New Canaan, Connecticut
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New Canaan (/ˈkeɪnən/) is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut. The population was 20,622 according to the 2020 census. The town is part of the Western Connecticut Planning Region.
The town is considered part of Connecticut's Gold Coast. The town is bounded on the south by Darien, to the west by Stamford, on the east by Wilton, on the southeast by Norwalk, and on the north by Lewisboro and Pound Ridge in Westchester County, New York.
New Canaan is known for its architecture and public parks such as Waveny Park, and a town center with boutiques. Residents sing carols on God's Acre every Christmas Eve, a town tradition since 1916.
History
In 1731, Connecticut's colonial legislature established Canaan Parish as a religious entity in northwestern Norwalk and northeastern Stamford. The right to form a Congregational church was granted to the few families scattered through the area. As inhabitants of Norwalk or Stamford, Canaan Parish settlers still had to vote, pay some taxes—no income tax, and many other modern taxes did not yet exist—serve on juries, and file deeds in their hometowns. Because Canaan Parish was not planned as a town when it was first settled in 1731, when New Canaan was incorporated in 1801, it found itself without a central common, a main street, or a town hall.
Until the Revolutionary War, New Canaan was primarily an agricultural community; after the war, the town's major industry was shoemaking. As New Canaan's shoe business gathered momentum early in the 19th century, instead of a central village, regional settlements of clustered houses, mill, and school developed into distinct district centers. Some of the districts were centered on Ponus Ridge, West Road, Oenoke Ridge, Smith Ridge, Talmadge Hill, and Silvermine, a pattern that the village gradually outgrew.
With the opening of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad to New Canaan in 1868, many of New York City's wealthy residents discovered the good lifestyle in the area and built summer homes. Eventually, many of the summer visitors settled year-round, commuting to their jobs in New York City.
Lewis Lapham, a founder of Texaco and great-grandfather of long-time Harper's Magazine editor Lewis H. Lapham, spent summers with his family at their estate that is now 300-acre (1.2 km2) Waveny Park next to Talmadge Hill and the Merritt Parkway.
In the 1890s, editor Will Kirk of the Messenger wrote an editorial in response to area editors who chided him, saying New Canaan was the "next station to hell." An alleged remark by a parched Civil War veteran marching in the Decoration Day Parade on an unusually hot day prompted the exchange. The remark was found untrue and Kirk, after enduring the comments of others, wrote about a "dream" of approaching the Pearly Gates in the company of his fellow editors. All others were turned away, but he, Will Kirk, was welcomed, because he, in fact, was from the "Next Station to Heaven." Since then, the name has been controversial, with residents affectionately using the latter, and local critics of New Canaan still using the original nickname.
The "Harvard Five" and modern homes
New Canaan was an important center of the modern design movement from the late 1940s through roughly the 1960s, when about 80 modern homes were built in town. About 20 have been torn down since then.
"During the late 1940s and 1950s, a group of students and teachers from the Harvard Graduate School of Design migrated to New Canaan ... and rocked the world of architectural design", according to an article in PureContemporary.com, an online architecture design magazine. "Philip Johnson, Marcel Breuer, Landis Gores, John M. Johansen and Eliot Noyes – known as the Harvard Five – began creating homes in a style that emerged as the complete antithesis of the traditional build. Using new materials and open floor plans, best captured by Johnson's Glass House, these treasures are being squandered as buyers are knocking down these architectural icons and replacing them with cookie-cutter new builds."
"Other architects, well-known (Frank Lloyd Wright, for example) and not so well known, also contributed significant modern houses that elicited strong reactions from nearly everyone who saw them and are still astonishing today ... New Canaan came to be the focus of the modern movement's experimentation in materials, construction methods, space, and form", according to an online description of The Harvard Five in New Canaan: Mid-Century Modern Houses, by William D. Earls.
Some other New Canaan architects designing modern homes were Victor Christ-Janer, John Black Lee, Allan Gelbin, and Hugh Smallen.
