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- For the U.S. Navy base, see NSB New London.
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 20th century, and can be expected to remain so.)
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 13th modern Connecticut town settled by colonists; they informally named it Pequot (from the name of a tribe). It 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.
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.
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.)
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.Demographics
As of the census² 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 63.49% White, 18.64% African American, 0.88% Native American, 2.12% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 9.13% from other races, and 5.67% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 19.71% of the population.Historical population of
New London**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) 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.
Government
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.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. 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.
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. 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.
Celebrities
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.New London is the hometown of the frequently visiting Tuesday Night Roadhouse crew.
Literature
- Caulkins, History of New London, (New London, new edition, 1900)
- Starr, A Centennial Historical Sketch of the Town of New London, (New London, 1876)
- "Historic New London" in New England Magazine, volume v, (Boston, 1887)
External links
- City of New London
- Connecticut Storytelling Festival Annual storytelling festival in April
- New London Main Street, a nonprofit organization committed to revitalizing New London's Historic Waterfront District
- Educational institutions:
Cities in Connecticut | New London County, Connecticut
New London (Connecticut) | New London | New London (Connecticut) | New London (Connecticut) | New London
"New London, Connecticut"