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63-458: Castle Craig, dedicated October 29, 1900 and given to the people of Meriden, Connecticut by Walter Hubbard is part of the 1,800-acre (7.3 km) Hubbard Park named after Hubbard. There are hiking trails to the tower (most notably the 62-mile (100 km) Metacomet Trail ) as well as Reservoir Road which is open for vehicular traffic from May 1 to October 31, 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Walkers and joggers are allowed use of this road 365 days of

126-551: A Republican and a former State Representative. Dana Miller was appointed the first city manager. The City Charter was last amended in 1994, giving the then largely ceremonial position of mayor more influence over city governance, including appointments to all boards and commissions and other positions within the appointing power of the City Council, as well as line-item veto over city budgets. The current mayor, Kevin Scarpati, became

189-568: A Russian czar before World War I, but never delivered, was reported to have been sold for US$ 287,500 in 2007. In 2008, a rare Handel lamp sold for US$ 85,000. On March 5–6, 2014 at Sotheby's in London, "Al Capone's cocktail shaker" made by the Meriden International Sterling Company ( c.  1932 ) achieved over 33 times its estimate with a sale price of GBP50,000 (US$ 83,250 on the day). Lastly, in 2014, at Sotheby's New York,

252-674: A corporation counsel, but only on the recommendation of the mayor, who at the time was Manny Santos. The Meriden Board of Education operates several public schools: Other schools in the area include the Catholic high schools Xavier High School (boys) and Mercy High School (girls) in neighboring Middletown. The private schools Cheshire Academy and Choate Rosemary Hall are in adjacent Cheshire and Wallingford respectively. The former St. Stanislaus Catholic K–8 School, established in 1897 by people who immigrated from Poland , closed in 2015. At one time The Meriden Daily Journal served as

315-500: A local newspaper, A large number of members of the Court of Common Council, together with other dignitaries attended an oyster roast in the shadow of the Tower. Westbound trolleys were crowded with citizens who used this form of transportation to bring them to the park area from where they had a long, arduous trek, on foot, to the Tower. There were also a number of persons who drove to the top of

378-709: A mountainous trap rock ridgeline that stretches from Long Island Sound to nearly the Vermont border. Notable peaks in Meriden include the Hanging Hills ( West Peak , East Peak , South Mountain , and Cathole Mountain ); Lamentation Mountain , Chauncey Peak , and Besek Mountain . Castle Craig , a city landmark for over a century, was constructed among the Hanging Hills in Hubbard Park . The Quinnipiac River courses through

441-578: A national radio program broadcast via CBS in Hollywood. The radio program featured many Hollywood actors and actresses of the time like Jimmy Stewart and Rosalind Russell. Over 200 programs were produced. In c.  1937–1945 , several Hollywood stars, including Judy Garland , Ginger Rogers and Barbara Stanwyck , endorsed the company's 1847 Rogers Bros. silverware in print advertisements in LIFE magazine. After World War II, in 1949–1950, The Silver Theatre

504-445: A population density of 2558 persons per square mile. There were 23,922 households (2009–2013). The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.10. Husband-wife households account for 41% of all households. The population under 5 years (2010) was 6.7%, under 18 years (2010) was 23.9%, and 65 years and over was 12.9%. The female population was 51.6% compared to the male population at 48.4% (2010). The racial makeup of

567-548: A rare Paul Lobel-designed coffee service ( c.  1934–1935 ) produced by the Wilcox Silver Plate Co. / International Silver Company sold for US$ 377,000. In 1939, Edwin Howard Armstrong , a network radio pioneer who invented FM radio , used West Peak in 1939 for the location of one of the first FM radio broadcasts. His original 70-foot-tall (21 m) radio mast still stands on the peak. Currently West Peak

630-587: A southwestern direction connecting to towns and cities like Wallingford , New Haven , and towards New York City. The parkway becomes the Berlin Turnpike (also Connecticut Route 15) on the northern end of Meriden. U.S. Route 5 passes through the city as North and South Broad Street. Meriden Transit Center is located in downtown Meriden on the New Haven–Springfield Line , which runs between cities of New Haven and Springfield via Hartford . It