The film The Ice Storm (1997) shows many of New Canaan's modern houses, both inside and out. The film (and Rick Moody's novel of the same name, upon which it is based) takes place in New Canaan; a mostly glass house situated on Laurel Road is prominently featured.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 22.5 square miles (58 km2), of which 22.1 square miles (57 km2) are land and 0.3 square mile (0.78 km2), or 1.56%, is covered by water. New Canaan is the only municipality on the Connecticut Panhandle that does not border the coast. Proximity to New York City proved worthy of its own connection to the New Haven Railroad, making New Canaan the only town with such a branch line. New Canaan station and Talmadge Hill station are both on the New Canaan Branch of the New Haven Line, and transfer is possible in Stamford south to Manhattan. Many New Canaan residents commute to New York regularly, with travel time to Grand Central Terminal around 65 minutes. New Canaan is also heavily served by the historic Merritt Parkway, as the third municipality one traverses when driving through Connecticut from New York City.
The town includes the following sections: New Canaan Town Center, Talmadge Hill, Ponus Ridge, West, Oenoke Ridge, Smith Ridge, and part of Silvermine (which extends into Norwalk and Wilton).
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1810 | 1,599 | — | |
| 1820 | 1,689 | 5.6% | |
| 1830 | 1,830 | 8.3% | |
| 1850 | 2,600 | — | |
| 1860 | 2,771 | 6.6% | |
| 1870 | 2,497 | −9.9% | |
| 1880 | 2,673 | 7.0% | |
| 1890 | 2,701 | 1.0% | |
| 1900 | 2,968 | 9.9% | |
| 1910 | 3,667 | 23.6% | |
| 1920 | 3,895 | 6.2% | |
| 1930 | 5,456 | 40.1% | |
| 1940 | 6,221 | 14.0% | |
| 1950 | 8,001 | 28.6% | |
| 1960 | 13,466 | 68.3% | |
| 1970 | 17,451 | 29.6% | |
| 1980 | 17,931 | 2.8% | |
| 1990 | 17,864 | −0.4% | |
| 2000 | 19,395 | 8.6% | |
| 2010 | 19,738 | 1.8% | |
| 2020 | 20,622 | 4.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census |
As of the census of 2000, 19,395 people, 6,822 households, and 5,280 families were residing in the town. The population density was 876.5 inhabitants per square mile (338.4/km2). The 7,141 housing units averaged 322.7 per square mile (124.6/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 95.27% White, 1.04% African American, 0.04% Native American, 2.29% Asian, 0.39% from other races, and 0.98% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 1.74% of the population.
Of the 6,822 households, 41.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.2% were married couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.6% were not families. About 19.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83, and the average family size was 3.26.
In the town, the population was distributed as 31.2% under the age of 18, 3.3% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.7 males.
Per the 2000 Census, the median income for a household in the town was $141,788, and for a family was $175,331. Males had a median income of $100,000 versus $53,924 for females. The per capita income for the town was $82,049. About 1.4% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.2% of those under age 18 and 2.2% of those age 65 or over.
Arts and culture
Points of interest
- New Canaan Nature Center
- Waveny Park on South Avenue was developed in 1912 by Lewis Lapham on what had been Prospect Farm, an early summer estate. In 1967 the Town acquired the 'castle' (Lapham's mansion on the property) and 300 acres (1.2 km2) of surrounding parkland."
- Silvermine Arts Center
National Register of Historic Places
- Hampton Inn – 179 Oenoke Ridge; also known as The Maples Inn, which was built by the Elwood brothers in Queen Anne, Colonial Revival style. (added November 27, 2004)
- Hanford Davenport House – 353 Oenoke Ridge (added September 3, 1989)
- John Rogers Studio – 33 Oenoke Ridge; built in 1878 by John Rogers, who was called "the people's sculptor" in the late 19th century. The studio houses a collection of the artist's famous groups of statuary, many sculpted on site (added November 15, 1966). "He used this studio from 1876 to the end of his life. The John Rogers studio houses one of the finest collections of Rogers Groups in the nation."
- Landis Gores House – 192 Cross Ridge Road "With its flat-roofed single-story form, full-height glass walls, and emphasis on horizontal planes, the house he designed for himself in New Canaan is an outstanding example" of modernist architecture. (added April 21, 2002)
- Maxwell Evants Perkins House – 63 Park Street (added June 6, 2004)
- Philip Johnson Glass House – 798–856 Ponus Ridge Road (added March 18, 1997)
- Richard and Geraldine Hodgson House – 881 Ponus Ridge Road (added February 28, 2005)
Seasonal events
New Canaan Nature Center Fall Fair: The fair offers activities for all ages from hay mazes to Old Faithful Antique Fire Truck rides to apple sling shots.
