Editing Preston, Connecticut

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                            = Preston, Connecticut
| official_name                   = Town of Preston
| settlement_type                 = [[New England town|Town]]
| image_skyline                   = Preston City Congregational Church, Preston CT.jpg
| image_caption                   = Preston City Congregational Church
| image_flag                      = 
| image_seal                      = PrestonCTSeal.jpg
| image_map                       = {{switcher|[[File:New London County Connecticut Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Preston Highlighted 2010.svg|250px|frameless|alt=Preston's location within New London County and Connecticut]]|&nbsp;[[New London County, Connecticut|New London County]] and Connecticut|[[File:Southeastern Connecticut incorporated and unincorporated areas Preston highlighted.svg|250px|frameless|alt=Preston's location within the Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region and the state of Connecticut]]|&nbsp;[[Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut|Southeastern 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=Q2446061}}###{{coord|qid=Q779}}###{{coord|41|31|N|72|0|W}}|zoom=SWITCH:10;6;3|type=SWITCH:shape-inverse;point;point|marker=city|stroke-width=2|stroke-color=#000000|id2=SWITCH:Q2446061;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=Preston;Connecticut;the United States}}
| coordinates                     = {{coord|41|31|N|72|0|W|region:US-CT|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type                = Country
| subdivision_name                = {{flag|United States}}
| subdivision_type1               = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1               = {{flag|Connecticut}}
| subdivision_type2               = [[County (United States)|County]]
| subdivision_name2               = [[New London County, Connecticut|New London]]
| subdivision_type3               = [[Councils of governments in Connecticut|Region]]
| subdivision_name3               = [[Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut|Southeastern CT]]
| established_title               = Incorporated
| established_date                = 1687
| government_type                 = [[Board of selectmen|Selectman-town meeting]]
| leader_title                    = First selectman
| leader_name                     = Sandra L. Allyn-Gauthier (D)
| leader_title2                   = Selectman
| leader_name2                    = Gerald W. Grabarek (D)
| leader_title3                   = Selectman
| leader_name3                    = Kenneth L. Zachem (R)
| unit_pref                       = Imperial
| area_total_km2                  = 82.4
| area_total_sq_mi                = 31.8
| area_land_km2                   = 80.0
| area_land_sq_mi                 = 30.9
| area_water_km2                  = 2.2
| area_water_sq_mi                = 0.9
| elevation_m                     = 54
| elevation_ft                    = 177
| population_total                = 4788
| population_as_of                = 2020
| population_density_km2          = auto
| 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                     = 06365
| area_code                       = [[Area codes 860 and 959|860/959]]
| blank_name                      = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info                      = 09-62150
| blank1_name                     = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info                     = 0213492
| website                         = {{URL|www.preston-ct.org}}
| footnotes                       = 
}}
'''Preston''' is a [[New England town|town]] in [[New London County, Connecticut]], United States. The town is part of the [[Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut|Southeastern Connecticut planning region]]. Its population was 4,788 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="Census 2020">{{Cite web| url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0600000US0901162150| title=Census - Geography Profile: Preston town, New London County, Connecticut| publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]| access-date=December 20, 2021}}</ref> The town includes the villages of Long Society, [[Preston City, Connecticut|Preston City]], and [[Poquetanuck, Connecticut|Poquetanuck]].

==History==
In 1686, Thomas Parke, Thomas Tracy, and several others petitioned for and were granted by the Connecticut General Court authority to establish a plantation seven miles square to the east of [[Norwich, Connecticut|Norwich]] and north of [[New London, Connecticut|New London]] and [[Stonington, Connecticut|Stonington]].  Owaneco, son of the [[Mohegan]] ''sachem ''[[Uncas]], gave a confirmatory [[deed]] for the land in 1687.  In October of that same year, the town was formally incorporated as Preston, named for the English city of [[Preston, Lancashire]].<ref>F.M. Caulkins, ''History of Norwich'', (Thomas Robinson, 1845)</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=The Connecticut Magazine: An Illustrated Monthly|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qoEyAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA334|year=1903|publisher=Connecticut Magazine Company|page=334}}</ref>

