Monroe, Connecticut

Monroe is a town located in eastern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 19,479 at the 2010 census.[1]

Monroe, Connecticut

Town of Monroe
Town
Gazebo in front of town hall
Seal
Location in Fairfield County and the state of Connecticut
Coordinates: 41°20′10″N 73°13′33″W
Country United States
U.S. state Connecticut
CountyFairfield
Metropolitan areaBridgeport-Stamford
Incorporated1823
Government
 • TypeSelectman-town council
 • First SelectmanKen Kellogg (R)
 • Town CouncilEnid Lipeles (R), Chairman
Sean O'Rourke (R), Vice Chairman
Jonathan Formichella (R)
Kevin Reid (R)
Terry Rooney (R)
Tony Scott (R)
Jen Aguilar (D)
Dee Dee Martin (D)
Jason Maur (D)
Area
 • Total26.3 sq mi (68.1 km2)
 • Land26.1 sq mi (67.7 km2)
 • Water0.2 sq mi (0.5 km2)
Elevation
522 ft (159 m)
Population
 (2015)
 • Total20,020
 • Density763.3/sq mi (294.7/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (Eastern)
ZIP Code
06468
Area code(s)203/475
FIPS code09-48620
GNIS feature ID0213463
Websitewww.monroect.org

Monroe is largely considered a bedroom community of New York City, New Haven, and Bridgeport.

History

On May 15, 1656, the Court of the Colony of Connecticut in Hartford affirmed that the town of Stratford included all of the territory 12 miles (19 km) inland from Long Island Sound, between the Housatonic River and the Fairfield town line, to include the southern portion of present-day Monroe. In 1662, Stratford selectmen Lt. Joseph Judson, Captain Joseph Hawley and John Minor secured all the written deeds of transfer from the Golden Hill Paugussett Indian Nation for this vast territory that comprises the present-day towns of Trumbull, Shelton and Monroe. In 1671, Stratford purchased from the Paugusset Indians the territory which included the remainder of the northern portions of Monroe, Trumbull and Shelton, in what is known as "The White Hills Purchase", and officially annexed it to the Township of Stratford.

Monroe incorporated as a town in 1823. The community is named after James Monroe, fifth President of the United States.[2]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 26.3 square miles (68 km2), of which 26.1 square miles (68 km2) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2), or 0.76%, is water. The Pequonnock River begins in Monroe in Wolfe Park. Monroe borders Lake Zoar, a reservoir on the Housatonic River formed by Stevenson Dam.

Neighborhoods

Monroe is made up of several neighborhoods:

Demographics
See also: List of Connecticut locations by per capita income
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
18301,522—
18401,351−11.2%
18501,4426.7%
18601,382−4.2%
18701,226−11.3%
18801,157−5.6%
1890994−14.1%
19001,0434.9%
19101,002−3.9%
19201,16115.9%
19301,2215.2%
19401,72841.5%
19502,89267.4%
19606,402121.4%
197012,04788.2%
198014,01016.3%
199016,89620.6%
200019,24713.9%
201019,4791.2%
2017 (est.)19,635[3]0.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[4]

As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 19,247 people, 6,481 households, and 5,346 families residing in the town. The population density was 736.5 people per square mile (284.4/km2). There were 6,601 housing units at an average density of 252.6 per square mile (97.5/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 95.8% White, 0.20% African American, 0.08% Native American, 2.62% Asian, 0.50% from other races, and 0.83% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.20% of the population.

There were 6,481 households, out of which 42.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.0% were married couples living together, 6.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.5% were non-families. Of all households 14.9% were made up of individuals, and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.96 and the average family size was 3.31.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 29.1% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $85,000 and the median income for a family was $92,514. Males had a median income of $61,109 versus $41,572 for females. The per capita income for the town was $34,161. About 1.8% of families and 2.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.6% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Notable locations
  • Lake Zoar, a reservoir on the Housatonic River
  • Stevenson Dam, which holds back Lake Zoar, and is the bridge for CT Route 34 across the Housatonic
  • Stepney Cemetery, founded in 1794 and located near the Stepney Green
  • Webb Mountain Park, a municipal park with hiking trails and campsites
  • William E. Wolfe Park, a town park located on Cutlers Farm Road and on the northern end of Cross Hill Road. The park includes a public pool, four baseball fields, a football field, a basketball court, a playground, and a hiking trail that leads to Great Hollow Lake. The park includes a barbecue set up on the grass, and a nearby pavilion. Great Hollow Lake is located in the south-western area of the park.
  • Rails to Trails is an approximately five-mile scenic walking and biking trail that runs from Great Hollow Lake in Wolfe Park, and continues to the Newtown Town line.
  • The Warren's Occult Museum is a collection of occult artifacts.[6]

Locations on the National Register of Historic Places

Government

Monroe is a stalwart Republican town at the presidential level with the longest streak of supporting the GOP in Fairfield County. No Democrat has won the town in over 60 years. Lyndon B. Johnson came the closest in his landslide victory in 1964, having lost the town by only 17 votes to Barry M. Goldwater.