All Hallows Eve (Halloween) Parade: No matter your costume, children of all ages and their dogs can receive a goody bag and march in the Parade led by the Old Faithful Antique Fire Truck which is sponsored by the New Canaan Chamber of Commerce.
Holiday Stroll: Hosted by The Chamber of Commerce, downtown New Canaan celebrates with Christmas carolers, the lighting of the trees along Elm Street, the arrival of Santa Claus, and extended store hours.
Christmas Carolling on God's Acre: since 1919 New Canaan residents have been gathering on God's Acre every Christmas Eve to sing Christmas carols with the New Canaan Town Band. The New Canaan town band was founded in 1831 and is the second oldest town band in the United States.
Easter Egg Hunt: At the Annual Town Easter Egg Hunt, sponsored by the Young Women's League of New Canaan, children are able to collect candy-filled Easter eggs, get their faces painted, take pictures with the Easter bunny, and participate in many other festive activities.
Saint Mark's May Fair: Provides carnival rides and May Fair's famous strawberry shortcake.
Family Fourth Fireworks: Town residents gather at Waveny Town Park for picnicking, live music, bounce houses, and fireworks.
Juneteenth "Hearts of Freedom" Community Celebration put on by Stand Together Against Racism (S.T.A.R) annually on June 19 on the lawn of the New Canaan Historical Society. Features live music, local black-owned food trucks, kids activities and is free to attend.
Institutions and organizations
- New Canaan Museum & Historical Society – operates seven museums, preserves five historic buildings, collects and preserves material thought to be of local historical value, and supports education programs such as school tours, special exhibits, seminars and publications on New Canaan history. The society was founded in 1889 and is housed in New Canaan's first town hall.
- Harmony Lodge No. 67 Ancient, Free & Accepted Masons – the oldest voluntary society in the Town of New Canaan. It was chartered by the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of the State of Connecticut and, with its establishment in 1763, became the first masonic lodge in lower Fairfield County. The only masonic lodges in the area at that time were Union Lodge No. 5 of Stamford and St. John's No. 6 in Norwalk. This meant that the brothers of Canaan Parish, prior to 1825, had to meet either at Union No. 5, which often physically met at Greenwich, Stamford, and sometimes Bedford, NY or at St. John's No. 6 in Norwalk. Once Canaan Parish was incorporated into a separate town, Brothers Samuel Carter, Jr., John Seely, Eliphalet Weed and several other members, requested the recommendation of St. John's Lodge No. 6 in Norwalk to the Grand Lodge for a charter to establish a new lodge in the Town of New Canaan which was granted on May 30, 1825. In 1954, the Lodge, in a three-way swap, bought the old Methodist Church building on Main Street, and Harmony Lodge No. 67 has been at this site ever since.
- New Canaan Society (NCS) - a nationwide movement of over 24,000 men who gather to encourage each other in friendship and faith, aiming to support one another in becoming better husbands, fathers, and leaders in their communities and workplaces.
- Silvermine Arts Center
- New Canaan Red Cross
- New Canaan Land Trust
- New Canaan Library
- Grace Farms
Government
United States Congress
| Senators | Name | Party | Assumed office | Level | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senate Class 1 | Richard Blumenthal | Democratic | 2011 | Senior Senator | |
| Senate Class 3 | Chris Murphy | Democratic | 2013 | Junior Senator | |
| Representatives | Name | Party | Assumed office | ||
| District 4 | Jim Himes | Democratic | 2009 |
Connecticut General Assembly
Connecticut State Senate
| District | Name | Party | Assumed office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | Ceci Maher | Democratic | 2023 | |
| 36 | Ryan Fazio | Republican | 2021 |
Connecticut House of Representatives
| District | Name | Party | Assumed office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 42 | Keith Denning | Democratic | 2023 | |
| 125 | Tom O'Dea | Republican | 2013 | |
| 142 | Lucy Dathan | Democratic | 2019 |
Local government
New Canaan is led by a First Selectman, who is one of three members of the Board of Selectmen. As of November 2023, the First Selectman is Republican Dionna Carlson.
