Editing Cheshire, Connecticut

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Cheshire, Connecticut
| settlement_type        = [[New England town|Town]]
| image_skyline          = First Congregational Church, Cheshire CT.jpg
| imagesize              = 250px
| image_caption          = First Congregational Church of Cheshire
| image_flag             = Flag of Cheshire, Connecticut.png
| image_seal             = Cheshire, CT Seal.png
| nickname               = The Bedding Plant Capital of Connecticut
| image_map              = {{switcher|[[File:Cheshire CT lg.PNG|230px|frameless|alt=Cheshire's location within New Haven County and Connecticut]]|&nbsp;[[New Haven County, Connecticut|New Haven County]] and Connecticut|[[File:Naugatuck Valley incorporated and unincorporated areas Cheshire highlighted.svg|250px|frameless|alt=Cheshire's location within the Naugatuck Valley Planning Region and the state of Connecticut]]|&nbsp;[[Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, Connecticut|Naugatuck Valley 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=Q755226}}###{{coord|qid=Q779}}###{{coord|41|30|44|N|72|54|13|W}}|zoom=SWITCH:10;6;3|type=SWITCH:shape-inverse;point;point|marker=city|stroke-width=2|stroke-color=#000000|id2=SWITCH:Q755226;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=Cheshire;Connecticut;the United States}}
| coordinates            = {{coord|41|30|44|N|72|54|13|W|region:US-CT_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type       = Country
| subdivision_name       = {{flag|United States}}
| subdivision_type1      = [[U.S. state]]
| subdivision_name1      = {{flag|Connecticut}}
| subdivision_type2      = [[County (United States)|County]]
| subdivision_name2      = [[New Haven County, Connecticut|New Haven]]
| subdivision_type3      = [[Councils of governments in Connecticut|Region]]
| subdivision_name3      = [[Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, Connecticut|Naugatuck Valley]]
| established_title      = [[Prehistoric migration and settlement of the Americas from Asia|Settled]]
| established_date       = 1694
| established_title2     = [[Incorporated town|Incorporated]] 
| established_date2      = 1780
| named_for              = {{flagicon image|Cheshire Flag.svg|size=23px}} [[Cheshire]], [[United Kingdom|England]]
| government_type        = [[Council-manager]]
| leader_title           = Town manager
| leader_name            = Sean M. Kimball<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cheshirect.org/town-manager/ |title=Cheshire - the bedding plant capital of Connecticut - Town Manager |access-date=April 1, 2020 |archive-date=February 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200223220751/http://www.cheshirect.org/town-manager |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| leader_title1          = Council
| leader_name1           = {{Collapsible list
| title                  = Members
<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cheshirect.org/agendas-and-minutes/town-council|title=Cheshire - The bedding plant capital of Connecticut - Town Council|website=www.cheshirect.org|access-date=April 30, 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180323220035/http://www.cheshirect.org/agendas-and-minutes/town-council|archive-date=March 23, 2018}}</ref>
 |frame_style = border:none; padding: 0;
 |title_style = <!-- (optional) -->
 |list_style  = text-align:left;display:none;
 |1           = • Tim Slocum, Chairman 
 |2           = • David Schrumm
 |3           = • Thomas Ruocco
 |4           = • Andy Falvey
 |5           = • Peter Talbot
 |6           = • James Sima
 |7           = • Patti Flynn Harris
 |8           = • Sylvia Nichols 
 |9           = • Michael Ecke
}}
| unit_pref              = Imperial
| area_total_km2         = 86.4
| area_land_km2          = 85.6
| area_water_km2         = 0.8
| elevation_m            = 70
| elevation_ft           = 230
| population_total       = 28733
| population_as_of       = 2020
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_metro       =
| population_demonym     = Cheshirite
| population_note        =
| postal_code_type       = ZIP code
| postal_code            = 06410
| area_code              = [[Area codes 203 and 475|203/475]]
| website                = {{URL|www.cheshirect.org}}
| footnotes              =
| timezone               = [[North American Eastern Standard Time|EST]]
| utc_offset             = &minus;5
| timezone_DST           = [[Eastern Daylight Time|EDT]]
| utc_offset_DST         = &minus;4
| blank_name             = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info             = 09-14160
| blank1_name            = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info            = 0213406
}}
'''Cheshire''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|tʃ|ɛ|ʃ|ər}} {{respell|CHEH|shurr}}), is a town in [[New Haven County, Connecticut]], United States. At the time of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the population of Cheshire was 28,733.<ref name="Census 2010">{{Cite web |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0600000US0900914160 |title=Cheshire town, New Haven County, Connecticut |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=October 4, 2021 }}</ref> The town is part of the [[Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, Connecticut|Naugatuck Valley Planning Region]]. The [[center of population]] of Connecticut is located in Cheshire.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/reference/centersofpop/histstate/historical_cenpop_09.html|title=State Centers of Population 1880-2010: Connecticut|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 22, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150526130844/https://www.census.gov/geo/reference/centersofpop/histstate/historical_cenpop_09.html|archive-date=May 26, 2015}}</ref>