Early trades in the area included shoemaking, metalsmithing, shipbuilding, and brickmaking.<ref name=CH-P>[https://connecticuthistory.org/towns-page/preston/ Connecticut History: Preston], accessed November 5, 2017.</ref>

The Ecclesiastical Society of Preston was first organized in 1698, with the first meetinghouse located in present-day Preston City.  At the request of residents in the northern part of Preston (now the town of [[Griswold, Connecticut|Griswold]]), the North Society was established in 1716.  A splinter group, the Separate Church of Preston, was established in 1747 and continued until 1817.  The Preston City Baptist Church (now the Preston City Bible Church) was established in 1812.<ref>Connecticut Colony Public Records, Vol. IV</ref><ref>Preston. First Congregational Church. ''The Bicentennial Celebration''</ref> The town of Griswold separated from the town of Preston in 1815.<ref name=PfG>{{cite web|url=http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=9162|title=Profile for Griswold, Connecticut|publisher=[[ePodunk]]|access-date=April 29, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ | title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States | publisher=Govt. Print. Off. | author=Gannett, Henry | year=1905 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n144 145]}}</ref>

On August 4, 1954, an Air France Lockheed L-1049C [[Super Constellation]] flying from [[Orly Airport]], Paris, to [[Idlewild Airport]], New York City, crash-landed in a farm field in Preston, with no casualties.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1954/08/04/archives/all-37-on-paris-airliner-safe-in-fiery-connecticut-crash-passengers.html|title=All 37 on Paris Airliner Safe In Fiery Connecticut Crash; Passengers and Crew Escape Death in Crash Landing of Big Air France Transport|first=Peter|last=Kihss|work=The New York Times |date=August 4, 1954|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref>

Preston has a large number of properties on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Preston City Historic District and the Long Society Meeting House.<ref name=CH-P />

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|31.8|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|0.9|sqmi|km2|abbr=on}}, or 2.71%, is covered by water.

===Principal communities===
Three distinct settlements were in the town when it was first established:<ref name=AboutPreston>[http://www.preston-ct.org/html/about_preston___.html About Preston] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091007163526/http://www.preston-ct.org/html/about_preston___.html |date=October 7, 2009 }}, Town of Preston website, accessed September 9, 2009</ref>
*[[Long Society Meetinghouse|Long Society]]
*[[Preston City, Connecticut|Preston City]]
*[[Poquetanuck, Connecticut|Poquetanuck]]

Other minor communities and geographic locations in the town are [[Hallville Mill Historic District|Hallville]], Happyland, and Preston Plains.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1820= 1899
|1850= 1842
|1860= 2092
|1870= 2161
|1880= 2523
|1890= 2555
|1900= 2807
|1910= 1917
|1920= 2743
|1930= 3928
|1940= 4206
|1950= 1775
|1960= 4992
|1970= 3593
|1980= 4644
|1990= 5006
|2000= 4688
|2010= 4726
|2020= 4788
|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, 4,688 people, 1,837 households, and 1,359 families were residing in the town.  The population density was {{convert|151.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The 1,901 housing units had an average density of {{convert|61.5|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The [[Race (United States Census)|racial makeup]] of the town was 95.63% White, 0.75% African American, 0.83% ative American, 1.15% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.51% from other races, and 1.11% from two or more races. [Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 1.39% of the population.

Of the 1,837 households, 30.3% had children under 18 living with them, 62.9% were married couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.0% were not families. About 21.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 or older.  The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 4.95.

In the town, the age distribution was 22.4% under 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 28.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 or older.  The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.1 males.  For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 100.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $54,942, and for a family was $62,554. Males had a median income of $44,053 versus $28,226 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $24,752.  About 1.6% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 1.5% of those under  18 and 5.5% of those 65 or over.

