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84-623: Surowiecki was born in Meriden, Connecticut , and spent several childhood years in Mayagüez , Puerto Rico , where he received a junior high-school education from Southwestern Educational Society (SESO). He is a 1984 graduate of Choate Rosemary Hall and a 1988 alumnus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , where he was a Morehead Scholar . Surowiecki pursued PhD studies in American history on

168-478: A Mellon Fellowship at Yale University from 1988 to 1995, but did not complete his studies and did not receive a doctoral degree. In 1995, he founded the now-defunct e-magazine Rogue and began a career in journalism. He lives in New Haven , Connecticut , and is married to Slate culture editor Meghan O'Rourke . Surowiecki's writing has appeared in a wide range of publications, including The New York Times ,

252-551: 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

336-568: 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,

420-674: 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

504-709: 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

588-578: 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

672-412: A photograph from 1879 shows a garland that would have originally enclosed a cross on top of the monument, like the one at Hockwold cum Wilton . The garland was lost between 1879 and 1885. The cross was originally located in the old centre of the village, where the road initially came in from Berkswell before the junction was straightened in 1785. The monument was moved to the village green in 1822. It

756-445: 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

840-548: 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

924-587: 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

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1008-575: 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

1092-523: Is home to a memorial obelisk dedicated to the cyclists who died in the First World War . National cycling organisations commemorate these deaths with an annual mid-May service on the green. The 30-foot (9-metre) grey granite memorial originally cost £1,100 and was unveiled on 21 May 1921 in the presence of over 20,000 cyclists. The village's own war memorial is at the Berkswell Road turn-off from

1176-514: 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

1260-583: Is located close to the North Warwickshire district border within a green belt of the countryside known as the Meriden Gap and is in the ecclesiastical parish of the Diocese of Coventry . The village is 7.5 miles (12 kilometres) east-northeast of Solihull , 7 miles (11 kilometres) west-northwest of Coventry and 12 miles (19 kilometres) east-southeast of Birmingham city centre. It was known as " Alspath " in

1344-530: Is now Walsh Hall, whose effigy resides in the parish church. After the death in 1460 of Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham , the previous owner of Maxstoke Castle, at the Battle of Northampton , an inquisition was held in Alspath to determine the heirs and liabilities for his estates. By the late 15th century the overlord of Alspath/Meriden was Thomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby . Queen Elizabeth I stayed at

1428-477: 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

1512-480: Is of 20th-century origin. There are pictures of an earlier 19th century siting in the centre of the nave. To the right, where his chantry was located is John Wyard, a late 14th century man at arms (never knighted) who was part of the retinue for the then Beauchamp Earl of Warwick. The effigy to the left represents Sir Thomas Bottiler who died at the Battle of Northampton (at the same time as the 1st Duke of Buckingham. On

1596-413: 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

1680-511: The Wall Street Journal , The Motley Fool , Foreign Affairs , Artforum , Wired , MIT Technology Review , and Slate . Before joining The New Yorker , he wrote “The Bottom Line” column for New York magazine and was a contributing editor at Fortune . He got his start on the Internet when he was hired from graduate school by Motley Fool co-founder David Gardner to be

1764-652: 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

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1848-574: The Cyclists' Touring Club . The parish church of St. Laurence was built on the site of a simple Saxon church, dedicated to St. Edmund , erected on her own land by Lady Godiva —the wife of Leofric, Earl of Mercia in the years prior to the Norman conquest. The present church was built in several stages. The nave and two-thirds of the chancel were finished by the late 12th century—late Norman —and were probably built as an expiation for sins committed during

1932-677: The Domesday Book . The village gives its name to the Meriden parliamentary constituency , which was created in 1955 and covers the Meriden Gap. In the 2011 Census, the population of the Meriden parish was 2,719. The population is estimated to have risen to 3,096 by 2017. The area has been occupied since the Stone Age , as evidenced by flints in the Blythe valley. Bronze Age swords have also been found in Meriden. In 43 AD, nearby Corley Rocks marked