==History==
Cheshire, Connecticut was first settled in 1694 as part of [[Wallingford, Connecticut|Wallingford]]. It was then known as ''New Cheshire Parish.''<ref name=":0">{{cite book|author1=Joseph Perkins Beach|title=History of Cheshire, Connecticut, from 1649 to 1840, including Prospect, which, as Columbia parish, was a part of Cheshire until 1829;|publisher=Cheshire, Conn., Lady Fenwick chapter, D. A. R.|pages=590}}</ref> After many attempts in securing their independence from Wallingford, New Cheshire Parish was granted secession and was later incorporated as a town in May 1780 as ''Cheshire''.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Beach|first1=Joseph Perkins|title=textsHistory of Cheshire, Connecticut, from 1649 to 1840, including Prospect, which, as Columbia parish, was a part of Cheshire until 1829|date=1912|publisher=Lady Fenwick Chapter, D.A.R|location=Cheshire, Connecticut|page=174}}</ref> The name is a transfer from [[Cheshire]], in England.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Connecticut Magazine: An Illustrated Monthly|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qoEyAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA331|year=1903|publisher=Connecticut Magazine Company|page=331|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180427213546/https://books.google.com/books?id=qoEyAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA331|archive-date=April 27, 2018}}</ref>

[[Prospect, Connecticut|Prospect]] was formerly part of Cheshire before 1829, and was then known as ''Columbia Parish.''<ref name=":0" />

=== Preparedness shelter ===
Cheshire has a [[Cold War]]-era fallout shelter constructed in 1966, located underneath the local [[AT&T]] tower.<ref>{{cite web|title=Cheshire ATT|url=http://coldwar-ct.com/Home_Page_S1DO.html|website=Cold War CT|access-date=March 23, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160324083037/http://coldwar-ct.com/Home_Page_S1DO.html|archive-date=March 24, 2016}}</ref>

=== Cheshire home invasion and trial ===
During a July 23, 2007 [[home invasion]] in Cheshire (''see [[Cheshire, Connecticut, home invasion murders]]''), a mother and her two daughters were murdered, leaving the father of the family as the sole survivor. The incident and subsequent trial were covered extensively within local and state media and became culturally significant in Connecticut, having "upended notions of suburban security, delayed the abolition of Connecticut’s death penalty, and became the subject of TV shows, documentaries and books."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Collins |first1=Dave |title=Cheshire, Connecticut, home invasion murders, 10 years later |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/07/17/cheshire-connecticut-home-invasion-murders-10-years-later/483863001/ |access-date=April 5, 2024 |work=USA TODAY |date=July 17, 2017}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1820= 2230
|1850= 1626
|1860= 2407
|1870= 2344
|1880= 2284
|1890= 1929
|1900= 1989
|1910= 2560
|1920= 2855
|1930= 3263
|1940= 4352
|1950= 6295
|1960= 13383
|1970= 19051
|1980= 21788
|1990= 25684
|2000= 28543
|2010= 29261
|2020= 28733
|estyear=2021
|estimate=28628
}}
{{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 2020, there were 28,733 people, 10,169 households, and 7,562 families residing in the town.  The population density was {{convert|860|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 10,401 housing units at an average density of {{convert|291.4|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the town was 81.07% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 4.40% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.07% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 6.24% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.01% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 2.70% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 5.50% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 6.33% of the population. The largest ethnic groups in the town are Italian Americans and Irish Americans.

