49-517: Weir Farm National Historical Park is located in Ridgefield and Wilton, Connecticut . It commemorates the life and work of American impressionist painter J. Alden Weir and other artists who stayed at the site or lived there, to include Childe Hassam , Albert Pinkham Ryder , John Singer Sargent , and John Twachtman . Weir Farm is one of two sites in the National Park Service devoted to
98-765: A 42-acre (17 ha) turn-of-the-20th-century estate on West Mountain that was once home to the Congregation de Notre Dame. There are also various preschools and a Montessori school. Ridgefield is predominantly made up of 19 encompassing neighborhoods. Ridgefield, Main Street, Branchville, Titicus, Farmingville, Ridgebury, Topstone, West Mountain, Cooper Hill, Ramapoo, Route 7, Georgetown, Deer Run, Peaceable Hill, Quail Ride, Westmoreland, Twixt Hills, Long Ridge, and Starrs/Picketts Ridge. See: List of people from Ridgefield, Connecticut Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut The Western Connecticut Planning Region
147-445: A large number of paintings depicting Ridgefield landscapes and other nearby countryside. Weir's daughter Dorothy Weir , a noted artist in her own right, took over management of the property following her father's death in 1919. Sculptor Mahonri Young would build a second studio at Weir Farm after the couple married in 1931. Artist Sperry Andrews would befriend Mahonri Young and spent several years keeping him company while painting
196-709: A local inn and museum, features a British cannonball still lodged in the side of the building. There are many other landmarks from the Revolutionary War in the town, with most along Main Street. In the summer of 1781, the French army under the Comte de Rochambeau marched through Connecticut, encamping in the Ridgebury section of town, where the first Catholic mass in Ridgefield was offered. For much of its three centuries, Ridgefield
245-511: A small colonial militia force (state militia and some Continental Army soldiers), led by, among others, General David Wooster , who died in the engagement, and Benedict Arnold , whose horse was shot from under him. They faced a larger British force that had landed at Westport and was returning from a raid on the colonial supply depot in Danbury . The battle was a tactical victory for the British but
294-587: A source of uranium , is found here, too. As of the census of 2000, there were 23,643 people, 8,433 households, and 6,611 families residing in the town. The population density was 686.7 inhabitants per square mile (265.1/km ). There were 8,877 housing units at an average density of 257.8 per square mile (99.5/km ). The racial makeup of the town was 96.12% White , 0.62% Black or African American , 0.09% Native American , 2.08% Asian , 0.03% Pacific Islander , 0.36% from other races , and 0.70% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.97% of
343-574: A strategic one for the Colonials because the British would never again conduct inland operations in Connecticut, despite western Connecticut's strategic importance in securing the Hudson River Valley . Today, the dead from both sides are buried together in a small cemetery on Main Street on the right of the entrance to Casagmo condominiums: "...foes in arms, brothers in death...". The Keeler Tavern ,
392-474: Is 725 feet (221 m) above sea level. The landscape is strewn with countless rocks deposited by glaciers , and among the town's bodies of water is Round Pond , formed in a kettle left by the last glacier 20,000 years ago. Another interesting body of water in the town is Mamanasco Lake , an 86-acre (35 ha) lake near Ridgefield High School. A particularly interesting feature is Cameron's Line , named for Eugene N. Cameron, who discovered that rocks west of
441-546: Is The First Selectman, who also serves a legislative function as a member of the Board of Selectmen. The current First Selectman, Rudy Marconi (D), was first elected in 1999. Ridgefield has nine public schools and two private schools. The public schools are managed by Ridgefield Public Schools. The six public elementary schools are Veterans Park, Branchville, Farmingville, Scotland, Barlow Mountain, and Ridgebury. Scotts Ridge Middle School (Ridgefield's newest school) and East Ridge are
490-588: Is a planning region and county-equivalent in Connecticut . It is served by the coterminous Western Connecticut Council of Governments (WestCOG), one of nine regional councils of governments in Connecticut. Within the region, there are two Metropolitan Planning Organizations, South Western CT MPO and the Housatonic Valley MPO. The region includes the Connecticut Panhandle , Greater Danbury , and
539-658: Is a town in Fairfield County , Connecticut , United States . Situated in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains and on the New York state border, Ridgefield has a population of 25,033 as of the 2020 census . The town is part of the Western Connecticut Planning Region . The town center , which was formerly a borough , is defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place . The town
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#1732844757393588-535: Is a one-room schoolhouse in use by the town until 1913. The site and grounds are maintained by the Ridgefield Garden Club. The building is open certain Sundays and displays the desks, slates, and books the children used. Ridgefield's public open space includes Aldrich Park, Bennett's Pond State Park, Brewster Farm, Florida Refuge, Hemlock Hills/Lake Windwing, Pine Mountain , Seth Low Pierrepont State Park , and
637-593: Is created by Town Charter and approved by the voters. The Charter calls for an annual Town and Budget Meeting to be held on the first Monday of May each year. The following are the elective offices of the Town of Ridgefield: Board of Selectmen, Town Clerk, Town Treasurer and Tax Collector. The following are the elective boards and commissions of the Town of Ridgefield: Board of Education, Planning and Zoning Commission, Board of Appeals on Zoning, Board of Tax Review, Board of Police Commissioners and Board of Finance. The chief executive
686-615: Is one of only two official National Park Service units in the state. The Ridgefield Conservatory of Dance was founded as the Ridgefield Studio of Classical Ballet in 1965 by Patricia Schuster. In 2002 it became the Ridgefield Conservatory of Dance, a non-profit 501(c)3 organization. The Conservatory is home to three pre-professional performance companies: the Ridgefield Civic Ballet, The Junior Dance Ensemble, and