2016-571: 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

2100-739: 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

2184-948: 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

2268-467: 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

2352-700: 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

2436-630: 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 ,

2520-470: The Fool's editor-in-chief of its culture site on America Online, entitled "Rogue" (1995–1996). As The Motley Fool closed that site down and focused on finance, Surowiecki made the switch over to become a finance writer, which he did over the succeeding three years, including being assigned to write the Fool's column on Slate from 1997 to 2000. In 2002, Surowiecki edited an anthology, Best Business Crime Writing of

2604-906: The Heath". Following the Norman Conquest , the overlordship of Alspath/Meriden passed successively through the hands of the Earls of Chester (1080), the Segrave family (1220), the Mowbray Earls of Norfolk (late 14th century), the Stanley Earls of Derby (1468/1501), and the Earls of Aylesford (1784). Of the Lords of the Manor owing fealty to those overlords, two in particular who contributed to events in English history or to

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2688-575: The Kingmaker , Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick . The escape of the powerful Marcher lord, Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March, one of only two escapes from the Tower of London in its history, involves a critical Meriden connection. Constable Stephen Segrave and Deputy Constable of the Tower Gerard Alspath were Overlord and Lord of the Manor of Meriden/Alspath, respectively. Gerard was implicated in

2772-592: 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

2856-477: The Meriden main road, opposite the pool. It takes the form of a wayside shrine with a crucified Jesus and is located on the land donated by Letitia Banks, heiress of Meriden Hall and wife of Captain Edward Banks. Edward Banks was the first WWI death from the village, due to friendly fire at the Battle of St Julien in 1915. He is commemorated in a stained glass window in the church. From 1941 until 1983, Meriden

2940-664: 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

3024-678: The Year , a collection of articles from different business news sources that chronicle the fall from grace of various CEOs . In 2004, he published The Wisdom of Crowds , in which he argued that, in some circumstances, large groups exhibit more intelligence than smaller, more elite groups, and that collective intelligence shapes business, economies, societies and nations. In an article in the Huffington Post in November 2013, Internet entrepreneur and researcher Neil Seeman drew on social media trends over

3108-695: 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

3192-544: The bottom of Meriden Hill became a turnpike in 1723. Thomas Telford renovated the whole route to Holyhead in 1810, lowering Meriden Hill and thus bypassing the Queen's Head Pub and the 'Old Road'. This 'Telford road' remained the main Coventry to Birmingham Road until 1958, when the village was bypassed by the A45 dual carriageway. The old, narrow road past the Queen's Head is the site of

3276-399: 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

3360-415: 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,

3444-517: The civil war between Stephen and Matilda by Ivo de Alspath. St Mary's Priory , Coventry, and the Benedictine Priory at Monk's Kirby near Rugby being two notable targets of his overlord, the Earl of Chester's, raiding parties—the earl having remained aloof from taking sides and instead forming marauding bands to raid, pillage and to pocket crown taxes. The chancel was extended in the 13th century, and

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3528-618: The closest commercial airports to Meriden. Since 1975, the Meriden Hall of Fame organization has issued recognitions. In the Meriden City Hall, plaques pay tribute to the inductees. Meriden, West Midlands Meriden is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull , West Midlands , England. Historically , it is part of Warwickshire and lies between the cities of Birmingham and Coventry . It

3612-506: The co-operative eventually closed in August 1983, the factory being demolished the following year. A new company, Triumph Motorcycles Ltd was established in 1984, and moved to Hinckley , Leicestershire , in 1988. A housing development was built on the site of the Triumph motorcycle factory at Meriden, now known as Millisons Wood, up the hill out of the main village. Road names on the estate include Triumph motorcycle model names Bonneville Close and Daytona Drive. A plaque commemorating

3696-482: 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

3780-492: 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

3864-414: 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

3948-455: The conquest, the whole area was the Forest of Arden . The importance of the hilltop location of Alspath as the hub of the village declined as the 'king's highway' main route from London to Chester and Holyhead developed—in turn encouraging the development of Meriden. The name 'Meriden' derives from the Old English myrge , pleasant, and denu , valley. Between the 15th and 17th centuries, the name 'Meriden' gradually supplanted that of Alspath as