There were 10,169 households, out of which 23.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.8% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 19.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.64% were non-families. 21.39% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 19.4% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 20 to 24, 20.1% from 25 to 44, 33.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.6% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 46.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 113.9 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.3 males.

In 2019, the median household income was $120,546 and the per capita income was $52,013.<ref>{{Cite web|title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Cheshire town, New Haven County, Connecticut|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/cheshiretownnewhavencountyconnecticut/PST045219|access-date=July 2, 2020|website=www.census.gov|language=en}}</ref> About 1.6% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 3.1% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.

The central area of the town is a [[census-designated place]] identified as [[Cheshire Village, Connecticut|Cheshire Village]]. As of the 2020 census, Cheshire Village had a population of 6,499.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US0914200 |title=Cheshire Village CDP, Connecticut |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=October 4, 2021 }}</ref>

==Geography==

=== Environment ===
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|86.4|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|85.6|km2|order=flip}} is land and {{convert|0.8|km2|order=flip}}, or 0.89%, is water.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Cheshire town, New Haven County, Connecticut |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=September 26, 2012 }}</ref>

Cheshire is situated in the midst of several major cities of Connecticut. It lies {{convert|14|mi}} north of [[New Haven, Connecticut|New Haven]], {{convert|25|mi}} south of the capital [[Hartford, Connecticut|Hartford]], {{convert|30|mi}} northeast of [[Bridgeport, Connecticut|Bridgeport]], and [[Waterbury, Connecticut|Waterbury]] is adjacent to Cheshire.  Cheshire shares borders with [[Southington, Connecticut|Southington]] on the north and northeast, [[Meriden, Connecticut|Meriden]] on the northeast, [[Wallingford, Connecticut|Wallingford]] on the east, [[Hamden, Connecticut|Hamden]] on the south, [[Bethany, Connecticut|Bethany]] for a short distance on the southwest, [[Prospect, Connecticut|Prospect]] on the west, Waterbury on the northwest, and [[Wolcott, Connecticut|Wolcott]] on the northwest

===Climate===
{{Weather box
| location    = Cheshire, Connecticut
| single line = Y
| Jan high F = 35
| Feb high F = 39
| Mar high F = 47
| Apr high F = 59
| May high F = 70
| Jun high F = 78
| Jul high F = 83
| Aug high F = 81
| Sep high F = 74
| Oct high F = 63
| Nov high F = 52
| Dec high F = 41
| Jan low F = 15
| Feb low F = 18
| Mar low F = 26
| Apr low F = 36
| May low F = 46
| Jun low F = 56
| Jul low F = 61
| Aug low F = 59
| Sep low F = 51
| Oct low F = 39
| Nov low F = 31
| Dec low F = 22
| Jan precipitation inch = 4.64
| Feb precipitation inch = 3.61
| Mar precipitation inch = 4.38
| Apr precipitation inch = 5.52
| May precipitation inch = 4.64
| Jun precipitation inch = 4.74
| Jul precipitation inch = 4.59
| Aug precipitation inch = 4.78
| Sep precipitation inch = 4.84
| Oct precipitation inch = 4.18
| Nov precipitation inch = 4.41
| Dec precipitation inch = 4.24
| source 1 = <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/06410 |title=Monthly Averages for Cheshire, CT (06410) |publisher=Weather.com |access-date=March 19, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140720082645/http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/06410 |archive-date=July 20, 2014 }}</ref>
| date     = March 2012
}}