693-575: Is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut , United States, located halfway between the regional cities of New Haven and Hartford . The city is part of the South Central Connecticut Planning Region . In 2020, the population of the city was 60,850. Meriden was originally a part of the neighboring town of Wallingford . It was granted a separate meetinghouse in 1727, became a town in 1806 with over 1,000 residents. Meriden

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756-505: Is celebrated with food, a parade, fireworks, and of course daffodils. The park is filled with these yellow flowers as the number continues to rise. Hubbard Park is transformed with a craft area with booths from different artists, food tent with live music, and games and rides. Shuttle busses are available throughout Meriden including Platt High School, Wilcox Technical School, the Westfield Mall, and downtown Meriden HUB. The Daffodil Festival

819-402: Is free admission for all. The Festival of Silver Lights is a special celebration with seasonal lights that are displayed throughout the park in the winter months. There are over 300 lighted displays throughout the park and over half a million lights are used. The lights include many forest animals, alligators, camels, the globe, a Christmas tree, and hanging snowflakes. Cars can travel through

882-514: Is home to six FM broadcast stations, including WNPR, WWYZ, WKSS, WDRC-FM, WMRQ-FM and WHCN. During World War II, factories in Meriden worked three shifts (24 hours/day). On March 8, 1944, the War Manpower Commission gave Meriden the designation as "National Ideal War Community", and Jimmy Durante and Glenn Miller entertained those at the ceremony. In addition to manufacturers that continued operations after World War II, starting in

945-616: Is nestled within the Hanging Hills, a dramatic trap rock mountain ridge overlooking the city of Meriden and the Quinnipiac River Valley 900 feet (274 m) below. Two of the peaks are located within the park, South Mountain at 767 feet (234 m), and East Peak , at 976 feet (297 m). West Peak , at 1,024 feet (312 m), is located just outside the park boundary to the west. Considered particularly scenic are Merimere Reservoir (punctuated with Mine Island) and Mirror Lake, nestled between South Mountain and East Peak. Portions of

1008-477: Is now called "Burying Ground 1720" (Google Maps: 41°31′22″N 72°47′16″W  /  41.522877°N 72.787707°W  / 41.522877; -72.787707 ) at the juncture of Dexter Avenue and Lydale Place. At the time the location was known as "Buckwheat Hill", and overlooked the salt-making estate for which Jerome had received a royal grant. Timothy Jerome's son, Samuel, is the great-great-grandfather of Jennie Jerome , Winston Churchill 's mother. In

1071-706: Is on the National Register of Historic Places. Although the plaque indicates that East Peak is "the highest point within 25 miles (40 km) of the coast from Maine to Florida," West Peak, just 2,000 feet (610 m) to the west, at 1,024 feet (312 m), is higher than both East Peak and the tower. Both East and West Peak are lower than a number of mountains in the Downeast coastal region of Maine . 41°33′23″N 72°50′07″W  /  41.5565°N 72.8354°W  / 41.5565; -72.8354 Hubbard Park (Meriden, Connecticut) Hubbard Park , located in

1134-413: Is served by CT Rail Hartford Line commuter rail service, as well as Amtrak Hartford Line , Northeast Regional , Valley Flyer and Vermonter intercity rail service. The Meriden, Waterbury and Connecticut River Railroad opened between Cromwell and Waterbury via Meriden in 1888–89. Passenger service west of Meriden to Waterbury ended in 1917, while Connecticut Company streetcars used

1197-652: The Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, and won the First place medal for plated wares. According to the Sotheby's auction house, "The publicity of the award and the impression the firm made on the fair's 8 million visitors was continued by the catalogues and other intensive marketing; by the end of the 1870s Meriden Britannia Co. was considered the largest silverware company in the world." A key design attributed to launching

1260-571: The Edward Miller & Co / Miller Company (1844–stopped manufacturing lighting c.  1980 ), the Charles Parker Company , Handel Company , and the Bradley & Hubbard Manufacturing Company (1852–1940), which also was widely known for producing metal-based products like decorative tables and andirons. For glassware, the companies included the C.F. Monroe Company (1892–1916). and

