Ridgefield

Ridgefield was first settled by English colonists from Norwalk and Milford in 1708. The town was incorporated under a royal charter from the Connecticut General Assembly issued in 1709. The most notable 18th-century event was the Battle of Ridgefield on April 27, 1777. In the late 19th century, spurred by the new railroad connection to its lofty village and the fact that nearby countryside reaches 1,000 feet (300 m) above sea level, Ridgefield began to be discovered by wealthy New York City residents. The Ridgefield Veterans Memorial Community Center on Main Street, also called the Lounsbury House, was built by Gov. Phineas Chapman Loun'sbury around 1896 as his primary residence. In 1946 Ridgefield was one of the locations for the United Nations Secretariat, but it was not chosen due to its relative relative inaccessibility. The U.S. Census Bureau defines the town center as a census-designated place. Ridgefield has a total area of 35.0 square miles (91.2 km²) and a population of 25,033 at the 2020 census. It is bordered by the towns of North Lewis and Salem in Westchester County, New York, north to Danbury, west to Wilton, and north to the town of Danbury. The area is 0.5 miles (1.5 square miles) and 0.3 km² (2.4 km²), or 1.52% or 1,52% is water.

History

Ridgefield was first settled by English colonists from Norwalk and Milford in 1708. The town was incorporated under a royal charter from the Connecticut General Assembly issued in 1709. The most notable 18th-century event was the Battle of Ridgefield on April 27, 1777. In 1946, Ridgefield was one of the locations considered for the United Nations Secretariat building, but was not chosen due to its relative inaccessibility. In the late 19th century, wealthy New York City residents assembled large estates and built huge "summer cottages" throughout the higher sections of town. Among the important families in the 19th Century were the Rockwells and Lounsburys, which intermarried. The Ridgefield Veterans Memorial Community Center on Main Street, also called the Loun'sbury House, was built by Gov. Phineas Chapman Loungsbury around 1896 as his primary residence. The Loun’sbury Farm near the Florida section of ridgefield is one ofthe only remaining operational farms in Ridgefield. Many mansions were razed. In their place came subdivisions of one- and 2-acre (8,100 m2) lots that turned the town into a suburban, bedroom community in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. However, strict planning and zoning has frozen development and locked in the aesthetic appearance of the19th- and early 20th- century through to the 21st-century, especially along its mile-long Main Street.

Geography

Ridgefield consists of hilly, rocky terrain, ranging from 1,060 feet (320 m) above sea level (at Pine Mountain) to 342 feet (104 m) at Branchville. The landscape is strewn with countless rocks deposited by glaciers, and among the town's bodies of water is Round Pond, formed in a kettle left by the last glacier 20,000 years ago. A particularly interesting feature is Cameron's Line, named for Eugene N. Cameron, who discovered that rocks west of the line differed greatly from those east of it. The town is rich in limestone, and remnants of several limekilns exist today. Gold, as well as gemstones such as garnet and beryl, have been found here, and dozens of minerals have been unearthed at the old Branchville Mica Quarry. Uraninite, a source of uranium, is found in the town, as is mica, pegmatite, and quartz. The census-designated place (CDP) corresponding to the town center covers a total area of 6.4 square miles (17 km²), of which 0.16% is water. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that the town has a total of 35.0 sq miles (91 km²) of land, of which 34.4sq miles (89km²) is land and 0.5sq miles [1.3 km²], or 1.52% is sea water. It is bordered by the towns of North Salem and Lewisboro in Westchester County, New York to the west, Danbury to the north, Wilton to the south and Redding to the east.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 23,643 people, 8,433 households, and 6,611 families residing in the town. There were 8,877 housing units at an average density of 257.8 per square mile (99.5/km²) The racial makeup of the town was 96.12% White, 0.62% Black or African American, 2.09% Native American, and 0.03% Pacific Islander. The median income for a household in the city was $107,351, and for a family was $127,981 (these figures had risen to $125,909 and $154,346 respectively as of a 2007 estimate) In the CDP the population was spread out, with 26.9% under the age of 18, 3.3% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 27.9%, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.21. In the town, the median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there are 92.8 males. The per capita income for the town is $51,795. About 1.3%. of families and 2.4%. of the population were below the poverty line, 5.3. of those age 65 or over. The total population, 1.6% of those under 18 and 6.6%. of those over 65, was $81,179 and the median was $93,084.

Arts and culture

Ridgefield's public open spaces make up 5,200 acres (2,100 ha), accounting for 23% of the towns overall land. The town's largest industry is Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, whose U.S. headquarters are located in the Ridgebury section of town. The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum is a leading venue for the world's best contemporary artists. The Keeler Tavern Museum preserves an early 18th-century house that, by the time of the Revolution, had become a tavern and inn. The Ridgefield Playhouse, opened in December 2000, is housed in the former Ridgefield Alternate High School auditorium, and was remodeled as a playhouse. The Nutmeg Festival has been organized by St. Stephen's Church and held on its grounds every June on the grounds of the Veterans Memorial Community Center. A local farmers market is held every summer during the summer months during the farmers market season. The Weir Farm National Historic Site, which straddles the Ridgefield-Wilton border, preserves much of the farm of J. Alden Weir (1852-1919), a painter of the American Impressionism style. The site includes the Weir Farm Art Center and a gallery, and many special events take place there, including shows by visiting artists in residence. In 2006, the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree selected to be displayed in New York's Rockefeller Center for the Christmas season came from Ridgefield. In 2010, the town's skatepark was rebuilt and expanded as a result of the need for parking.