==Politics==

[[File:Cheshire Town Hall, Connecticut.jpg|thumb|Cheshire Town Hall]]
Cheshire's voters have [[split-ticket voting|split tickets]] frequently in recent statewide elections. In 2004, [[George W. Bush|President Bush]] won a narrow plurality over [[John Kerry]]. Bush had lost the town in his 2000 bid. In 2006 Cheshire voters gave strong support to Republican governor [[M. Jodi Rell]], independent U.S. Senate candidate [[Joe Lieberman]] and local Democratic House candidate [[Chris Murphy]], who defeated incumbent [[Nancy Johnson]].<ref>{{cite web |author=Enter your Company or Top-Level Office |url=http://www.sots.ct.gov/sots/cwp/view.asp?a=3179&Q=392194&SOTSNav_GID=1846 |title=SOTS: Election Results and Related Data |publisher=Sots.ct.gov |access-date=January 30, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101110081436/http://www.sots.ct.gov/sots/cwp/view.asp?a=3179&Q=392194&SOTSNav_GID=1846 |archive-date=November 10, 2010 }}</ref>  In the 2008 presidential election, the town's voters supported Democrat [[Barack Obama]] with 8,177 votes over Republican [[John McCain]] with 6,839 votes. Voting tallies for the 2016 presidential election are as follows: [[Hillary Clinton]] (D) 7,572, [[Donald Trump]] (R) 7,105, [[Gary Johnson]] (L) 538, and [[Jill Stein]] (G) 189.<ref>{{cite web|title=2016 Statement of Vote|url=https://authoring.ct.gov/-/media/SOTS/ElectionServices/StatementOfVote_PDFs/2016StatementofVotepdf.pdf|access-date=December 20, 2020|website=CT Secretary of State}}</ref>

Cheshire voted for Republican majorities to its board of selectmen every election from 1915 to 1971, and then to its town council every year from 1973 to 2001, when voters elected a Democratic majority (6–3) for the first time.  In 2003, a Republican majority (5–4) was elected.  A Democratic majority (5–4) was elected in 2005, then reelected (5–4) in 2007.  In the 2009 local elections, Cheshire voters ousted the Democratic majority on the town council and elected 8 Republicans and 1 Democrat, though due to local minority representation rules, only 7 Republicans were seated.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cheshireherald.com/node/1606 |title=GOP Wins In Landslide Fashion |publisher=The Cheshire Herald |date=November 5, 2009 |access-date=January 30, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708142431/http://www.cheshireherald.com/node/1606 |archive-date=July 8, 2011 }}</ref>
{| 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 20, 2020|website=CT Secretary of State}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Election Night Reporting|url=https://ctemspublic.pcctg.net/#/selectTown|access-date=December 20, 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}}|[[2024 United States presidential election|2024]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''54.9%''' ''9,930''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|43.5% ''7,498''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|2.0% ''345''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|[[2020 United States presidential election|2020]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''55.6%''' ''9,745''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|42.2% ''7,349''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|2.2% ''324''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|[[2016 United States presidential election|2016]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''49.2%''' ''7,572''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|46.1% ''7,105''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|4.7% ''727''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|[[2012 United States presidential election|2012]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''49.7%''' ''7,397''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|49.1% ''7,311''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|1.2% ''186''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|[[2008 United States presidential election|2008]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''53.9%''' ''8,177''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|45.1% ''6,839''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|1.0% ''146''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[2004 United States presidential election|2004]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|48.4% ''7,283''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''50.4%''' ''7,583''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|1.2% ''179''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|[[2000 United States presidential election|2000]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''49.1%''' ''6,977''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|45.8% ''6,507''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|5.1% ''672''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|[[1996 United States presidential election|1996]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''47.1%''' ''6,227''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|41.8% ''5,536''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|11.1% ''1,450''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1992 United States presidential election|1992]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|35.0% ''5,096''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''44.5%''' ''6,484''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|20.5% ''2,976''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1988 United States presidential election|1988]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|37.7% ''4,700''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''61.6%''' ''7,682''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|0.7% ''94''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1984 United States presidential election|1984]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|29.6% ''3,444''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''70.0%''' ''8,157''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|0.4% ''45''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1980 United States presidential election|1980]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|27.1% ''3,038''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''58.3%''' ''6,541''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|14.6% ''1,632''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1976 United States presidential election|1976]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|35.5% ''3,606''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''64.0%''' ''6,509''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|0.5% ''45''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1972 United States presidential election|1972]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|27.7% ''2,649''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''71.3%''' ''6,811''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|1.0% ''94''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1968 United States presidential election|1968]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|34.5% ''2,682''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''59.9%''' ''4,665''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|5.6% ''432''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|[[1964 United States presidential election|1964]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''51.2%''' ''3,470''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|48.8% ''3,305''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|0.00% ''0''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1960 United States presidential election|1960]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|36.2% ''2,269''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''63.8%''' ''4,001''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|0.00% ''0''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1956 United States presidential election|1956]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|20.3% ''1,008''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''79.7%''' ''3,962''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|0.00% ''0''
|}