1323-538: The Hanging Hills of Connecticut , is a wooded, mountainous park located just outside the city center of Meriden, Connecticut . It comprises approximately 1,800 acres (7.3 km ) of carefully kept woodlands, streams, dramatic cliff faces, flower gardens, and the James Barry bandshell and picnic spots, as well as its showpiece, Mirror Lake. The park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places . Most of

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1386-739: The International Silver Company with corporate HQ in Meriden), Meriden earned the nickname "Silver City", due to the large number of silver manufacturers, and the International Silver Co. continued production until the early 1980s. Along with the silver companies, other producers of cutlery included the Meriden Cutlery Co. and Miller Bros. Cutlery. In 1876, the Meriden Britannia Company made significant efforts at

1449-948: The 1850s. The 1930s tea urn by Eliel Saarinen for the Wilcox Silver Plate Co. / International Silver Company , Meriden, is the one design exhibited most and most published in design books as an international Modern design icon. Some comparatively recent examples of Meriden designs in exhibitions include In pursuit of Beauty: Americans and the Aesthetic Movement at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York (1986–1987), and more recently, Modernism in American Silver: 20th century design (2005–2006) in Dallas, Miami Beach, and Washington, DC, which highlighted downtown Meriden and

1512-467: The 1970s through 2007, when intercity bus service ceased serving Meriden. Meriden is linked to the Connecticut Transit System, Connecticut's extensive public transit bus network. Three bus lines loop throughout the city of Meriden once per hour. The "B" bus route departs the Meriden railroad station for the southern terminus of Kohls Plaza, connecting for New Haven; the "A" bus route departs

1575-700: The 1970s with this designation. In 1965, the Miller Company addition on Center Street was completed. The black-and-white Modernist facade was designed by influential American architect Philip Johnson . On April 27, 1976, Jimmy Carter campaigned at city hall and the Latin American Society for the nomination of the Democratic Party for President of the United States. In 1981, the Ku Klux Klan

1638-630: The Eucharist . The headquarters of Eastern Mountain Sports is located in Meriden. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 24.1 square miles (62.5 km ), of which 23.8 square miles (61.5 km ) is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km ), or 1.66%, is water. Meriden is a showcase for a number of prominent peaks of the Metacomet Ridge ,

1701-592: The Meriden Flint Glass Company (1876–1892), Manning, Bowman & Co. (1849–1945) centered its production in Meriden, and into the early 20th century became a nationally known producer of small electrical appliances and chrome ware. Meriden was also the site of the production of Parker Brothers (guns) , widely-known and traded by firearms enthusiasts. From 1905 to 1918, the Meriden Firearms Co. manufactured small arms from 1905 to 1918. The stock

1764-664: The United States (1947–52). Substantial national media coverage reported on the exhibition. Painting toward architecture is considered one of the important art-design-architecture crossover exhibitions of the 20th century, tabling European influences for usage in the Post-World War II United States. In the 1950s, the Miller Company Collection of Abstract Art was privatized to "Mr & Mrs Burton Tremaine, Meriden, CT" and numerous artworks were lent to hundreds of exhibitions nationally and internationally into

1827-695: The area's role as an important center of Modernist silver production. In 19th century Modern (2011–2012) in Brooklyn, designs by the International Silver Company and the Napier Company , another Meriden manufacturer, were exhibited. In November 2016 – November 2017, the city's iconic Napier penguin cocktail shaker was in an exhibition at the Dallas Museum of Art; the Napier penguin was the lead image of

1890-423: The beautiful scenery and Mr. Hubbard's benevolence. During the afternoon, several group photographs were taken. Three cheers were given to Mr. Hubbard by the visitors. They were called for by Judge Wilbur F. Davis, who acclaimed Mr. Hubbard as the "first citizen of Meriden". A large flag was raised on the tower at noon by Contractor Quigley and as it floated to the breeze three rousing cheers were given. A plaque at

1953-483: The bottom of the tower reads as follows: Castle Craig Dedicated October 29. 1900 Castle Craig Tower stands 32 feet (9.8 m) high on 976-foot (297 m) east peak in Meriden's Olmsted designed Hubbard Park. It has the distinction of being the highest point within 25 miles (40 km) of the coast from Maine to Florida. Its design origins are clouded. Some say its native trap rock construction resembles Norman watchtowers on Europe's Rhine River while others claim it