Government and politics

Ridgefield has a traditional New England Board of Selectmen form of government. The Charter calls for an annual Town and Budget Meeting to be held on the first Monday of May each year. The current First Selectman, Rudy Marconi (D), was first elected in 1999. The chief executive is The First selectman, who also serves a legislative function as a member of the Board of selectmen. The following are the elective boards and commissions of the Town of Ridgefield: Board of Education, Planning and Zoning Commission, Board of Appeals on Zoning and Board of Tax Review. The Town Clerk, Town Treasurer and Tax Collector are also elected to serve on the Town Board of Trustees. The town has a population of 2,000, with the majority of its residents living in the town center. It has one of the highest rates of home ownership in New England, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. It also has the highest rate of homeownership in the United States, and the highest percentage of homeowners in the state of New England. It is the second-largest town in the New England region, after Cambridge, Massachusetts, with 1,816,000 residents. It was the site of the first Town Meeting, held on May 1, 1881, when the town was founded. The first Town meeting was held on June 1, 1781, and was held in the Town's first town hall, which was built in 1881. The last Town Meeting took place on May 2, 1883, and has been held every year since.

Education

Ridgefield has nine public schools and two private schools. The public schools are managed by Ridgefield Public Schools. Scotts Ridge Middle School and East Ridge are the town's two middle schools. Ridgefield Academy is a co-educational, independent school serving preschool through eighth grade, situated on a 42-acre (17 ha) turn-of-the-20th-century estate on West Mountain that was once home to the Congregation de Notre Dame. There are also various preschools and a Montessori school. The high school is Ridgefield High School, which is run by the Society of St. Pius X. The school's teams are called the Tigers, and the high school's football team is the Ridgefield Patriots. The town has a population of 6,000 people, according to the 2010 census. It is located on the Connecticut Turnpike, which runs from New York City to Long Island, New York, and connects to New York and Long Island by rail, road, and air. It also has a New York State Park, which was built in the early 1900s. It was named after the town of Ridgefield, Connecticut, where it was founded in 1808. It has been the site of the U.S. National Park Service since the 1930s, and is now home to a number of national parks, including Mount Washington and Mount Katahdin, which were once part of the New York River Valley. The city's name is derived from the name of its first post office, which opened in 1809.

Infrastructure

Ridgefield is served by Housatonic Area Regional Transit (HART) shuttles daily, originating from Danbury. The Metro-North Railroads Danbury Branch, which is a part of the New Haven Line, serves Branchville station, a commuter rail stop. The water line was recently extended up North Street to Barlow Mountain and Scotland Elementary Schools, a proposal that took years to pass. Ridgefield is home to a local newspaper, The Ridgefield Press. The town is also home to Frontier Communications, Comcast Cable, and Eversource Energy, which provide electricity and water to the town. The city is also served by the New York State Psychiatric Center, which provides mental health services to the city and surrounding areas. It is also the home of the Connecticut Mental Health Association, which serves the town and its surrounding area. It was founded in the early 1900s and is based in the town of Danbury, Connecticut. The hospital was the first psychiatric hospital in the United States. It closed in the late 1950s and has since been replaced by a psychiatric hospital. It has also been the site of a number of other psychiatric hospitals, including St. Francis Hospital and St. Luke's Hospital. The community has a large number of psychiatric facilities, including a psychiatric center, a behavioral health center, and a mental health center. It also has a hospital for the elderly, which opened in the 1970s. The village has a small number of schools, including Scotland Elementary School and Ridgefield High.

Neighborhoods

Ridgefield is predominantly made up of 20 encompassing neighborhoods. Ridgefield has 20 neighborhoods, including Ridgefield, Main Street, Branchville, Titicus, Farmingville, Ridgebury, Topstone, West Mountain, Cooper Hill, Ramapoo, Route 7, Georgetown, Deer Run, Peaceable Hill, Quail Ride, Westmoreland, Twixt Hills, Long Ridge, Starrs/Picketts Ridge, and Lake Waubeeka. The town has a population of about 2,000. It is located in the central part of the town, near the center of the city. It has an average population of around 2,200, with a population growth rate of about 1.5%. The town is located on the Ohio River, which runs through Ridgefield. It also has a number of lakes, including Lake Wubeeka, which is located near the town's center. The city's population is about 1,000, with an average of 1,200 people per square mile. The population of Ridgefield is about 3,500, with the majority of the population living in the town of 2,100. The area's population growth rates have been around 1.7% per year since the early 1900s, when the town was first developed. The community's population has grown from 1,100 to 3,000 in the last 50 years. It now has about 4,000 residents. It was founded in the early 20th century, and is home to more than 1,300 homes.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Ridgefield, Fairfield County, Connecticut = 7.8. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 32. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 30. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Ridgefield = 3.4 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 25,033 individuals with a median age of 42.8 age the population dropped by -1.57% in Ridgefield, Fairfield County, Connecticut population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 727.7 residents per square mile of area (281.0/km²). There are average 2.48 people per household in the 2,863 households with an average household income of $93,303 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 6.10% of the available work force and has dropped -3.24% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 27.42%. The number of physicians in Ridgefield per 100,000 population = 301.6.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Ridgefield = 50.3 inches and the annual snowfall = 22.4 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 102. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 174. 84 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 18.3 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 45, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Ridgefield, Fairfield County, Connecticut which are owned by the occupant = 69.05%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 43 years with median home cost = $651,520 and home appreciation of -6.34%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $13.56 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $7,830 per student. There are 15.3 students for each teacher in the school, 372 students for each Librarian and 410 students for each Counselor. 6.91% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 40.67% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 21.35% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).