Editing Bridgewater, Connecticut

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Bridgewater, Connecticut
| native_name        = 
| native_name_lang   = 
| settlement_type    = [[New England town|Town]]
| image_skyline      = Bridgewater, CT Town Center.jpg
| image_caption      = A historic house in the town center
| image_flag         = 
| image_seal         = BridgewaterCTseal.jpg
| image_map          = {{switcher|[[File:Litchfield County Connecticut Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Bridgewater Highlighted 2010.svg|250px|frameless|alt=Bridgewater's location within Litchfield County and Connecticut]]|&nbsp;[[Litchfield County, Connecticut|Litchfield County]] and Connecticut|[[File:Western Connecticut incorporated and unincorporated areas Bridgewater highlighted.svg|250px|frameless|alt=Bridgewater's location within  the Western Connecticut Planning Region and the state of Connecticut]]|&nbsp;[[Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut|Western Connecticut Planning Region]] and Connecticut|default=1}}
| image_map1         = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=280|frame-height=200|frame-coord=SWITCH:{{coord|qid=Q2446075}}###{{coord|qid=Q779}}###{{coord|41|31|33|N|73|21|39|W}}|zoom=SWITCH:10;6;3|type=SWITCH:shape-inverse;point;point|marker=city|stroke-width=2|stroke-color=#000000|id2=SWITCH:Q2446075;Q779;Q30|type2=shape|fill2=#ffffff|fill-opacity2=SWITCH:0;0.1;0.1|stroke-width2=2|stroke-color2=#808080|stroke-opacity2=SWITCH:0;1;1|switch=Bridgewater;Connecticut;the United States}}
| coordinates        = {{coord|41|31|33|N|73|21|39|W|region:US-CT_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = {{USA}}
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state]]
| subdivision_name1  = {{flag|Connecticut}}
| subdivision_type2  = [[County (United States)|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Litchfield County, Connecticut|Litchfield]]
| subdivision_type3  = [[Councils of governments in Connecticut|Region]]
| subdivision_name3  = [[Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut|Western CT]]
| established_title  = Incorporated
| established_date   = 1856
| government_type    = [[Board of selectmen|Selectman-town meeting]]
| leader_title       = First selectman
| leader_name        = Curtis Read (D)
| leader_title1      = Selectmen
| leader_name1       = Laszlo Pinter (R)<br/>Alan Brown (D)
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_total_km2     = 44.82
| area_total_sq_mi   = 
| area_land_km2      = 42.46
| area_land_sq_mi    = 
| area_water_km2     = 2.36
| area_water_sq_mi   = 
| elevation_m        = 218
| elevation_ft       = 715
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total   = 1662
| population_as_of   = 2020
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_density_sq_mi = 
| timezone           = [[Eastern Standard Time Zone|Eastern]]
| utc_offset         = −5
| timezone_DST       = [[Eastern Standard Time Zone|Eastern]]
| utc_offset_DST     = −4
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP Code]]
| postal_code        = 06752
| area_code          = [[Area codes 860 and 959|860/959]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 09-08210
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 0213397
| website            = [https://www.bridgewater-ct.gov/ bridgewater-ct.gov]
}}
'''Bridgewater''' is a [[New England town|town]] in [[Litchfield County, Connecticut|Litchfield County]], [[Connecticut]], United States. The population was 1,662 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]],<ref name="Census 2020">{{cite web| url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0600000US0900508210| title=Census - Geography Profile: Bridgewater town, Litchfield County, Connecticut| publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]| access-date=November 26, 2021}}</ref> a decline from the figure of 1,727 tabulated in 2010. The town is part of the [[Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut|Western Connecticut Planning Region]].

Bridgewater is well known as being a weekend getaway for wealthy New Yorkers, due to its scenic wooded areas, location on the banks of [[Lake Lillinonah]] and  proximity to [[New York City]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Maker |first=Elizabeth |date=May 16, 2003 |title=HAVENS; Weekender {{!}} Bridgewater, Conn. |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/16/travel/havens-weekender-bridgewater-conn.html |access-date=February 2, 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Bridgewater was one of the last remaining [[Dry county|dry towns]] (Eastford is still a dry town) in Connecticut until voters approved the sale of alcohol in a 2014 referendum, by a 660–246 vote.<ref>David Moran, [http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-bridgewater-dry-town-20141110-story.html Connecticut's Last 'Dry' Town Votes to Get 'Wet'], ''Hartford Courant'', November 10, 2014.</ref><ref>[http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/CTs-Last-Dry-Town-No-More-Historic-Vote-Could-Reverse-Bridgewater-Alcohol-Sales-Ban-281457131.html Connecticut's Last Dry Town No More: Historic Vote Reverses Bridgewater Alcohol Sales Ban], NBC Connecticut, November 4, 2014.</ref> The Bridgewater Country Fair is a popular annual event held every August, attracting visitors from all over New England and the Tri-state area.<ref>https://www.bridgewaterfair.com/ Bridgewater Country Fair official website</ref>