The legislative body of the town is a twelve-member Town Council.
Taxes
In 2023, the mill rate of New Canaan was 18.372.
Politics
New Canaan was one of five towns in Connecticut that backed former Governor John Kasich of Ohio over Donald Trump in the 2016 Republican presidential primary. Kasich received 1,362 votes (47.84%) ahead of Trump, who garnered 1,168 votes (41.03%). U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas finished third with 262 votes (9.20%).
New Canaan was historically a Republican stronghold. However, the town has trended Democratic in recent elections. The town swung from a 64% win for Mitt Romney in 2012 to a 52% win for Hillary Clinton in 2016. This change mirrored a national trend of suburban voters turning away from Donald Trump. In 2020, Joe Biden won New Canaan over Trump by a margin of nearly 20 points. Despite a rightward shift in 2024, town voters still delivered a victory to Kamala Harris of roughly 13 percentage points.
| Registration and Party Enrollment Statistics as of October 31, 2023 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Active voters | Inactive voters | Total voters | Percentage | |
| Republican | 5,051 | 634 | 5,685 | 36.23% | |
| Democratic | 3,750 | 445 | 4,195 | 26.74% | |
| Unaffiliated | 4,903 | 713 | 5,616 | 35.80% | |
| Minor parties | 158 | 35 | 193 | 1.23% | |
| Total | 13,862 | 1,827 | 15,689 | 100% |
| Year | Democratic | Republican | Third Parties |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 55.49% 6,014 | 42.44% 4,600 | 2.06% 224 |
| 2020 | 59.02% 7,298 | 39.26% 4,855 | 1.72% 212 |
| 2016 | 52.59% 5,767 | 41.41% 4,541 | 6.00% 658 |
| 2012 | 35.02% 3,804 | 64.13% 6,966 | 0.85% 92 |
| 2008 | 46.61% 5,187 | 52.81% 5,877 | 0.58% 64 |
| 2004 | 38.32% 4,180 | 60.67% 6,618 | 1.01% 110 |
| 2000 | 33.93% 3,516 | 62.73% 6,501 | 3.34% 346 |
| 1996 | 32.37% 3,087 | 61.77% 5,890 | 5.86% 559 |
| 1992 | 30.72% 3,438 | 56.21% 6,292 | 13.07% 1,463 |
| 1988 | 27.14% 2,831 | 72.09% 7,520 | 0.77% 80 |
| 1984 | 23.66% 2,564 | 76.12% 8,249 | 0.22% 24 |
| 1980 | 19.87% 2,102 | 67.31% 7,120 | 12.82% 1,356 |
| 1976 | 28.17% 2,887 | 71.52% 7,329 | 0.31% 32 |
| 1972 | 29.50% 2,915 | 69.85% 6,903 | 0.66% 65 |
| 1968 | 31.96% 2,802 | 66.12% 5,796 | 1.92% 168 |
| 1964 | 52.50% 4,022 | 47.50% 3,639 | 0.00% 0 |
| 1960 | 27.95% 1,970 | 72.05% 5,079 | 0.00% 0 |
| 1956 | 20.33% 1,213 | 79.67% 4,755 | 0.00% 0 |
| 1952 | 24.98% 1,276 | 73.81% 3,771 | 1.21% 62 |
| 1948 | 23.03% 942 | 74.18% 3,035 | 2.79% 114 |
| 1944 | 31.14% 1,163 | 68.86% 2,571 | 0.00% 0 |
| 1940 | 28.46% 1,015 | 71.54% 2,552 | 0.00% 0 |
| 1936 | 35.98% 940 | 64.02% 1,673 | 0.00% 0 |
| 1932 | 33.97% 746 | 66.03% 1,450 | 0.00% 0 |
| 1928 | 31.95% 614 | 67.53% 1,298 | 0.52% 10 |
| 1924 | 20.63% 293 | 75.07% 1,066 | 4.30% 61 |
| 1920 | 21.55% 267 | 76.52% 948 | 1.93% 24 |
| 1916 | 33.73% 254 | 65.07% 490 | 1.20% 9 |
| 1912 | 34.32% 266 | 44.52% 345 | 21.16% 164 |
| 1908 | 24.89% 171 | 74.68% 513 | 0.43% 3 |
| 1904 | 31.01% 192 | 67.53% 418 | 1.46% 9 |
| 1900 | 31.67% 190 | 67.50% 405 | 0.83% 5 |
| 1896 | 22.45% 139 | 73.99% 458 | 3.56% 22 |
| 1892 | 44.25% 277 | 52.72% 330 | 3.03% 19 |
| 1888 | 43.07% 264 | 51.88% 318 | 5.05% 31 |
| 1884 | 46.24% 264 | 53.76% 307 | 0.00% 0 |