==Arts and culture==

===Museums and other points of interest===
The [[Barker Character, Comic and Cartoon Museum]], located in the northern section of Cheshire, holds a large collection of memorabilia, novelties and ephemera such as lunch boxes and [[Pez dispenser]]s bearing the likenesses of characters from television, cartoons and comics.<ref>{{cite news |title=TRAVEL ADVISORY; The Golden Days Of Lunch Boxes and Pez |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=travel&res=990DEED8143DF934A35751C1A961958260 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 7, 1997 |access-date=March 23, 2007 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071210105738/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=travel |archive-date=December 10, 2007 }}</ref>

===National Register of Historic Places===
* [[Cheshire Historic District]] — Roughly bounded by Main Street, Highland Avenue, Wallingford Road, South Main, Cornwall, and Spring streets (added September 29, 1986)
* [[Farmington Canal|Farmington Canal Lock (Lock 12)]] — 487 N. Brooksvale Road (added March 16, 1973)
* [[First Congregational Church of Cheshire]] — 111 Church Drive (added March 16, 1973)
* [[Marion Historic District (Cheshire and Southington, Connecticut)|Marion Historic District]] (added December 21, 1988)
{{Panorama
|image = Cheshire_Historic_District_Connecticut.jpg
|height = 230
|caption = Left to right: Cheshire Town Hall, Congregational Church, Historical Society, and Civil War Memorial.
}}

==Parks and recreation==
[[File:Roaring_Brook_Falls.jpg|thumb|right|Roaring Brook Falls as seen in late October after substantial rainfall.]]
The [[Farmington Canal]] Heritage Trail, a popular non-motorized recreational trail, runs through Cheshire along its route between [[Suffield, Connecticut]], to the north and [[New Haven, Connecticut]], to the south.<ref name="ctdeep">{{cite web|title=Farmington Canal State Park Trail|url=http://www.ct.gov/DEEP/cwp/view.asp?a=2716&Q=479526|website=Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection|access-date=April 22, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160507183102/http://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?a=2716&q=479526|archive-date=May 7, 2016}}</ref>

The Hitchcock-Phillips House, a historic home, is located in town.

[[Roaring Brook Falls]] along the [[Quinnipiac Trail]] in the southwest corner of town is Connecticut's tallest single drop waterfall, and is owned by the Cheshire Land Trust.

Community parks and recreational facilities in town include:

*Cheshire Park, a 75-acre park geared towards active recreation<ref name="cheshire-parks">{{cite web|title=Parks and Recreation Areas|url=http://www.cheshirect.org/recreation-and-leisure/parks/|website=Cheshire: The Bedding Plant Capitol of Connecticut|publisher=Town of Cheshire, Connecticut|access-date=April 22, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160504063712/http://www.cheshirect.org/recreation-and-leisure/parks|archive-date=May 4, 2016}}</ref>
*Bartlem Recreational Area, a park with a playscape, skate park and picnic area.<ref name="cheshire-parks" />
*Mixville Recreation Area, offering winter sledding, swimming, and fishing at Mixville Pond<ref name="cheshire-parks" />
*Cheshire Community Pool, a swimming facility which was renovated in 2016 to offer a year-round, indoor pool.<ref name="nbc-pool">{{cite web|title=Raise the Roof! Cheshire Pool Reopening for Winter Swimming|url=http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/Raise-the-Roof-Cheshire-Pool-Reopening-for-Winter-Swimming-367964481.html|website=NBC Connecticut|date=February 7, 2016 |publisher=NBC Universal Media, LLC|access-date=April 22, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160425094714/http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/Raise-the-Roof-Cheshire-Pool-Reopening-for-Winter-Swimming-367964481.html|archive-date=April 25, 2016}}</ref>