==Geography==

Bridgewater is in southwestern Litchfield County and is bordered by [[Fairfield County, Connecticut|Fairfield County]] to the south and [[New Haven County, Connecticut|New Haven County]] to the southeast. According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|44.8|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|42.5|km2|order=flip}} are land and {{convert|2.4|km2|order=flip}}, or 5.27%, are water.<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/0600000US0900508210| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001), Bridgewater town, Litchfield County, Connecticut| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| website=American FactFinder| access-date=October 4, 2019| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213130232/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/0600000US0900508210| archive-date=February 13, 2020| url-status=dead}}</ref> Bridgewater is located on the northeastern bank of the [[Housatonic River]], on a section that is impounded to form Lake Lillinonah. [[Danbury, Connecticut|Danbury]] is {{convert|13|mi}} to the southwest, and [[Waterbury, Connecticut|Waterbury]] is {{convert|20|mi}} to the east.

[[File:Houses in Bridgewater, Connecticut.jpg|thumb|right|Bridgewater houses, farms, and fields, as seen from [[Brookfield, Connecticut|Brookfield]], December 17, 2020]]

==Demographics==

{{US Census population
|1850= 815
|1860= 1048
|1870= 877
|1880= 708
|1890= 617
|1900= 649
|1910= 600
|1920= 481
|1930= 432
|1940= 537
|1950= 639
|1960= 898
|1970= 1277
|1980= 1563
|1990= 1654
|2000= 1824
|2010= 1727
|2020= 1662
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html |title=Census of Population and Housing |publisher=Census.gov |access-date=June 4, 2015 }}</ref>
}}
{{See also|List of Connecticut locations by per capita income}}
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> of 2000, there were 1,824 people, 703 households, and 525 families residing in the town.  The population density was {{convert|112.4|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 779 housing units at an average density of {{convert|48.0|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the town was 97.53% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.93% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.05% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.71% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.11% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.66% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.49% of the population.

There were 703 households, out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.4% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 5.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.2% were non-families. 21.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.1% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 35.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.0 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $80,420, and the median income for a family was $94,720. Males had a median income of $61,750 versus $40,455 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $42,505.  About 2.3% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 4.8% of those under age 18 and 0.8% of those age 65 or over.

{| class=wikitable
! colspan = 6 | Voter registration and party enrollment as of October 26, 2021<ref>{{cite web|url=https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/SOTS/ElectionServices/Registration_and_Enrollment_Stats/October-26-2021-Registration-and-Party-Enrollment-Statistics.pdf|title=Registration and Party Enrollment Statistics as of October 26, 2021|publisher=Connecticut Secretary of State|access-date=May 20, 2022}}</ref>
|-
! colspan = 2 | Party
! Active voters
! Inactive voters
! Total voters
! Percentage
|-

| {{party color cell|Democratic Party (United States)}}
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| align = center | 466
| align = center | 3
| align = center | 469
| align = center | 32.71%
|-

