Ansonia, Connecticut
Ansonia is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, on the Naugatuck River, immediately north of Derby and about 12 miles (19 km) northwest of New Haven. The population was 18,554 at the 2000 census. The ZIP code for Ansonia is 06401. The city has a Metro North train station, and the Route 8 state highway serves the city.Ansonia is known for its devotion to its high school football team, the Ansonia Chargers. The Chargers' arch-rivals are the Naugatuck Greyhounds, from nearby Naugatuck. The annual Ansonia-Naugatuck game is one of the most important events of the year for the two cities.
History
The area comprising the present Elm Street section of Ansonia and Derby Avenue section of Derby was first settled in 1652 and was originally a part of the township of Derby. In 1844, merchant and philanthropist Anson Greene Phelps (1781–1853) wanted to expand the old Borough of Birmingham (the present down town of the City of Derby) up along the west side of the Naugatuck River. Unfortunately since he was not able to purchase the land required from its owner, Anson Phelps acquired land along the east side of the river, which today is the city's downtown section, in 1844. A canal was dug to power the factories and businesses in the new industrial village and named it Ansonia. The name came about when Mr. Phelps wanted to call his new industrial village 'Phelpsville' but found out there was another village in the region by that name. Under the suggestion of a friend, Mr. Phelps Latinized his first name thus Ansonia came about. Soon Ansonia became the most populous area of Derby and boasted many factories. The state chartered Ansonia as a borough of Derby in 1864 and amended it once again in 1871 granting full municipal privileges. In 1888, a petition was circulated in the borough of Ansonia for the purpose of becoming a separate township from Derby. In 1889 the separation was granted by the State General Assembly thus the area comprising of the Borough, Hilltop, West Ansonia and Elm Street areas as a separate town known as Ansonia, the 168th township in the State of Connecticut. In 1893, Ansonia was incorporated as a city, consolidating with the coterminous town and the old borough.Ansonia suffered grievous damage in the Great Flood of August 19, 1955, when massive rain from Hurricane Diane filled the Naugatuck River beyond its capacity. Submerging the land along the river, the flood destroyed many houses and businesses. The high river waters swept away Maple Street Bridge, one of two bridges linking the east and west sides of the city. After the inundation, the authorities erected a flood wall along the east bank of the river to protect the city's factories and Main Street. On the west bank, federal public housing took the place of blocks of destroyed homes and businesses on Broad Street now known as Olson Drive.In the decades following the flood, Ansonia's Main Street fell into decline as retail shoppers decamped to the Ansonia Mall at one end of the street (now replaced by a Big Y supermarket) and for malls in nearby Milford, Trumbull, and Waterbury. In recent years, however, Main Street has perked up with the opening of several antique stores, a wine bar, a coffee shop, a Polish delicatessen, and other businesses.Ansonia hosted its own daily newspaper, the Evening Sentinel, which enjoyed a wide readership throughout the Naugatuck Valley. However, the parent company of the Connecticut Post bought the Sentinel in the 1980s and quickly folded it, despite promises not to do so, in order to consolidate the Post's position as the region's main newspaper. A non-profit, online only news site named in honor of the Evening Sentinel, the Valley Independent Sentinel, launched June 22, 2009.In the early morning hours of November 6, 1960 Senator John F. Kennedy's presidential campaign motorcade stopped on its way to Waterbury for an appearance and brief address in front of City Hall drawing thousands to downtown, many with transistor radios tuned to live reports on WADS of Senator Kennedy's progress towards Ansonia. President Kennedy would make a return visit on October 17, 1962 while on his way to Waterbury.President George H. W. Bush paid a visit to Ansonia by helicopter during the 1992 presidential election campaign. He was running far behind schedule due to severe weather damage to a large area New Jersey, and his late arrival and truncated speech caused many residents to feel he had slighted their city.In 2000, the Lower Naugatuck Valley, which includes Ansonia, was named an 'All America City' by the National Civic League.