==Education==

According to the [[Preston Historical Society (Connecticut)|Preston Historical Society]], "Schools were built in 'districts' to serve the local children, until two central schools, one on Poquetanuck and one in Preston City, were built between 1938 and 1940."<ref name=AboutPreston/> Currently, public education in Preston is administered by Preston Public Schools, which operates the Preston Veterans' Memorial School (prekindergarten to grade 5) and the Preston Plains Middle School (grades 6–8). For high school, students go to multiple school districts of surrounding towns, including the [[Norwich Free Academy]], Ledyard High School, Grasso Tech, Norwich Tech, Saint Bernard High School, Marine Science Magnet High School, and Science and Tech Magnet High School in New London.

==Notable locations==
* [[Strawberry Park]] is located within Preston.
* [[Pachaug State Forest]]
* [[Amos Lake (Connecticut)|Amos Lake]]
* [[Foxwoods Resort Casino]] is located just outside of Preston.

===On the National Register of Historic Places===

* [[Hallville Mill Historic District]] – Hallville Road, Hall's Mill Road, and [[Route 2A (Connecticut)|Route 2A]] on Hallville Pond (added September 22, 1996)
* [[Long Society Meetinghouse]] was built in 1819 on the site of an earlier meetinghouse and added to the register in 1976.
* [[Poquetanuck Village Historic District]] – roughly along Main Street between [[Route 117 (Connecticut)|Route 117]] and Middle Road and along School House and Cider Mill Road (added September 22, 1996)
* [[Preston City Historic District]] – Amos and Old Shetucket Roads, Northwest Corner Road, and [[Route 164 (Connecticut)|Route 164]] (added August 31, 1987)

==Notable people==
{{More citations needed section|date=October 2012}}
*[[Nathan Belcher]] (1813–1891), lawyer, Connecticut state senator, and [[United States House of Representatives|US congressman]], born in Preston
*[[Jonathan Brewster (colonist)|Jonathan Brewster]] (1593–1659), buried in Preston
*[[Isaac E. Crary]] (1804–1854), the first elected congressman from the state of Michigan, born in Preston<ref>{{cite web|url= http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=C000882|title=CRARY, Isaac Edwin, (1804 - 1854)|publisher= Biographical Directory of the United States Congress|access-date= October 10, 2012}}</ref>
*[[William Howard Doane]] (1831–1915), industrialist and composer
*[[Beriah Green]] (1795–1874), abolitionist and author born in Preston
*[[Clarence Ellis Harbison]] (1885–1960), animal psychologist who lived his later life and died in Preston
*[[John Haskell Hewitt]] (1835–1920), [[classical scholar]] and professor born in Preston
*[[George D. Prentice]] (1802–1870), controversial newspaper editor born in town
*[[Henry Brewster Stanton]] (1805–1887), abolitionist, social reformer and husband of [[Elizabeth Cady Stanton]]; born in town
*[[George A. Starkweather]] (1794–1879), congressman for New York, born in Preston
*[[Henry H. Starkweather]] (1826–1876), postmaster and congressman born in Preston
*[[Joseph Steward]] (1753–1822), artist who studied and lived in Preston
*Ann Story (1735-1817), local revolutionary war heroine born in Preson<ref>Preston Connecticut Vital Records, volume 1, page 109 (birth), and Preston Connecticut Vital Records, volume 1, page 76 (parents' marriage)</ref>

==References==

{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Connecticut}}
*[http://www.preston-ct.org/ Town of Preston official website]

{{Connecticut}}
{{New London County, Connecticut}}
{{Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Preston, Connecticut| ]]
[[Category:Towns in New London County, Connecticut]]
[[Category:Towns in Connecticut]]
[[Category:Populated places on the Thames River (Connecticut)]]
[[Category:Towns in Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut]]