| {{party color cell|Republican Party (United States)}}
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| align = center | 417
| align = center | 9
| align = center | 426
| align = center | 29.71%
|-
| {{party color cell|Independent Party (United States)}}
| [[Independent voter|Unaffiliated]]
| align = center | 513
| align = center | 7
| align = center | 520
| align = center | 36.26%
|-
| {{party color cell|Independent Party (United States)}}
| [[Third Party (United States)|Minor Parties]]
| align = center | 19
| align = center | 0
| align = center | 19
| align = center | 1.32%
|-
! colspan = 2 | Total
! align = center | 1,415
! align = center | 19
! align = center | 1,434
! align = center | 100%
|}
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="4" |Presidential Election Results<ref>{{Cite web|title=General Election Statements of Vote, 1922 – Current|url=https://authoring.ct.gov//SOTS/Election-Services/Statement-Of-Vote-PDFs/General-Elections-Statement-of-Vote-1922|access-date=December 17, 2020|website=CT Secretary of State}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Election Night Reporting|url=https://ctemspublic.pcctg.net/#/selectTown|access-date=December 17, 2020|website=CT Secretary of State}}</ref>
|-
!Year
![[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
![[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
![[Third party (United States)|Third Parties]]
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|[[2020 United States presidential election|2020]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''54.1%''' ''667''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|44.5% ''549''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|1.4% ''17''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[2016 United States presidential election|2016]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|45.6% ''518''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''50.1%''' ''571''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|4.3% ''50''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[2012 United States presidential election|2012]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|44.4% ''472''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''54.5%''' ''580''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|1.1% ''12''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|[[2008 United States presidential election|2008]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''49.9%''' ''587''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|49.3% ''580''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|0.8% ''9''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[2004 United States presidential election|2004]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|44.4% ''521''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''53.5%''' ''628''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|2.1% ''25''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[2000 United States presidential election|2000]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|45.3% ''508''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''48.6%''' ''545''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|6.1% ''69''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1996 United States presidential election|1996]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|42.5% ''439''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''44.6%''' ''461''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|12.9% ''132''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1992 United States presidential election|1992]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|36.2% ''411''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''39.5%''' ''448''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|24.3% ''276''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1988 United States presidential election|1988]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|40.2% ''425''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''59.1%''' ''624''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|0.7% ''7''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1984 United States presidential election|1984]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|33.3% ''328''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''66.4%''' ''655''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|0.3% ''3''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1980 United States presidential election|1980]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|31.4% ''285''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''52.5%''' ''477''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|16.1% ''146''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1976 United States presidential election|1976]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|41.3% ''325''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''58.2%''' ''458''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|0.5% ''3''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1972 United States presidential election|1972]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|32.9% ''248''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''64.8%''' ''488''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|2.3% ''17''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1968 United States presidential election|1968]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|34.6% ''229''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''62.7%''' ''415''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|2.7% ''18''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|[[1964 United States presidential election|1964]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''62.4%''' ''378''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|37.6% ''228''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|0.00% ''0''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1960 United States presidential election|1960]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|29.6% ''166''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''70.4%''' ''394''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|0.00% ''0''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1956 United States presidential election|1956]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|22.8% ''102''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''77.2%''' ''345''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|0.00% ''0''
|}

==Transportation==
Bridgewater is served by two state highways: [[Connecticut Route 67|Route 67]] running east–west in the northern part of town, and [[Connecticut Route 133|Route 133]] running north–south. Route 67 leads northwest to [[New Milford, Connecticut|New Milford]] and east to [[Roxbury, Connecticut|Roxbury]], while Route 133 leads south across the Housatonic River into [[Brookfield, Connecticut|Brookfield]]. The [[Danbury station|Danbury Metro-North Railroad station]] is located roughly 10 miles from the town center.

==Local media==

*''[[Waterbury Republican-American]]'', a Waterbury-based independent daily newspaper
*''[[The News-Times]]'', a Danbury-based daily newspaper
*''The Greater New Milford Spectrum'', a MediaNews Group-owned weekly paper
*''Voices'', a local newspaper serving Southbury, Middlebury, Oxford, Seymour, Naugatuck, Woodbury, Bethelhem, New Preston, Washington, Washington Depot, Roxbury, Bridgewater, Monroe, Sandy Hook and Newtown

==Education==
[[Regional School District 12]] is the area school district. Residents are served by REACH Preschool in [[Washington, Connecticut|Washington]], Burnham Elementary School in Bridgewater, and [[Shepaug Valley School]] (secondary school) in Washington.<ref>"[http://www.bridgewatertownhall.org/Pages/BridgewaterCT_Webdocs/burnham-schools Schools]." Town of Bridgewater. Retrieved on January 19, 2017.</ref>

===The Burnham Library===

[[File:William Dixon Burnham 001.jpg|thumb|160px|William Dixon Burnham {{circa|1919}}]]
[[File:Burnham Library 030.JPG|thumb|The Burnham Library, May 11, 2012]]
In 1904, the Bridgewater Library Association was established, succeeding previous lending libraries operated by individuals in town. In 1909 room for library purposes was set aside in recently built town hall. A bequest from William Dixon Burnham, a native who made his fortune in shipping, allowed a Greek Revival style building to be erected from 1925 to 1926, using Mine Hill granite from nearby Roxbury.  The dedication took place on August 26, 1926.<ref name="history">{{cite web|last=Bernstein|first=Jane
|url=http://burnhamlibrary.org/about/history/|title=Burnham Library » History|access-date=May 21, 2012}}</ref>