Monroe town vote
by party in presidential elections[7]
Year Democratic Republican Third Parties
2020 48.64% 5,838 49.90% 5,989 1.46% 175
2016 41.44% 4,520 54.29% 5,922 4.27% 466
2012 43.02% 4,446 55.70% 5,757 1.28% 132
2008 46.41% 5,133 52.58% 5,815 1.00% 111
2004 40.73% 4,349 58.02% 6,195 1.25% 133
2000 44.57% 4,352 50.79% 4,960 4.64% 453
1996 40.94% 3,544 45.84% 3,968 13.23% 1,145
1992 28.47% 2,745 47.78% 4,607 23.76% 2,291
1988 32.60% 2,599 66.67% 5,315 0.73% 58
1984 25.02% 1,771 74.65% 5,283 0.32% 23
1980 28.82% 1,815 59.34% 3,737 11.85% 746
1976 36.05% 2,025 63.20% 3,550 0.75% 42
1972 25.87% 1,329 71.92% 3,695 2.22% 114
1968 33.15% 1,527 57.47% 2,647 9.38% 432
1964 49.78% 1,960 50.22% 1,977 0.00% 0
1960 35.51% 1,116 64.49% 2,027 0.00% 0
1956 20.66% 389 79.34% 1,494 0.00% 0
Voter registration and party enrollment as of October 27, 2020[8]
Party Active voters Inactive voters Total voters Percentage
Republican 3,795 127 3,922 27.29%
Democratic 3,181 132 3,313 23.05%
Unaffiliated 6,671 235 6,906 48.06%
Minor parties 219 11 220 1.53%
Total 13,866 505 14,371 100%

Education

Monroe Public Schools

The school district for Monroe is called Monroe Public Schools and includes approximately 4,000 students, in three elementary schools (Fawn Hollow, Monroe Elementary, and Stepney Elementary), two middle schools (Jockey Hollow and STEM Academy), and one high school (Masuk High School).

In 2011, STEM Academy was opened at Masuk High School as an additional middle school option for Monroe's 6th, 7th, and 8th graders.[9]

Chalk Hill Middle School housed Monroe's 5th and 6th graders from 1969-2011 (when it was closed due to shifting population and budget issues).[10] From 2012-2016, Chalk Hill was the home of Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown following the Dec. 14, 2012 shooting.[11]

Private school

For the 2017-18 school year, St. Jude School merged with two other local Catholic schools (St. Joseph and St. Lawrence, both of neighboring Shelton, CT). The three schools combined to make Holy Trinity Catholic Academy, housed in the former St. Lawrence School in Shelton.[12]

St. Jude School, was a Catholic school with around 220 Pre-K to 8th Grade students, located next to St. Jude Parish on Route 111.

In 2003, the St. Jude School boys' junior varsity basketball team won the New England CYO tournament, defeating Springfield, Massachusetts in the championship, becoming the school's first team to win the tournament. The first selectman of the town dedicated a day to them. In 2005, they returned to the tournament in Rhode Island as 8th graders. After defeating Worcester and Boston, they lost to Hartford by 5.

In 2006, the St. Jude boys' junior varsity again won the New England CYO tournament, defeating Hartford, Connecticut.

Media
  • The town of Monroe owns and operates the FM radio station WMNR.
  • The Monroe Courier was the weekly town newspaper until it was shut down in October 2018.
  • The two local online newspaper are the Monroe Patch and the Monroe Sun.

Infrastructure

Roads

Fire department

Monroe is protected by three independent and all-volunteer fire departments operating out of six fire stations.

Emergency medical services

Monroe is served by the Monroe Volunteer Emergency Medical Service.[13]

Police department

Officially organized in 1952, the Monroe Police Department operates out of Monroe Town Hall.[14]

Places of worship
Humphrey Bogart's former home in Monroe now belongs to the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth.

The town of Monroe features eleven houses of worship representing numerous faiths.

Notable people

Images
  • Webb Mountain Park Discovery Zone, Classroom Court pond
  • The East Village Barn Hill Schoolhouse of 1790
  • Edith Wheeler Memorial Library
  • Fountain and pond at Wolfe Park
  • Great Hollow Lake in Monroe

See also
  •  Connecticut portal

References
  1. Bureau, U.S. Census. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2017-11-17.
  2. The Connecticut Magazine: An Illustrated Monthly. Connecticut Magazine Company. 1903. p. 333.
  3. "CONNECTICUT POPULATION ESTIMATES AS OF JULY 1, 2017". Archived from the original (PDF) on May 23, 2015. Retrieved June 22, 2019.
  4. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  5. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  6. "The Warren's Occult Museum". The New England Society For Psychic Research. Archived from the original on 2016-11-17. Retrieved 2016-07-13.
  7. https://authoring.ct.gov//SOTS/Election-Services/Statement-Of-Vote-PDFs/General-Elections-Statement-of-Vote-1922
  8. "Registration and Party Enrollment Statistics as of October 29, 2019" (PDF). Connecticut Secretary of State. Retrieved 2020-11-02.
  9. "STEM Academy Forum Draws a Large Audience Summary File (QT-PL), Monroe town, Connecticut". Monroe Patch 2. Archived from the original on April 2012. Retrieved October 8, 2011.
  10. https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Monroe-superintendent-proposes-one-year-closure-875197.php
  11. https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Monroe-What-to-do-about-Chalk-Hill-Middle-School-11107762.php
  12. https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/3-Catholic-schools-to-become-one-in-Shelton-10907568.php
  13. Monroe Volunteer Emergency Medical Service.
  14. Monroe Police Department

Further reading
  • Reverend Samuel Orcutt, A History of Stratford and the City of Bridgeport Connecticut, Fairfield Historical Society, 1886
  • The New York Times feature about Monroe
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