==Education==

[[File:Public School building, Cheshire, Connecticut.jpg|thumb|Cheshire School Administration building]]
Cheshire, a part of [[Cheshire Public Schools]], is home to one public high school, [[Cheshire High School]], and one public middle school, Dodd Middle School.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cheshire.k12.ct.us/ |title=Cheshire Public Schools homepage |publisher=Cheshire.k12.ct.us |access-date=January 30, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101214211658/http://www.cheshire.k12.ct.us/ |archive-date=December 14, 2010 }}</ref> There are four public elementary schools: Chapman, Doolittle, Highland, and Norton Elementary.

There are also several private and alternative schools in the town, including [[Cheshire Academy]] (originally the [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopal]] Academy of Connecticut), which was founded in Cheshire in 1794 and currently educates students in the Upper School (grades 9–12/Post-Graduate Year). St. Bridgets is a Catholic school in Cheshire for grades preschool to 8th grade. Humiston is an alternative high school in Cheshire.

The [[Legion of Christ]], a [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] [[Religious institute|congregation]], runs their [[Novitiate and College of Humanities of the Legionaries of Christ|novitiate and college of humanities]] on a {{convert|200|acre|km2|adj=on}} complex on Oak Avenue. About 100 seminarians undergo two to four years of training for the priesthood there, including religious formation and classical humanities.

==Transportation==
[[File:I-691 in Cheshire CT.jpg|thumb|right|I-691 in Cheshire.]]
Transportation within Cheshire is largely by car. [[Interstate 691]] skirts the northern edge of the town.  [[Interstate 84 (east)|Interstate 84]] passes through the northwest part of the town. The main north–south artery is [[Connecticut Route 10]], a difficult passage that is busy, sometimes congested, and includes many stoplights.  There are two east–west routes: [[Connecticut Route 42|Route 42]] and [[Connecticut Route 68|Route 68]]/[[Connecticut Route 70|Route 70]]. Route 10 is by far the busiest road in Cheshire, with the worst Route 10 traffic occurring between Routes 68/70 and Route 42 every weekday during the morning commute, evening commute, and after the high school gets out at 2 pm. West Main Street and Main Street, Route 68/70 between Route 10 and Waterbury Road, is the next busiest road in town. The intersection of Route 10 and Route 68/70 is the busiest intersection in town. The second busiest intersection is the Cheshire High School and Route 10 intersection right before school starts and right after school ends.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ct.gov/dot/lib/dot/documents/dpolicy/policymaps/adt/dgn/025adt04.zip |title=DOT Files |access-date=August 23, 2007 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061215005920/http://www.ct.gov/dot/lib/dot/documents/dpolicy/policymaps/adt/dgn/025adt04.zip |archive-date=December 15, 2006 }}</ref>

The 229 line of [[Connecticut Transit New Haven]] which runs from Waterbury to New Haven travels through Cheshire on Routes 70 and 10.  A commuter express bus also runs from the commuter lot near Interstate 84 to Hartford.

==Prison system==
Cheshire is home to two large state prison facilities located in the northern section of town. The larger of these facilities is the [[Cheshire Correctional Institution]], which opened in 1913. In 1982, the Manson Youth Institution opened adjacent to the CCI. These prisons explain the city's skewed [[#Demographics|male/female ratios]]. The larger of these prisons is located across the street from Chapman Elementary School, separated by Route 10.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=chapman+elementary+school,+cheshire,+CT&ie=UTF8&ll=41.520523,-72.897688&spn=0.003334,0.00662&t=h&z=17 |title=chapman elementary school, cheshire, CT – Google Maps |publisher=Google Maps |date=January 1, 1970 |access-date=January 30, 2011}}</ref>