Rubber plant fire
In May 2001, a wind-driven fire destroyed the Latex Foam Company building, a very large rubber plant along the Naugatuck River in downtown Ansonia. The fire gutted the 284,000-square-foot (26,400 m2) building, which was the workplace of 250 people. Firefighters from multiple counties fought the fire tirelessly for five days. Lingering clouds of foul-smelling smoke spread over the city and nearby communities, and chemical runoff produced by the fire unbalanced the ecosystem of the nearby river. A Target store replaced the empty lot and opened in July 2007.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.2 square miles (16.0 km2), of which 6.0 square miles (15.6 km2) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.4 km2) (2.58%) is water.The city is bisected by the Naugatuck River and spreads out from the river's banks up the hills - some quite steep - of the river valley. On the west side of the river, the city abuts Derby and Seymour along Silver Hill, and on the east side the city's Hilltop neighborhood meets Woodbridge.The land along the river is mostly given over to factory sites (both operational and defunct), with an area of wooded land on the west bank close to the city's northern boundary that belongs to the American Brass Company and was the site proposed by Texas company American Ref-Fuel for a solid waste to electric energy cogeneration plant in the early 1990s. The proposal was controversial and protests by residents resulted in its defeat.Residential housing occupies most of the land in Ansonia, chiefly one- or two-family houses on plots of an acre or less. There are larger houses on larger plots in the Hilltop neighborhood. The Ansonia Nature Center on Hilltop preserves some open fields and woodlands and is a favorite for school trips.An airport once operated on Hilltop, at the eastern edge of the city; during the Cold War the United States military deployed Nike missiles in silos at the airport. Developers have built residential housing on the former airport grounds. The Nike base is now a horse farm with riding stables holding just a few reminders of its former life.
Neighborhoods
Downtown - The original industrial village and later borough of Ansonia.North End - The area comprising the North Main Street corridor stretching from Downtown town to the Seymour town line.Derby Hill - The area surrounding the Elm St. and Jewett St. area on the east side. Elm Street is also the town's historic district and was part of the original 1654 settlement of Derby. The name of this section of the town is sometimes disputed.Hilltop - The area of the city that comprises the area of Prindle Avenue, Pulaski Highway and Ford Street corridors. This section was mainly farm land in the early days of the town and after World War II, it became the largest residential area of the city.West Ansonia - The name given to the residential village that comprised the west side of the Naugatuck River across from Ansonia (downtown). The actual original West Ansonia neighborhood consisted of High, Maple, and Jersey Streets (the later known today as Olson Drive) and later became synonymous with the entire present west side of the city.Windy Hill - A section of West Ansonia centered around Murray Street, May Street and Francis Street. This area is typically encompassing the area from the Derby town line to Grove Street.Silver Hill - The section of West Ansonia along the Silver Hill Road corridor. Parts of this section are shared with Derby.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 18,554 people, 7,507 households, and 4,977 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,076.3 people per square mile (1,188.0/km2). There were 7,937 housing units at an average density of 1,316.0 per square mile (508.2/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 85.52% White, 8.42% Black or African American, 0.34% Native American, 1.13% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 2.22% from other races, and 2.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.42% of the population.There were 7,507 households out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.1% were married couples living together, 15.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.7% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.03.In the city the population was spread out with 24.2% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males.The median income for a household in the city was $43,026, and the median income for a family was $53,718. Males had a median income of $30,747 versus $28,517 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,504. About 6.2% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.3% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.Minor party affiliations include members of the Concerned Citizens Party and the Green Party.
Economy
The city has manufacturers of heavy machinery, electric supplies, brass and copper products, and silk goods. Ansonia, Derby, Shelton, Seymour, and Beacon Falls form one of the most important industrial communities in the state. Pulitzer Prize winning author Theodore H. White referred to the Naugatuck Valley 'as the seedbed of American technology' in his work The Making of the President, 1960. The city hosts the world headquarters of the Farrel Corporation, a leading producer of plastics and rubber processing equipment including the Banbury International Mixer. Ansonia Copper & Brass, which supplies metal rod, wire and tube products to manufacturers of finished commercial products, also makes its home in the city.The highly successful Ansonia Clock Company had its start manufacturing Ansonia clocks in the city in 1851. The company moved to Brooklyn, New York, in 1878 but retained its home city's name.In recent years, much of the heavy industry moved out and factories sat vacant. In the late 1980s the City began development of the Fountain Lake Commerce Park in the northwest border. It houses Spectrum Plastics and Homa Pump Co. In 2007 work will begin by R.D. Scinto Inc. to further develop the park with a 400,000 sq ft (37,000 m2). office building. Starting in 2002, city authorities and residents began a revitalization of the downtown area. Two large regional clothing retailers, Marshalls and Bob's, opened stores there in 2006. In 2007, the popular international department store Target opened a store on the former Latex Foam Company site (see 'Rubber Plant Fire' above).As a result of economic growth and plentiful employment in southwestern Connecticut, driven by corporate relocations from the New York City and Fairfield County metropolitan areas to nearby towns, Ansonia's housing market improved in the early 2000s. On the preferred East Side of the city, the average home price climbed almost 20% in the period from 2001 to 2006. Authorities are in the process of closing down federal housing projects on the West Side of town, where a large percentage of the crime in Ansonia is reported.Ansonia is a station stop on the Waterbury Branch of the Metropolitan Transit Authority's Metro-North Railroad system. Trains on the Waterbury Branch run from Waterbury in the north to Bridgeport in the south, allowing Ansonia residents access to New York City via transfer to the main line at Bridgeport. Travel time from Ansonia to Grand Central Station in New York City is approximately two hours. Ansonia is also served by buses of the F route of Connecticut Transit New Haven, connecting the city to New Haven.