| 1880 | 48.46% 300 | 51.54% 319 | 0.00% 0 |
| 1876 | 51.27% 323 | 48.73% 307 | 0.00% 0 |
| 1872 | 52.78% 285 | 47.22% 255 | 0.00% 0 |
| 1868 | 43.39% 233 | 56.61% 304 | 0.00% 0 |
| 1864 | 40.80% 206 | 59.20% 299 | 0.00% 0 |
| 1860 | 27.86% 190 | 45.16% 308 | 26.98% 184 |
| 1856 | 38.90% 198 | 61.10% 311 | 0.00% 0 |
| 1852 | 55.11% 221 | 44.89% 180 | 0.00% 0 |
| 1848 | 44.52% 195 | 42.01% 184 | 13.47% 59 |
| 1844 | 50.22% 225 | 49.78% 223 | 0.00% 0 |
| 1840 | 48.78% 220 | 51.22% 231 | 0.00% 0 |
| 1836 | 48.19% 93 | 51.81% 100 | 0.00% 0 |
| 1832 | 17.36% 29 | 58.69% 98 | 23.95% 40 |
| 1828 | 2.38% 2 | 97.62% 82 | 0.00% 0 |
Education
New Canaan has five public schools:
- Elementary Schools: West School, South School, and East School
- Middle School: Saxe Middle School
- High School: New Canaan High School
New Canaan also has two private schools:
- St. Luke's School: 5–12
- New Canaan Country School: Pre-K–9
St. Aloysius School, once a K–8 Catholic school, closed in 2023 due to low enrollment.
Media
The town newspaper is the New Canaan Advertiser. Other daily newspapers which serve the area include Connecticut Post and Greenwich Time.
Infrastructure
Emergency services
Emergency medical services
New Canaan Emergency Medical Services, founded in 1975 as New Canaan Volunteer Ambulance Corps, is a free, all-volunteer ambulance corps with three ambulances and two paramedic fly-cars. EMTs are all volunteers, while paramedic services are contracted from Norwalk Hospital.
Fire department
The New Canaan Fire Department employs the professional firefighters of the New Canaan Fire Department and the volunteers of the New Canaan Fire Company, No. 1. Founded in 1881, the New Canaan Fire Department is a combination professional/volunteer fire department that operates out of a fire station located near the center of town, with a fire apparatus fleet of engines and other vehicles. The New Canaan Fire Department responded to 1,133 calls for service in 2023. The New Canaan Fire Department was featured on Rescue 911 when they saved a fire captain who was suffering a heart attack.
Police department
The New Canaan Police Department has forty-five sworn officers, five full-time civilians and two school crossing guards. The department responded to 16,741 calls during 2012.
Notable people
In popular culture
Film
Movies at least partially filmed in, or involving, New Canaan:
- The Stepford Wives (2004)
- The Ice Storm (1997)
- Gentleman's Agreement (1947)
Books
- The Ice Storm (1994)
Gallery
- Postcard of The Country Club, c.1906
- Grace House in the Fields, c.1915
- Waveny mansion in Waveny Park
- Center School, c.1912 (now demolished)
- Hampton Inn, c.1909
Further reading
- A Guide to God's Acre, a walking tour of the Historic District; available from the New Canaan Historical Society.
- My Impressions of the Hour, a journal written by an early New Canaan teacher, Margaret Mary Corrigan; available from the society.
- New Canaan: Texture of a Community, available from the society.
- Portrait of New Canaan, available from the society.
- A Student's Memoir, edited by Robert W.P. Cutler. A history of the Little Red Schoolhouse, based on recollections of some of the school's graduates.