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2016-399: The city in 2010 was 73.5% White , 9.7% Black or African American , 0.5% Native American , 2.1% Asian , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 10.7% from other races , and 3.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 28.9% of the population. In 2009–2013, 9.7% of the population was foreign-born. For 2009–2013, the median household income was $ 52,590. The per capita income for

2079-415: The city was $ 26,941. The median value of owner-occupied housing units was $ 188,400. The home ownership rate was 61.8%. The high school graduation or higher rate was 83.6% (age 25+) and the bachelor's degree or higher rate was 19.1% (age 25+), and 14.4% of people were below the poverty line. Until 1980, the city had a Mayor-Council ("strong mayor") structure. The last full-time strong mayor was Walter Evilia,

2142-482: The commission or commissioner, or the status of the design, or being in the sought-after Modernism style. For example, a painted glass and metal table lamp by Bradley and Hubbard, ( c.  1920 ) sold for US$ 14,950, doubling its estimate, at Christie's auction house in New York in 1999. Later, a 14-inch, International Silver Company cocktail shaker ( c.  1927 ) sold for US$ 21,600 tripling its estimate, at Christie's in New York in 2005. A Parker gun made for

2205-609: The community newspaper. Currently the Meriden Record Journal serves the communities of Meriden, Wallingford, Cheshire , and Southington and is located on South Broad Street by the Wallingford town line. The city of Meriden is located on Interstate 91 , which provides access to Hartford , Springfield , and New Haven . Interstate 691 provides access to Interstate 84 and connects to points west like Waterbury . The Wilbur Cross Parkway (Connecticut Route 15) travels in

2268-522: The company and the town's international name was the Buffalo Hunt with a smaller edition in the White House collection, Washington, DC. For some time the original Buffalo Hunt sculpture went missing, and in a shocking report by Bailey Wright in 2018, it was learned that it was recently 'missing' actually in Meriden. For lamps and metalware, the companies with national and international markets included

2331-457: The land was given to the town by Walter Hubbard, president of the Bradley & Hubbard Manufacturing Company. In his donation, the land was given outright, with the stipulation that everything connected with the park was to remain free of charge for the people of Meriden, and that no concessions for profit were ever allowed within the park area. Hubbard spent a great deal of time and energy creating

2394-475: The later 1940s, the Miller Company, Burton Tremaine, Sr. and Emily Hall Tremaine firmly put Meriden on the international, 20th century art/design map. In December 1947, Meriden became known once again as a site of design innovation, now with Modern art, via the Miller Company Collection of Abstract Art and the organization of a Painting toward architecture exhibition which opened at Hartford's Wadsworth Atheneum and later travelled to venues in 27 venues across

2457-601: The line between Meriden and Middletown until 1931. A portion of the line in Meriden remained in use for freight until 1976. Beginning in 1784, Meriden had a stop on the New Haven-Hartford Stage Coach on Route 5 near the intersection of East Main Street. Years later, the same stop served as the bus stop for Greyhound and Peter Pan buses. Meriden had four daily departures to/from Hartford/ Boston , and four daily departures to/from New Haven/New York City daily from

2520-511: The mountain in their own carriages. At two o'clock, it was estimated that approximately 250 guests were in attendance. Their genial host, Mr. Hubbard, had provided six barrels of clams. These were roasted over a big fire under the direction of C.W.F. Pardee of the Winthrop Hotel and P.J. Quigley, a local contractor, with the assistance of twelve men. The Tower itself was the center of attraction and nearly everyone had something to say concerning

2583-501: The needs of the silver industry. With the wealth of entrepreneurs during this time, several mansions and houses of note were built, particularly on Broad Street. Of political and historical note, on March 7, 1860, Abraham Lincoln spoke in Meriden seeking the Republican presidential nomination. For public places, Hubbard Park in the Hanging Hills was financed by Walter Hubbard (of the Bradley & Hubbard company). The design for

