New London, Connecticut is a city in New London County, at the mouth of the Thames River and on the northeastern shore of Long Island Sound. The population was 25,671 at the 2000 census. (New London is also a town with the same boundaries; any distinction between its identity as a town and as a city became merely technical by the 20^th century, and can be expected to remain so.)

1 History
2 Geography
3 Demographics
4 Government
5 Prominent features
6 Notable residents
7 Literature
8 Local Music
9 References
10 Additional Reading
11 External links
- 11.1 Educational institutions

[edit] History

Before English settlement, nearby tribal people called the site of New London by a name the English spelled "Nameaug". John Winthrop, Jr. led the first English to settle there in 1646, making it about the 13^th modern Connecticut town settled by colonists; they informally named it Pequot (from the name of a tribe). The Connecticut legislature wanted to name the town "Faire Harbour," but the citizens protested, declaring that they would prefer to be called Nameaug to Faire Harbour. The legislature relented and the city officially took its current name (after London, England) on March 10, 1658.

Prior to the Battle of Groton Heights, New London was burned by the traitorous Benedict Arnold in the attempts to destroy the colonial privateer fleet and storage of goods and naval stores within the city. The main defensive fort for New London, Fort Griswold, located across the Thames River in Groton, was well known by Arnold who sold its secrets to the British fleet so they could avoid its artillery fire.

Connecticut's independent legislature, in its January session of 1784, made New London one of the first two cities (along with New Haven) brought from de facto to formalized incorporations.

For several decades during the middle of the nineteenth century, New London was the second busiest whaling port after New Bedford, Massachusetts. The wealth that whaling brought into the city furnished the capital to fund much of the city's present architecture.

Image:State Street, New London, CT.jpg

The family of Nobel and Pulitzer-Prize playwright Eugene O'Neill, and most of his own first 26 years, were intimately connected to New London. He lived for years there, and as an adult was employed and wrote his first seven or eight plays in the city. (A major O'Neill archive is located at Connecticut College there, and a family home there is a museum and Registered National Landmark operated by the O'Neill Theater Center.)

On February 22, 2005, the United States Supreme Court decided in Kelo v. City of New London, that the city may seize privately owned real property under eminent domain so that it could be used for private economic development, deciding the tax revenue from the private development satisfied the requirement for public interest for eminent domain.

[edit] Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 27.9 km² (10.8 mi²). 14.3 km² (5.5 mi²) of it is land and 13.5 km² (5.2 mi²) of it (48.61%) is water. New London is situated on the Thames River.

[edit] Demographics

Historical population of New London[1][2]
1756	3,171
1774	5,888
1782	5,688
1800	5,150
1810	3,238
1820	3,330
1830	4,356
1840	5,519
1850	8,991
1860	10,115
1870	9,576
1880	10,537
1890	13,757
1900	17,548
1910	19,659
1920	25,688
1930	29,640
1940	30,456
1950	30,551
1960	34,182
1970	31,630
1980	28,842
1990	28,540
2000	25,671
2002	26,068 (estimate)

Image:New-london-downtown-cathedral.jpg

As of the census ² of 2000, there were 25,671 people, 10,181 households, and 5,385 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,789.1/km² (4,635.5/mi²). There were 11,560 housing units at an average density of 805.7/km² (2,087.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 19.71% Hispanic or Latino of any race, 18.64% African American, 0.88% Native American, 2.12% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 9.13% from other races, 63.49% White and 5.67% from two or more races.

There were 10,181 households out of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.4% were married couples living together, 17.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.1% were non-families. 37.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the city the population was spread out with 22.8% under the age of 18, 17.6% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 17.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 95.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $33,809, and the median income for a family was $38,942. Males had a median income of $31,405 versus $25,426 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,437. About 13.4% of families and 15.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.5% of those under age 18 and 11.4% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Government

Image:New-london-historical-court-house.jpg

New London has a form of government centering on a professional city manager and elected city council. Distinct town and city government structures formerly existed, and technically continue. However, they now govern exactly the same territory, and have elections on the same ballot on Election Day in November of odd-numbered years; the officials of town and city interact essentially as do a single town's, or city's, officials, who have different but related responsibilities and powers.

[edit] Prominent features

New London hosts Connecticut College, Mitchell College, and the United States Coast Guard Academy, as well as the small private secondary school The Williams School. The Connecticut College Arboretum is a fine, 750 acre (3 km²) arboretum and botanical garden. The Lyman Allyn Art Museum is located on the Connecticut College Campus. Housed in a handsome Neo-Classical building designed by Charles A. Platt, the permanent collection of over 15,000 objects includes paintings, sculpture, drawings, prints, furniture, decorative arts, and American art from the 18th through 20th centuries.

The oldest man-made landmark in New London is Ye Antientist Burial Ground, circa 1652; one of the earliest colonial graveyards in New England. Here is a significant repository not only of the first generation of settlers, but an open air museum of the early stonecutters' art as well. Of all Connecticut's burying grounds, this may contain the greatest variety of different carving schools. There is also a historical site in the remains of Fort Griswold (located across the Thames River in Groton, CT), dedicated to Americans that fell in the Battle of Groton Heights defending the fort and the city against British invaders. New London is also home to Fort Trumbull.