Public safety
The City of Ansonia is protected by three municipal public safety agencies, and maintains an Office of Emergency Management based out of City Hall and the A.R.M.S building on West Main Street.
Emergency medical services
The Ansonia Rescue Medical Service provided ambulance and rescue services to the city. Also known as 'A.R.M.S.', the service was founded in 1991 out of the old Ansonia Civil Defense Administration. ARMS operates three ambulances, a first responder vehicle, a rescue truck, an air and lighting vehicle, a mass casualty response truck, as well as a number of support and lighting trailers. The organization is composed of volunteer and part-time paid personnel to operate the ambulances. 'A.R.M.S.' is part of the South Central Regional Emergency Communications System (C-MED New Haven) and provides mutual aid assistance to surrounding communities when the need is requested. A.R.M.S. is lead by a chief, two assistant chiefs and a Board of Commissioners along with a paid day-time supervisor and volunteer captains and lieutenants. Ansonia Rescue Medical Service's headquarters is located on West Main Street.
Fire department
The Ansonia Fire Department was established in 1871 by the then borough government. In 1875, residents in West Ansonia petitioned for powers of a fire association and the Connecticut General Assembly granted a charter establishing the West Ansonia Fire District in the Town of Derby. Each department had their own fire company and continued to operate separately though working close together. In 1889 when Ansonia became a separate town from Derby, the two fire departments continued to operate separately until 1894, a year after Ansonia was chartered a city, the West Ansonia Fire District was merged into the Ansonia Fire Department. Today the Ansonia Fire Department provides fire and rescue services and is led by a chief engineer, four assistant chief engineers and the Board of Fire Commissioners. The department comprises five incorporated fire companies, each with its own firehouse and led by a captain and lieutenants. Together the department operates five fire engines, a tower-ladder truck, a rescue-squad truck, a utility vehicle and a chief's vehicle. The fire department also has a Office of the Fire Marshal and Fire Alarm Superintendent divisions (which maintains the street box alarm notification system). The F.M.O. operates a investigation truck and a staff vehicle and the F.A.S. operates a utility bucket truck (which is also utilized by the Public Works Department). The fire department comprises the following companies;Eagle Hose & Hook & Ladder Company No. 6 - Org. 1871 (original borough fire company).
Fountain Hose Company No. 1 - Org. 1876 (original West Ansonia Fire District company).
Webster Hose, Hook & Ladder Company No. 3 - Org. 1897.
Charters Hose Company No. 4 - Org. 1909.
Hilltop Hose Company No. 5 - Org. 1956.
Police department
The Ansonia Police Department was founded around 1880 when Ansonia was a borough in the Town of Derby and Daniel Hayes was appointed the first police chief of the department. Chief Hayes died in 1882 after he succumbed to his injuries day after when he was shot while making an arrest. The Police Department has 42 sworn officers and 12 civilian personnel. The Police department is split between the patrol and detective divisions. The Police Department headquarters is located on Elm Street. .
Landmarks
In addition to the Farrel Corporation and Ansonia Copper & Brass facilities along the banks of the Naugatuck River in the center of the city, Ansonia's landmarks include its public library, YMCA, National Guard Armory and many Victorian and Queen Anne houses. The prominent Ansonia Opera House is the oldest opera house in Connecticut built in 1870.Ansonia is noted for its many churches, including those forming five Catholic parishes, each historically associated with a particular ethnic group: Saint Joseph (Polish), Holy Rosary (Italian), Saint Anthony (Lithuanian; now combined with Holy Rosary), Our Lady of the Assumption (Irish), and Saints Peter and Paul (Ukrainian). There are also Congregationalist, Methodist, Episcopalian, African Methodist Episcopal, Baptist, Russian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Pentecostal, and other Christian denominations. The region's Sikh community had a gurdwara (temple) in one of the buildings on Main Street until an accidental fire burned it down.In the mid-1930s, after its original high school burned down, Ansonia residents decided to build a new one on Howard Avenue. This is notable in that the building was designed by William Lescaze, one of the pioneers of modernism in American architecture, who was primarily known for his work in the Philadelphia area. When it opened in 1936, it was one of the first 'modern' high school buildings in the country, and was, for its time, quite unique. By comparison, nearby Hamden (CT) high school was built at about the same time in a traditional, colonial design.[citation needed]
Notable Ansonians
Carl R. Ajello,Attorney General of Connecticut1975-1983. During his term of office he was elected by his peers as President of theNational Association of Attorneys General1978-1979. He was succeeded byJoseph I. Lieberman.
