers also serve the surrounding area: Connecticut Post and Greenwich Time. In addition, the New Canaanite and the New Canaan Patch produce online news for residents.

Infrastructure

Emergency services

Emergency medical services

New Canaan Emergency Medical Services, previously New Canaan Volunteer Ambulance Corps, is a free, all-volunteer ambulance corps with three ambulances and two paramedic fly-cars. Founded in 1975, the unit is located at 182 South Avenue and offers regular EMT courses.[48] EMTs are all volunteers, while paramedic services are contracted from Norwalk Hospital. The New Canaan Emergency Medical Services Unit and the Norwalk Hospital Unit were featured on Rescue 911, as they saved the life of a fire captain who was suffering a heart attack.[49]

Fire department

The New Canaan Fire Department employs the professional firefighters of the New Canaan Fire Department and the volunteers of the New Canaan Fire Company, No. 1. Founded in 1881, the New Canaan Fire Department is a combination professional/volunteer fire department that operates out of a fire station located near the center of town, with a fire apparatus fleet of engines and other vehicles. The New Canaan Fire Department responded to 1,133 calls for service in 2023.[50] The New Canaan Fire Department was featured on Rescue 911 when they saved a fire captain who was suffering a heart attack.

Police department

The New Canaan Police Department (NCPD) is headquartered at 174 South Avenue.[51] The department has forty-five sworn officers, five full-time civilians and two school crossing guards. The primary mission of the NCPD and its officers is the protection of all persons and properties within its jurisdiction. The NCPD responded to 16,741 calls during 2012.[52]

Notable people

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New Canaan in media

Film

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Books

Music

  • New Canaan (2014) by Bill Wurtz, who sings about visiting New Canaan. Initially he refers to the town as being in Pennsylvania before admitting the correct state.

Further reading

  • A Guide to God's Acre, a walking tour of the Historic District; available from the New Canaan Historical Society.
  • My Impressions of the Hour, a journal written by an early New Canaan teacher, Margaret Mary Corrigan; available from the society.
  • New Canaan: Texture of a Community, available from the society.
  • Portrait of New Canaan, available from the society.
  • A Student's Memoir, edited by Robert W.P. Cutler. A history of the Little Red Schoolhouse, based on recollections of some of the school's graduates.

References

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  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  5. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1". PureContemporary.com accessed July 2, 2006
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  19. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  22. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  23. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  24. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  25. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  26. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  27. ↑ http://www.newcanaan.info/content/9492/9224/667/6541.aspxl Script error: No such module "Unsubst".Template:Cbignore
  28. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  29. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  30. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  31. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  32. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  33. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  34. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  35. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  36. ↑ See Settimi, Christina, "Best Schools for Your Home Value," Forbes magazine, April 26, 2010.
  37. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  38. ↑ http://www2.newcanaan.k12.ct.us/education/sctemp/ed7ac7f33e5e0aedf777a27d6df1df6f/1269627036/08_09.pdf Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
  39. ↑ Connecticut Department of Education; see also Brady, Andrew and Grandjean, Patricia, "Rating the Towns," Connecticut magazine, November 2009 edition (Vol. 72, No. 11), at pp. 47–55.
  40. ↑ http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20391944&BRD=2329&PAG=461&dept_id=487245&rfi=6 Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
  41. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  42. ↑ New Canaan Public Schools' Superintendent's Annual Report, 2008–2009, at p. 31.
  43. ↑ New Canaan Public Schools Superintendent's Annual Report, 2008–2009, at p. 48.
  44. ↑ a b Schmelkin, Carrie, "Public Schools Remain Tops," New Canaan Advertiser, June 24, 2010, p. 1.
  45. ↑ Article title Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
  46. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  47. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  48. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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External links

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