New London lies across the Thames from the town of Groton, home of a United States Navy submarine base, and of "EB", the Electric Boat Division of the General Dynamics Corporation, which built most existing U.S. nuclear-powered submarines there. As world research headquarters of the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, New London and Groton have given birth to many drugs, although the corporation's best known drug, Viagra was discovered in the UK. The Ridley-Lowell Business & Technical Institute provides short-term training in career fields.

Image:Brainerd & Armstrong Co. Silk Mill.jpg

New London lies on Long Island Sound, roughly half-way between New Haven, Connecticut, and Providence, Rhode Island. Interstate 95 connects it to both of those cities, and it is 5 miles (8 km) from Interstate 395, the fastest road route to the Boston metropolitan area. It is also roughly equidistant from New York City and Boston. Cross Sound Ferry also transports cars and pedestrians between New London and Orient Point, located at the northeastern tip of Long Island. Ferries also access Fishers Island, a small island that (despite its lying closer to New London) is in New York State. Fishers Island was originally part of New London but when Connecticut and New York settled their boundaries, Connecticut gave up the island in return for jurisdiction over Greenwich and Stamford. Though part of New York State, many vestiges of Fishers Island's previous Connecticut townhood still remain, including its ZIP code.

[edit] Notable residents

The city was the birthplace of sculptor Edward Clark Potter, as well as actress Glenne Headly and musicians Larry Elgart, Matt Gouette, and Cassie. It was also the home of playwright Eugene O'Neill, who set his autobiographical play Long Day's Journey Into Night in his family's New London residence. Eliphalet Adams was a prominent clergyman here. <ref> (1963) Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who.</ref>

[edit] Literature

O'Neill, Eugene (1933). Ah, Wilderness!.

O'Neill, Eugene [1941] (1956). Long Day's Journey Into Night.

Stone, Clifford (1976). The Great Sunflower: A Novel. Seattle: Vanguard Press. ISBN 081490775X.

King, Matthew (2003). The New London State of Mind. New London: WhaleheadKing.com.

King, Matthew (2005). Why Not New London?. New London: WhaleheadKing.com.

King, Matthew (2006). New London Eel Stew. New London: WhaleheadKing.com.

[edit] Local Music

New London has been home to an active and vital original music scene since the 70s. Some musicians who call New London home:

The Reducers. Old-school punk/pub rock, since 1978.
Brian Skidmore, "The Ukulele King of Northern Downtown New London."
Fatal Film, Noisy rock and roll.
Paul Brockett Road Show. Yodeling and folk, with a New London twist.
Brazen Hussy. Surging melody over driving punk beats.
Stressbomb. Hardcore / Alternative / Punk.
Quiet Life. Folk inspired Indie Rock.
Incognito Sofa Love. Funk / Jazz / Rock.
Burned In Effigy. Metal / Hardcore / Heavy.
Low-Beam. Indie sonic pop.
Geoff Kaufman. "Acoustic music...with a pinch of salt."
Cassie-Pop\Hip-Hop\R&B

[edit] References

[edit] Additional Reading

Caulkins, Frances Manwaring [1852] (1985). History of New London Connecticut from the first survey of the coast in 1612 to 1852. New London: New London County Historical Society. ISBN 0832800082.

Starr, William Holt (1876). A Centennial Historical Sketch of the Town of New London. New London: G.E. Starr. OCLC 5956004.

Holloway, Charles Molyneux (December 1886). "Historic New London". The New England Magazine 5 (26): 119-141. Retrieved on 2006-10-08.

Ruddy, John J. (1998-05-01). New London. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0738546194.

Stone, Gregory N. (June 2000). The Day Paper. The Story of One of America's Last Independent Newspapers. New London: The Day Publishing Company. ISBN 0967202809.

Ruddy, John J. (September 2000). Reinventing New London. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0738504807.

Powell, Walter L. (December 2000). Murder or Mayhem?: Benedict Arnold's New London, Connecticut Raid, 1781. Thomas Publications. ISBN 1577470591.

Richter, Robert A. (2001). Touring Eugene O'Neill's New London. eOneill.com. Connecticut College. Retrieved on 2006-10-19. “Due to urban renewal in the 1960s, Bradley Street no longer exists, but during O'Neill's day it hummed with activity. At the turn of the last century traveling salesmen reported that New London had 'the liveliest, most wide-open red-light district between New York and Boston.' Bradley Street was the district's hub, even though the New London Police Headquarters was located here.”

[edit] External links

City of New London - Official site.
One New London - Local political party.

New London Gazette - Excellent guide to downtown dining, activities, and exhibits. Comprehensive calendar.
New London Main Street - Nonprofit organization committed to revitalizing New London's Historic Waterfront District.

Mystic Country: The Eastern Regional Tourism District - State Tourism Dep't.
Connecticut Storytelling Festival - Annual storytelling festival in April.

[edit] Educational institutions

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