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2646-472: The noted art collector that partly worked in Meriden, before her death, with three focus areas: learning disabilities, the arts, and the environment. The offices were located in downtown Meriden. In c.  2010 , the foundation offices were relocated to New Haven, near Yale University. The Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist have their mother house in Meriden, as do the Franciscan Brothers of

2709-495: The park and be mesmerized by the beauty of the night and lights. The Hanging Hills of Meriden are part of the Metacomet Ridge , which is nearly continuous from Belchertown, Massachusetts , to Branford, Connecticut . The hanging Hills were formed by volcanic activity 200 million years ago during the rifting apart of North America from Eurasia . Two major lava flows covered the red sandstone valley in Meriden. Each cooled and hardened into trap rock (also known as basalt) and

2772-562: The park extend into neighboring Berlin and Southington . Hubbard Park is a popular outdoor recreation destination. The park is crossed by a number of hiking trails, most notably the 51-mile (82 km) blue-blazed Metacomet Trail (maintained by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association), which traverses East Peak and West peak the park. Trails are open to hiking , backcountry skiing ; roads are open to bicycling and mountain biking . Swimming and rock climbing are prohibited. From

2835-579: The park was originally conceived by Hubbard in consultation with the Olmsted Brothers, sons of Frederick Law Olmsted , America's foremost landscape architect. In 1900, Castle Craig on a peak was dedicated in the park. In 1903, the Curtis Memorial Library , across from Meriden's city hall, was opened. From 1937 until 1947, the International Silver Company sponsored the Silver Theater ,

2898-467: The park. He personally spent between $ 400,000 and $ 500,000 to clear land, build roads, and construct Mirror Lake with the help of Frederick Law Olmsted , who is best known for designing New York City 's Central Park . Hubbard built a tower on East Peak, known as Castle Craig , named after an ancient castle in Scotland. While others say it resembles Norman Watchtowers on Europe's Rhine River. Hubbard Park

2961-721: The rail station for the northern terminus of Meriden Square with connections to New Britain and Hartford; and the east/west "C" bus travels along East Main and West Main Streets, with a handful of departures to Middletown and Waterbury. Meriden Markham Municipal Airport is the city-owned airport, located 3 miles (4.8 km) south of the city center on the border of South Meriden and Yalesville , and serves private and charter planes. Bradley International Airport ( BDL ) in Windsor Locks and Tweed New Haven Airport ( HVN ) in East Haven are

3024-475: The second half of the 1800s, Meriden became a manufacturing center of note, with several companies forming, or relocating to the city, involved in the production of mainly silver, lamps and metalware, glassware, guns, and musical instruments. A substantial number of design and technology patents were secured. For silver, the numerous companies included the Meriden Britannia Company (a predecessor of

3087-811: The show. In summer 2017 alone, historical Meriden area design was exhibited in museum shows in at least Dallas, Newark, at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Cooper-Hewitt Smithsonian Museum in New York, the Gemeentemuseum in The Hague, The Netherlands, and the KunstHalle in Berlin, Germany. With this level of attention, some special design objects from the era have become sought-after collectors items also at auction, sometimes due to their association with

3150-452: The site of a variety of local festivals and concerts, most notably the spring Daffodil Festival . Castle Craig is open to the public in season. A park road (open from May 1 through October 31 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ) traverses the park. The Daffodil Festival began in 1978 as a way for the community to come together in the springtime. Held every last weekend in April, the festival

3213-562: The southwest quadrant of the city, known to area residents as "South Meriden", where it meanders through a gorge lined with several exposed sandstone and brownstone cliffs. Harbor Brook (originally named Pilgrim Harbor Brook) cuts through the town from the northeast to the southwest before emptying into Hanover Pond, an impoundment on the Quinnipiac River in South Meriden. As of the 2010 census, there were 60,868 people in Meriden, with

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3276-508: The top of Castle Craig it is possible to see most of the Quinnipiac Valley region, Long Island Sound, and the distant higher peaks of southern New England. East Peak is often cited as the highest mountain within 25 miles (40 km) of the coastline from Cadillac Mountain in Maine to Florida , however, nearby West Peak is higher. The park also features a bandshell and flower gardens and is