4032-401: The escape; but Segrave escaped the initial reprisal, as described by the 14th-century chronicler Henry Knighton from St Mary de Pratis Abbey, Leicester, better known as Leicester Abbey : listing Stephen's excuse being that he had been duped by a supposedly loyal servant in whom he had confidence, Gerard Alspath. Another person involved in the escape was a progenitor of John Wyard of what

4116-405: The external stonework. In 1883, the church was restored again, and those galleries were removed. At some point the 15th century wooden ceilings of both nave and chancel had been plastered over, and these were uncovered during a restoration in 1924. Finally, extensive restorations of the medieval roof and tower were carried out circa 2006–10. The current siting of alabaster effigies in the church

4200-463: The factory from the new owners, Norton Villiers Triumph (NVT), to prevent closure. The government loaned the subsequent Meriden Workers Co-Operative money to buy the factory and later to market the Triumph motorcycles they produced. The sit-in and formation of the co-operative were the subject of much media interest including David Edgar 's play, Events Following The Closure Of A Motorcycle Factory . Trading later as Triumph Motorcycles (Meriden) Ltd.,

4284-528: The last of the great Jacobite rebellions in 1745 , the government forces, recalled from the continent and assembled to oppose him, waited on Meriden Heath under the command of the Duke of Cumberland. The novelist George Eliot visited her sister in Meriden repeatedly until 1854. Her sister is buried in the churchyard of St Laurence's parish church. In 1897, Jane (Jeannie) Monckton founded Meriden School , located in Strathfield , an inner-western suburb of Sydney , New South Wales , Australia , which took

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4368-475: 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

4452-434: The left is a squint , an opening allowing penitents from a side chapel to witness the raising of the Host at the main altar. The Saint Laurence/Lawrence (spelling interchangeable) to whom the church is dedicated may be either Lawrence of Rome who was one of the seven deacons of the early church martyred during the persecution of Emperor Valerian in 258 AD; or it may have been Laurence of Canterbury who became

4536-479: 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

4620-403: The name 'Meriden' from this town. It was named due to the happy memories that her husband had as a child holidaying in Meriden, and the hope that the school would be a similar place of happy childhood memories. Today, it is an independent Anglican single-sex day school for girls, with approximately 1600 students from early learning, through Year K to Year 12. The grindcore band Napalm Death

4704-448: 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

4788-419: The north is Maxstoke Castle , one of the three seats of the Stafford Dukes of Buckingham in the mid-to-late 15th century and deemed to be a favourite residence of Lady Margaret Beaufort after her second marriage into the Stafford family. 8 miles (13 kilometres) south is Kenilworth Castle , site of the longest siege in English history; and 15 miles (24 kilometres) south is Warwick Castle , the seat of Warwick

4872-411: 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

4956-422: The parish church. Ivo of Alspath was the first Norman holder of the Knight's fee that was Alspath/Meriden. He took his name from the village. Under the overlordship of the Earl of Chester, he built the core of the current church of St. Laurence (circa 1150) for reasons covered below. After his death the manor was split amongst his four daughters: The second was Gerard (or Gerald) II of Alspath (d. 1282). He

5040-399: 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 ,

5124-431: The pre-Telford turnpike. The shape of the current centre of the village, around the green, was another product of enclosure post-1785. Whilst the west end of the village had previously been the meeting place of lanes coming in to the main London-Chester road from Fillongley , Maxstoke and Packington ; the ultimate shape was completed with another enclosure provision "staking out a new road to Hampton-in-Arden across

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5208-476: The previous house on the site of Meriden Hall in 1575. The last male Walsh owner of Walsh Hall, Sir Richard Walsh, was the Sheriff of Worcestershire who cornered the last group of Gunpowder Plot conspirators in 1605. Shortly before the first battle of the English Civil War in 1642, 30 miles (48 kilometres) south at Edgehill, the royal army camped on Meriden Heath whilst the King slept at nearby Packington Hall . When Bonnie Prince Charlie marched south in