==Notable people==

{{More citations needed section|<ref>{{cite web|last1=CT Humanities|last2=UConn Digital Media Center|title=Amos Bronson Alcott Changes the Way Connecticut Children Learn|url=http://connecticuthistory.org/amos-bronson-alcott-changes-the-way-connecticut-children-learn/|access-date=January 23, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160129042843/http://connecticuthistory.org/amos-bronson-alcott-changes-the-way-connecticut-children-learn/|archive-date=January 29, 2016}}</ref> date=October 2012|date=January 2016}}
{{colbegin|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Amos Bronson Alcott]] (1799–1888), schoolmaster 
* [[Brad Ausmus]], professional baseball player and MLB manager<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=ausmubr01 |title= Brad Ausmus Stats |publisher= Baseball Almanac |access-date= October 30, 2012 |url-status= live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121022054320/http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=ausmubr01 |archive-date= October 22, 2012 }}</ref>
* [[Harvey C. Barnum, Jr.]], Medal of Honor recipient
* [[Henry Washington Benham]] (1813–1884), [[Union army]] general
* [[Chris Berman]], [[ESPN]] sportscaster
* [[Jay Bontatibus]], actor<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0095213/bio|title= Jay Bontatibus|publisher= IMDb|access-date= October 30, 2012|url-status= live|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130602070520/http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0095213/bio|archive-date= June 2, 2013}}</ref>
* [[Albert E. Burke]] (1919–1999), professor and pioneer of educational television
* [[Sabrina Cass]], Olympic skier
* [[John Chamberlain (journalist)|John Chamberlain]] (1903–1995), journalist
* [[Michael Chasen]], co-founder and CEO of ClassEDU and co-founder of [[Blackboard Inc.]]
* [[Sean Clements]], podcaster, producer. Famous for "Santaman" character
*[[Martha Coolidge]], film director<ref>[https://www.cwhf.org/inductees/martha-coolidge Martha Coolidge, Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame]</ref>
* [[Amos Doolittle]] (1754–1832), engraver of [[Battles of Lexington and Concord|Battle of Concord]] scenes
* [[Eliakim Doolittle]] (1772–1850), composer<ref>{{cite book|title=Eliakim Doolittle (1772&ndash;1850) and Timothy Olmsted (1759&ndash;1848): The Collected Works|series=Music of the New American Nation: Sacred Music from 1780 to 1820|editor1-first=Maxine|editor1-last=Fawcett-Yeske|editor2-first=Karl|editor2-last=Kroeger|editor2-link=Karl Kroeger|publisher=Routledge|year=2011|isbn=9781135623777|pages=xxi&ndash;xxiv|chapter=Introduction to this volume|volume=15}}</ref>
* [[George Henry Durrie]], painter
* [[Elizabeth Esty (politician)|Elizabeth Esty]], U.S. congresswoman
* [[Samuel A. Foot]] (1780–1846),  28th governor of Connecticut, United States representative and United States senator<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url= http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=f000247|title= FOOT, Samuel Augustus, (1780 - 1846)|dictionary= Biographical Directory of the United States Congress|access-date= October 30, 2012|url-status= live|archive-url= http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20121202165849/http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=F000247|archive-date= December 2, 2012}}</ref>
* [[Seabury Ford]] (1801–1855),  20th governor of Ohio<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.nga.org/cms/home/governors/past-governors-bios/page_ohio/col2-content/main-content-list/title_ford_seabury.html|title= Ohio Governor Seabury Ford|publisher= National Governors Association|access-date= October 30, 2012|url-status= live|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130617074300/http://www.nga.org/cms/home/governors/past-governors-bios/page_ohio/col2-content/main-content-list/title_ford_seabury.html|archive-date= June 17, 2013}}</ref>
* [[Matt Generous]], ice hockey defenseman
* [[James J. Greco]], businessman, lived in town from 1992 to 2011
* [[Sunil Gulati]], President of the United States Soccer Federation
* [[Peter Hitchcock (judge)|Peter Hitchcock]] (1781–1854), judge
* [[John Holmstrom]], cartoonist, writer
* [[Alan Hoskins]], CEO of Energizer
* [[Adam Kaloustian]], television producer
* [[John Frederick Kensett]] (1816–1872), painter<ref name="ct-history-jfk">{{cite web|title=John Frederick Kensett Illuminates the 19th-Century Landscape|url=http://connecticuthistory.org/john-frederick-kensett-illuminates-the-19th-century-landscape/|website=ConnecticutHistory.org|date=December 27, 2013 |publisher=Connecticut Humanities|access-date=April 28, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160616170903/http://connecticuthistory.org/john-frederick-kensett-illuminates-the-19th-century-landscape/|archive-date=June 16, 2016}}</ref>
* [[Brian Leetch]], ice hockey defenseman and Hockey Hall of Fame inductee
* [[Rollin Carolas Mallary]],  U.S. representative from Vermont<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url= http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=M000079|title= MALLARY, Rollin Carolas, (1784 - 1831)|dictionary= Biographical Directory of the United States Congress|access-date= October 30, 2012|url-status= live|archive-url= http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20121019092922/http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=M000079|archive-date= October 19, 2012}}</ref>
* [[Legs McNeil]], journalist, rock music historian
* [[J. P. Morgan]], businessman
* [[Anjul Nigam]], actor
* [[Marc Tyler Nobleman]], author
* [[Ron Palillo]], actor<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0657676/|title= Ron Palillo|publisher= IMDb|access-date= October 30, 2012|url-status= live|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120627175910/http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0657676/|archive-date= June 27, 2012}}</ref>
* [[Paul Pasqualoni]], athletic coach
* [[Molly Qerim]], television show host
* [[Lonnie Quinn]], meteorologist
* [[Ray Reckmack]], American football player
* [[Ramamurti Shankar]] physicist
* [[Edward Tufte]], professor
* [[Justin Tussing]], novelist
* [[Vijay Vaitheeswaran]], journalist
* [[James Van Der Beek]], actor <ref>{{citation |title= Watching 'Dawson's Creek'? Did you know James Van Der Beek is from Connecticut? |first= Lidia |last= Ryan |date= November 16, 2020 |work= [[Connecticut Post|CTpost.com]] |url= https://www.ctpost.com/entertainment/slideshow/Watching-Dawson-s-Creek-Did-you-know-James-Van-212800.php |access-date= December 24, 2020}}</ref>