3339-576: The tower's design has been disputed for years. Some say Walter Hubbard, a world traveler, was inspired by a Norman French tower; others by a 12th Century Turkish tower on the Danube ; still others maintain that it was patterned upon an ancient tower in Craigellachie, Scotland . On October 29, 1900 dedicatory exercises were held at which Mr. Hubbard formally presented the Tower to the City of Meriden. According to

3402-634: The two companies is the Pianola Museum in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.) Meriden also was an important site for graphic arts innovation. In 1888, the Meriden Gravure Company (in Meriden 1888–1989) was founded by Charles Parker and James F. Allen, and continued a previous printing operation by Parker. The company developed an expertise in high quality image reproduction, which initially was driven by

3465-403: The urging of newly elected mayor, Manny Santos, plaintiffs sued to remove appointees of boards and commissions and corporation counsel. Ultimately, the ruling by the state Supreme Court to vacate the appointments followed that of a lower court order. The appointments had been made by former mayor, Michael Rohde. In its ruling, the court noted, per the city charter, that the city council can appoint

3528-426: The year during normal park operating hours which is basically sunrise to sunset. From the top of the observation tower, 1,002 feet (305 m) elevation, it is possible to see New Haven and Long Island Sound 25 miles (40 km) to the south. To the west, the foothills of the Berkshires are visible; to the north, the Hartford skyline as well as the summit of Mount Tom in Massachusetts . The inspiration for

3591-426: The youngest popularly-elected mayor in the city's history, winning the 2015 election race by 78 votes against mayor Manny Santos, who had been the first Republican elected as mayor in nearly 30 years (the last being Walter Evilia). In 2018, Manny Santos ran an unsuccessful election for U.S. Congress in the 5th Congressional House District . The city gained notoriety in government and political circles when in 2014, at

3654-494: Was brought to television and broadcast on CBS, also with the International Silver Company as the sponsor. Guest stars included Eva Gabor , Kim Hunter , and Burgess Meredith . A few thousand designs from this manufacturing era from Meriden are in museums and historical societies across the United States and into Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Design objects from this era from Meriden have also been included in over 200 national and international exhibitions and expositions since

3717-553: Was gradually covered by sand and mud which eroded from the surrounding hills. Once the volcanic activity stopped, the whole region fractured and tilted to the west. Since then, hundreds of feet of the softer sandstone bedrock have eroded from the valley, leaving the dense, hard volcanic trap rock ridge layers standing out far above the surrounding landscape. [REDACTED] Media related to Hubbard Park (Meriden, Connecticut) at Wikimedia Commons Meriden, Connecticut Meriden ( / ˈ m ɛər ə d ɪ n / MAIR -ə-din )

3780-469: Was incorporated as a city in 1867, with just under 9,000 residents. It was once proposed as the Connecticut state capital. It was named for the village of Meriden, West Midlands , England, near Birmingham. The oldest house in town still standing, built by Solomon Goffe in 1711, became a museum in 1986. The building is the Solomon Goffe House . The grave of Winston Churchill's great-great-great maternal grandfather, Timothy Jerome, can be seen today at what

3843-468: Was modeled and named after an ancient castle in Scotland. Meriden industrialist Walter Hubbard donated the tower and the surrounding park, which a grateful Meriden named after him. The tower is one of the highlights of the 1,800-acre (7.3 km) park from its observation deck. Looking south one can observe Long Island Sound and on a clear day, the outline of Long Island itself. To the north, Southern Massachusetts Berkshire Hills come into view. Hubbard Park

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3906-413: Was owned by Sears, Roebuck & Company . Internationally known companies Wilcox and White and the Aeolian Company were involved in the production of musical instruments north of the downtown area at Tremont and Cambridge Streets. The Aeolian Company grew quickly forming production sites in other places and developed a music hall in New York. (The largest holder today of instruments and music rolls by

3969-410: Was present in Meriden, holding various rallies in the first half of the year. At these rallies, Connecticut State Police would protect the KKK from anti-KKK protestors. At a March 21, 1981, rally, where the KKK was showing support for a police officer who killed a Black person, protestors threw rocks at the KKK. Two protesters were injured. In 1987, the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation was founded by

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