5292-564: 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

5376-419: The second Archbishop of Canterbury in 604 AD. Legend favors the latter, although, from 1318 onward, the choice of 10 August for the Patronal feast day and the village fair (until 1959) would indicate the Roman Lawrence. The Heart of England Way long-distance path, linking the Staffordshire Heathlands together with the Cotswolds and the Forest of Arden, passes through the churchyard. Meriden

5460-408: 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

5544-476: 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

5628-426: The south aisle and the tower were added in the late 14th. The north aisle was added, and the Norman roof was replaced in the 15th century. Around 1831, both aisles were demolished and rebuilt with galleries to provide more space for the congregation. It is possible see the industrial quality of the stonework outside the building compared to the 14th or 15th century stone used inside. A few gravestones have been used in

5712-414: The southern limit of the cattle rearing Cornovii tribe. The original name of the village was Alspath , meaning "Aelle's path" in Old English . The village was centred on the site of the parish church, overlooking the current village, at the Coventry end of Meriden. Alspath is listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as the property of Godiva , the former Countess of Mercia. For the few centuries after

5796-447: 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

5880-415: The straggling settlement at the foot of the hill grew in importance. In the late 11th century, the village was small and impoverished, with a population of only nine families (45 persons). The first mention of it as a separate hamlet was in 1230. By the time of Edward I (1272–1307) there was a thriving community 'worth encouraging' in the eyes of the Lord of Alspath. By the reign of Henry VIII ,

5964-441: The time since the publication of The Wisdom of Crowds to observe that Mr. Surowiecki had written his observations about collective intelligence "prior to the proliferation of Facebook and Twitter and 'social filtering'; today, online, we increasingly do not reach any wisdom of any independently-minded crowds. We speak to our friends." Meriden, Connecticut Meriden ( / ˈ m ɛər ə d ɪ n / MAIR -ə-din )

6048-634: 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

6132-403: 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

6216-453: The village was growing more substantial and stretched from the foot of Meriden Hill to where the Bull's Head is now. Ogilivy's Traveller's Guide Book in 1675 describes Meriden as "... A scattering village consisting chiefly of inns". By 1686 the population had grown to 290 people. By 1772 there were 93 cottages and houses. In 1811 the village had 152 homes, 171 families and 817 people." Meriden

6300-426: 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

6384-587: Was a local distribution point in the 16th-century cattle-driving trade, with the pool at the centre of the old village used to water the animals. Cattle would rest in Meriden before continuing either to the cattle pens at the top of Meriden Hill for the Coventry cattle market, or towards the cattle market then held in Berkswell. The path of the London- Chester /Holyhead road gained strategic and commercial importance over time. The section which ran through Coventry to

6468-530: Was associated with the large Triumph motorcycles production plant. Its original Priory Street factory in Coventry was destroyed by the Luftwaffe during World War II . As documented in the book Forty Summers Ago , the factory was visited by Steve McQueen and Bud Ekins with the rest of the 1964 U.S. International Six Day Trials team to collect their specially prepared Triumphs. In 1973, Triumph workers blockaded

6552-494: 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

6636-401: Was formed in Meriden in 1981 Meriden was identified as the centre of England as early as 1829. That designation was shown to be inaccurate in 1920, when the first systematic attempt was made to validate the claim. A grade II listed sandstone monument on the village green carries a plaque commemorating Meriden's status as 'Centre of England'. Traditionally known as the 'sandstone cross',

6720-584: 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

6804-490: Was involved with the escape from the Tower of London of Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March . His wife Millicent gave the name to what is now known as Millisons Wood, at the far east end of the village, at the top of Meriden Hill. Meriden has never itself been a significant location in English and British history. It is, however, located within a narrow band of castles with significant historical interest. 3 miles (5 kilometres) to

6888-453: Was moved yet again to its current position on the green in 1952–1953. Also on the village green is a memorial bench to Walter MacGregor 'Robbie' Robinson (died 17 September 1956). He was also known as 'Wayfarer' and had a major role in promoting cycle touring for the general public in the UK from the 1920s onwards through writing, giving lectures and as a cycling role model. The bench was installed by

6972-470: 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

7056-528: 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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