West Haven, Connecticut Totally Explained

Everything about West Haven Connecticut totally explained

ť "West Haven" redirects here. For other uses, see West Haven (disambiguation)

West Haven is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 52,721., but is ironically one of the state's oldest settlements.
West Haven is best known for the Savin Rock Amusement Park, which began in the late 19th century as a seaside resort. It evolved into a general amusement park in the 20th century and was closed in the 1960s. The park ran along the New Haven Harbor beachfront. One of the last reminders of the area is Jimmies of Savin Rock, a restaurant known for its seafood and split hot dogs.
West Haven has a mayor-council form of government. John M. Picard, the city's tenth mayor, was elected in 2005 and re-elected in 2007. There are three independent fire districts served by the First Fire Taxation (Center), West Shore and Allingtown Fire Districts. Over the years there have been unsuccessful efforts made to consolidate the fire districts, each of which levies its own tax rate.

On the National Register of Historic Places

American Mills Web Shop — 114-152 Orange Ave. (added April 10, 1983)
Old West Haven High School — 278 Main St. (added November 24, 1985)
Union School — 174 Center St. (added December 13, 1987)
Ward-Heitman House — 277 Elm St. (added February 8, 2003)
West Haven Green Historic District — Roughly along Main Street, Campbell Avenue, Church Street, and Savin Avenue (added September 11, 2000)

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.0 square miles (28.5 km²), of which, 10.8 square miles (28.1 km²) of it's land and 0.2 square miles (0.4 km²) of it (1.54%) is water. West Haven has 3 ¹/₂ miles of publicly accessible beaches, which is one-quarter of the publicly accessible beaches in Connecticut. The hilly Allingtown district of the city is home to the University of New Haven.
West Haven is located in the south-central portion of Connecticut's 3rd congressional district. The city is bound by the southwest by the Oyster River (the boundary between West Haven and Milford since colonial times), northwest by Orange, north by New Haven and northeast by the West River, which divides West Haven and New Haven. To the east is New Haven Harbor and to the south is Long Island Sound.

Principal communities

The three significant neighborhoods in West Haven correspond to the three fire districts. As communities, not all sections of the city fit neatly into these divisions. For example, the southeast corner, while part of the Center aka First Fire Taxation District, isn't contiguous to the central business district.

West Haven center

Allingtown

West Shore

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 52,360 people, 21,090 households, and 13,117 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,832.0 people per square mile (1,865.0/km²). There were 22,336 housing units at an average density of 2,061.3/sq mi (795.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 74.15% white, 16.29% African American, 0.24% Native American, 2.91% Asian American, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 3.57% from other races and 2.79% from two or more races. 9.09% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
   There were 21,090 households out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.9% were married couples living together, 15.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.8% were non-families. 31.0% 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 2.42 and the average family size was 3.06.
   In the city the population was spread out with 23.1% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.2 males.
   The median income for a household in the city was $42,393, and the median income for a family was $51,631. Males had a median income of $38,024 versus $30,610 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,121. About 6.6% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.8% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education and Business

West Haven was a shipping and industrial center, known for its buckle shops and, later, Armstrong Rubber Co. The factory now sits empty, except for a few small businesses renting space within. Long a blue-collar and middle-class bedroom community of New Haven, West Haven has had financial problems since the 1990s.
   West Haven is home to the University of New Haven, a U.S. Veterans Affairs hospital, and Yale Field, a baseball park for the Yale University teams and formerly the homefield for Minor League baseball teams. The Yale Bowl, where the football team hosts contests, sits on the border of New Haven and West Haven.
   The West Haven High School football team was ranked first in the state and fifth in the nation in 1968. West Haven is also home to Notre Dame High School, which is a Roman Catholic all-boys school.
   Bayer Pharmaceuticals North America, a branch of Bayer AG, based in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, has had a plant in West Haven, but the company announced in 2006 that it would be shutting its operations in the city, affecting about 1,000 workers. The 137-acre Bayer campus comprises 17 buildings, mostly in West Haven but partly in Orange. In June 2007, Yale University announced that it would be purchasing the entire campus for biotechnology, pharmaceutical and other life sciences research.

Transportation

Interstate 95, Route 34 (also known as Derby Avenue), and U.S. Route 1 (the Boston Post Road) run through West Haven, between Orange and New Haven. Route 162, which both begins and ends at Route 1, starts in Orange, passes through West Haven, and ends in Milford. A north-south state road, Route 122, begins in New Haven, comprising Forest Road, a stretch of Campbell Avenue and First Avenue up to the junction with I-95. Route 745 begins at that point, turns west at Elm Street and continues into New Haven, ending at Route 10 (Ella T. Grasso Boulevard).
Public transportation is provided by Connecticut Transit New Haven. West Haven Center is served by the various B routes (main service along Campbell Avenue). The B4 service continues to Saw Mill Road and Bull Hill Lane; the B5/B6 services run along Jones Hill Road and terminate at the Baybrook Shopping Center near Oyster River; the B7 service continues to Savin Rock via Second Avenue. The J routes run along the West Haven shore towards Milford. The O route serves the areas along Route 1. The M route serves the Veterans Affairs Hospital.
A rail line, used by Metro-North Railroad and Amtrak, runs through West Haven. The nearest stations are in New Haven and Milford. As of 2006, the Connecticut Department of Transportation was considering building a Metro-North station in West Haven, across from the former Armstrong factory, and in Orange, near the Bayer campus. Recently West Haven has received funds for the station.

Notable people, past and present

Marian Bergeron, 16-year-old West Haven girl who won the "Miss America" title in 1933

Ulish Booker, professional football player for NFL (signed) and NFL Europa (active), West Haven High School graduate

Melanie Chartoff, star of American Broadcasting Company's Fridays and Nickelodeon's Rugrats, past resident

John Maurice Clark (1884-1963), an economist, president of the American Economics Association in 1935 and prolific author of economics books, died in the city

Eleanor Estes (1906-1988), author of children's books set in West Haven (called "Cranbury")

Douglas Ford (born Fortunato; born 1922) a two-time major golf champion, born in the town

Kevin Heffernan, member of the comedy troupe Broken Lizard, resident

Al Herman (1927-1960) race car driver who died in the town as a result of injuries suffered in a midget car crash at the West Haven Speedway

Jamey Jasta, lead vocalist of the metalcore band Hatebreed

Samuel Johnson (1696-1772), clergyman at the Congregational meeting house in West Haven and the first president of the Anglican King's College (which later became Columbia University). He was the father of William Samuel Johnson, a founding father.

Tommy Nelson, actor who most recently played the young Edward Bell Wilson, Jr. in The Good Shepherd, resident

Rufus Porter (1792-1884), painter, inventor, founder of Scientific American, and resident of Water Street in 1878, who died in West Haven

Pfc. William A. Soderman (1912-1980), Medal of Honor recipient after World War II, born in the town. A Navy ship was renamed for him.

Jonathan D. Spence (Chinese name: 史景遷;born 1936), the British-born Sterling professor of history at Yale University and author of The Search for Modern China, and The Memory Palace of Matteo Ricci

Ken Strong, professional football player, inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967. West Haven High School graduate

Smoky Joe Wood (1889-1985) a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Boston Red Sox (for whom he starred in the 1912 World Series) and Cleveland Indians in the early 20th century and baseball coach for Yale University, died in the city.

References

Further Information

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