{{colend}}

== See also ==
*{{Portal inline|Connecticut}}
{{Clear}}

== References ==

{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==

{{Commons category|Cheshire, Connecticut}}
*[http://www.cheshirect.org/ Town of Cheshire official website]
*[https://www.cheshirehistory.org/ Cheshire Historical Society]
*[http://www.cheshirelibrary.org/ Cheshire Public Library] – The library has a Cheshire/Connecticut history section and will answer genealogical and historical questions about Cheshire and environs.
*[http://www.cheshirecongregational.org/ First Congregational Church] – Host of the Annual Strawberry Festival and "mother church" to other congregations in the area and along the Eastern Seaboard. The church steeple is an official symbol of the town, as it is depicted on the town seal.
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070314043819/http://www.barkermuseum.com/Page.asp?PGNM=151 Barker Character, Comic and Cartoon Museum]
*[http://www.stpeterscheshire.org/ Saint Peter's Church]
*[https://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2011/snapshots/CS0914160.html/ Money Magazine 2011]
*[http://www.cheshirepedia.org/ Cheshirepedia] – Information on Cheshire's history and culture.
{{Cheshire, Connecticut}}
{{Connecticut}}
{{New Haven County, Connecticut}}
{{Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, Connecticut}}
{{New York metropolitan area}}

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[[Category:Cheshire, Connecticut| ]]
[[Category:Towns in New Haven County, Connecticut]]
[[Category:Towns in the New York metropolitan area]]
[[Category:Towns in Connecticut]]
[[Category:Towns in Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, Connecticut]]
[[Category:1694 establishments in the Thirteen Colonies]]