David Humphreys, aide-de-camp toGeorge Washington, diplomat, legislator, entrepreneur, poet and wit, among whose accomplishments was the introduction ofMerino sheepto theUnited States. In 1789 he accompanied General Washington fromMt. VernontoNew Yorkfor the inauguration of the nation's first president. In 1791 became the first ambassador nominated and confirmed under theUnited States Constitutionwhen posted toPortugal. The Humphreys House is a museum that is a favorite field trip destination for local schools.
Vincent R. Impellitteri,Mayor of New York Cityfrom 1950 to 1953. Elected to fill office vacated byWilliam O'Dwyer. When denied support fromTammany Hallhe ran as an independent in special election defeatingFerdinand Pecoraby 250,000. He was succeeded byRobert F. Wagner, Jr.
GeneralSamuel Jaskilka, AssistantCommandant of the Marine Corps1975-1978, a highly-decorated veteran of theKorean War. Led first wave of Marines onto Red Beach on September 15, 1950 invasion ofIncheon,Pusan PerimeterasCommanding Officerof Company E, 2d Battalion,5th Marine Regiment,1st Marine Division. AwardedDistinguished Service Medaland theSilver StarwithCombat 'V'.
Nick Pietrosante,University of Notre Damefullback,NFLRookie of the Year 1959,Detroit Lions1959-1965, was all-time leading rusher.Cleveland Browns1966-1967. Multiple NFL Pro-Bowl selectee. Notre Dame annually recognizes an outstanding player with award in his memory.
Major GeneralReuben Henry Tucker III, a highly-decoratedUnited States Armycolonelwho lead the504th Parachute Infantry Regiment,82nd Airborne DivisioninWorld War II. Serving under divisionalcommanderJames M. Gavin, Colonel Tucker is specifically referenced inCornelius Ryan's well-known workA Bridge Too Far, published in 1974 which chronicles the 1944 airborne invasion of theNetherlandsin 'Operation Market Garden'.
Dr. Lorenzo Johnston Greene, noted historian, pioneer in African American history, born in Ansonia on November 18, 1898. First black student to graduate from Ansonia High School. Matriculated at Howard University in Washington, D.C. and Columbia University, New York. Worked with Carter G. Woodson, the founder of Black History month and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. Greene spent his teaching career at Lincoln University of Missouri and authored several books includingThe Negro in Colonial New England, 1620–1776, The Negro Wage Earnerand numerous articles. As the civil rights movement heated up during the 1950s and 1960s, he was appointed to many civil and social rights commissions at the state and national level. He died at age 88 in January 1988 in Jefferson City, Missouri.
William Wallace, inventor, along withMoses Farmerof the first electric dynamo. The dynamo was first exhibited at theCentennial Expositionin Philadelphia in 1876. A visit byThomas Edison, to Wallace's brass manufacturing plant in Ansonia on September 8, 1878, accelerated the invention of the first electric incandescent lamp.
Pincus 'Pinky' Silverberg, Flyweight Boxing Champion of the World in 1927. He had 82 professional fights in his 17 year boxing career. From 1920 to 1937, he fought in the U.S., Cuba, and Australia. No matter where he traveled he always returned to Ansonia where he died on January 16, 1964. He was truly Ansonia's champion. Pinky was inducted into the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame on November 30, 2007.
Bob Skoronski,NFLplayer for theGreen Bay Packers. He was a member of the 1961, 1962, and 1965 NFL Champion teams, as well as theSuper Bowl IandSuper Bowl IIChampion
On the National Register of Historic Places
Ansonia Library— 53 South Cliff St. (added September 23, 1985)
Ansonia Opera House, at 100 Main St., and built in 1870.
Gen.David Humphreys House— 37 Elm St. (added April 17, 1972)
Richard Mansfield House— 35 Jewett St. (added April 11, 1971)
Upper Main Street Historic District (Ansonia, Connecticut)— 36-100, 85-117 Main St. (added 1982) which includes the:
US Post Office-Ansonia Main— 237 Main St. (added 1985)