By the early 1960s, the library's two floors were finally becoming cramped. With the death of town resident [[Van Wyck Brooks]], a biographer and critic, a "Van Wyck Brooks Memorial Fund was set up to raise money for a library wing in his name. The effort, however, flopped, despite support from such celebrities as [[Pearl Buck]] and [[Archibald MacLeish]]. Just enough money was raised for a bust of the author and a display of some of his memorabilia. His desk, books, and other items can be found on display in the library's biography section. The fund-raising committee disbanded in 1972, but a year later, a surprising source of funding became known.<ref name=history/>

Charles E. Piggott, a hermit, misanthrope, and miser living in a Los Angeles slum, died in 1973.  As a bulldozer operator razed the shack that had been Piggott's home, the operator happened to notice something shiny. It was a bottle with Piggott's holographic will inside.<ref name=history/>

Despite apparently having no discernible connection with Bridgewater, Piggott left the fund $300,000—money from careful investments over the years. The state of California contested the will and the library hired a lawyer, at considerable cost, to defend the bequest. Eventually, the lawyer won the case and the library got $210,000.<ref name=history/>

By 1980, the Van Wyck Brooks Memorial Wing was dedicated, doubling the size of the library.<ref name=history/>

Burton Bernstein, a longtime town resident, looked into why Piggott would leave money to the library, then wrote an article on the bequest, which appeared in the December 18, 1978, issue of ''[[The New Yorker]]''. Piggott, as it turned out, had been a voracious reader on any number of subjects and loved public libraries (which are, after all, free). Bernstein believes that Piggott came across Van Wyck Brooks' ''The Flowering of New England'', which describes the hermit [[Henry David Thoreau]]. Piggott may have compared himself to Thoreau, or saw wisdom in some of Thoreau's ideas as presented by Brooks. Perhaps this quote stuck in his mind: "The mass of men led lives of quiet desperation... Did they not know that the wisest had always lived, with respect to comforts and luxuries, a life more simple and meager than the poor?... Poverty had given him all this wealth."<ref name=history/>

Piggott heard of the Van Wyck Brooks Memorial Fund, recognized the name, and, Bernstein believes, decided to contribute.<ref name=history/>

==Notable people==

* [[Woody Allen]], film director, writer, actor, and comedian
* [[Cathie Black]], media executive and [[New York City Schools Chancellor]]
* [[Dan Briody]], author
* [[Van Wyck Brooks]] (1886–1963), long-time town resident, was a literary critic, biographer, and historian
* [[Philip Evergood]] (1901–1973), artist
* [[Mia Farrow]], actress
* [[Louise Fitzhugh]] (1928–1974), author of children's books including ''[[Harriet the Spy]]''
* [[Susie Gharib]], business news journalist
* [[Kathy Godfrey]] (1915–1981), [[talk show]] host
* [[Susan Kinsolving]], author and poet
* [[E.G. Marshall]] (1914–1998), actor
* [[Lanford Monroe]] (1950–2000), wildlife artist and sculptor
* [[Mike Nichols]] (1931–2014), film and theater director, producer, actor, and comedian
* [[Drake Olson]], racing driver
* [[Lee Pockriss]] (1924–2011), songwriter for films and [[Broadway theatre|Broadway shows]]
* [[Diane Sawyer]], television broadcast journalist
* [[Charles Seeger]] (1886–1979), noted musicologist and composer
* [[Luman Hamlin Weller]] (1833–1914), [[United States House of Representatives|congressman]] from [[Iowa]]
* David Wooldridge (1927–1998), British conductor and composer
* [[Teresa Wright]] (1918–2005), [[Academy Award]]-winning actress

==References==

{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Connecticut}}
{{Commons category}}
{{wikivoyage|Bridgewater (Connecticut)|Bridgewater, Connecticut}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060821224549/http://www.bridgewatertownhall.org/ Town of Bridgewater official website]
*[https://www.bridgewaterhistoricalsocietyct.com/ Bridgewater Historical Society]
*[http://www.burnhamlibrary.org/ Burnham Library], the town public library
*[http://www.region-12.org/ Regional School District 12] 
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060613231755/http://www.litchfieldhills.com/app/about/index.jsp Northwest Connecticut Convention and Visitors Bureau]
*[http://www.artsnwct.org/ Northwest Connecticut Arts Council]
*[https://www.bridgewaterfair.com/ Bridgewater Fair]

{{Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut}}
{{Litchfield County, Connecticut}}
{{Connecticut}}
{{New York metropolitan area}}
{{New England}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Bridgewater, Connecticut| ]]
[[Category:Towns in Litchfield County, Connecticut]]
[[Category:Towns in the New York metropolitan area]]
[[Category:Towns in Connecticut]]
[[Category:Towns in Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut]]