735-640: The Gold Coast . In 2022, planning regions were approved to replace Connecticut's counties as county-equivalents for statistical purposes, with full implementation occurring by 2024. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 620,549 people living in the Western Connecticut Planning Region, making it the second most populated region in the state behind the Capitol Planning Region . The following municipalities are members of
784-461: The Topstone area. North of Cameron's Line, the town is rich in limestone . The mineral was extensively mined, and remnants of several limekilns exist today. Also mined here in the 19th century was mica , pegmatite , and quartz . Gold , as well as gemstones such as garnet and beryl , have been found here, and dozens of minerals have been unearthed at the old Branchville Mica Quarry. Uraninite ,
833-474: The Weir Farm National Historic Site . Its public open spaces make up 5,200 acres (2,100 ha), accounting for 23% of the towns overall land. Ridgefield Golf Course is the town's municipal 18 hole golf course designed by George Fazio and Tom Fazio and opened in 1974. The town's largest industry is Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, whose United States headquarters are located in
882-490: The "Ridgefield Symphonette" in 1965 with 20 players, only a third of them professionals. It became fully professional by the end of the decade and today has 75 musicians and draws soloists of international reputation. In 1984, Maxim Shostakovich , then a Ridgefielder, conducted a sold-out concert of music by his father, Dmitri Shostakovich , with the composer's grandson, Dmitri, performing as piano soloist. The Keeler Tavern Museum preserves an early 18th-century house that, by
931-484: The 1940s, but is now mostly subdivisions; and Col. Edward M. Knox's "Downesbury Manor", whose 300 acres (1.2 km ) included a 45-room mansion that Mark Twain often visited. These and dozens of other estates became unaffordable and unwieldy during and after the Great Depression , and most were broken up. Many mansions were razed. In their place came subdivisions of one- and 2-acre (8,100 m ) lots that turned
980-686: The 52nd quarter in 2020 as part of the America the Beautiful Quarters Program. After considering the Keene Valley area of New York 's Adirondack Mountains for a rural retreat, in 1882 Weir settled instead on hilly countryside in the Branchville section of Ridgefield, acquiring a 153-acre farm there from Erwin Davis in exchange for $ 10 and a painting. Weir and artists he hosted subsequently produced
1029-635: The CDP was $ 46,843. 3.2% of the population and 1.7% of families were below the poverty line . Out of the total population, 1.6% of those under the age of 18 and 6.8% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. The Western Connecticut Youth Orchestra , formerly called the Ridgefield Symphony Youth Orchestra, has performed at Carnegie Hall and Avery Fisher Hall at the Lincoln Center . The Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra began as
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#17328447573931078-512: The CDP. The population density was 1,125.2 inhabitants per square mile (434.4/km ). There were 3,078 housing units at an average density of 480.2 per square mile (185.4/km ). The racial makeup of the CDP was 95.52% White, 0.54% Black or African American, 0.11% Native American, 2.44% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.51% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races, while 2.26% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 2,933 households, out of which 34.4% had children under
1127-739: The Contemporary Dance Ensemble. The conservatory presents The Nutcracker annually at the Ridgefield Playhouse . Thrown Stone Theatre Company is a professional theatre company in town that focuses primarily on new work. Located at the intersection of West Lane and Route 35 , the Peter Parley Schoolhouse ( c. 1750 ), also known as the Little Red Schoolhouse or the West Lane Schoolhouse,
1176-462: The Florida section of Ridgefield is one of the only remaining operational farms in Ridgefield. In the late 19th century, spurred by the new railroad connection to its lofty village and the fact that nearby countryside reaches 1,000 feet (300 m) above sea level, Ridgefield began to be discovered by wealthy New York City residents, who assembled large estates and built huge "summer cottages" throughout
1225-412: The National Park Service to acquire space in nearby Redding, Connecticut , for administration and operational support to Weir Farm. Under existing federal law at the time, the National Park Service was authorized to secure expansion space in Ridgefield and Wilton only. In 2021 it was redesignated from a National Historic Site to a National Historical Park. Ridgefield, Connecticut Ridgefield
1274-579: The Ridgebury section of town. In 2006, the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree selected to be displayed in New York's Rockefeller Center for the Christmas season came from Ridgefield. The town also features a skatepark , owned by the town and maintained by the town's parks and recreation service, in which both skateboarding and aggressive inline skating are done. In 2010 the skatepark
1323-613: The Ridgefield- Wilton border, preserves much of the farm of J. Alden Weir (1852–1919), a painter of the American Impressionism style. The property was later used by his son-in-law, Mahonri Young (1877–1957), noted sculptor and a grandson of Brigham Young . The site includes the Weir Farm Art Center and a gallery, and many special events take place there, including shows by visiting artists in residence. Weir Farm
1372-418: The age of 18 living with them, 57.7% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.0% were non-families. Of all households, 28.5% were made up of individuals, and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.05. In the CDP the population was spread out, with 26.9% under
1421-461: The age of 18, 3.3% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 27.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.5 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $ 81,179, and the median income for a family was $ 127,327. Males had a median income of $ 93,084 versus $ 47,232 for females. The per capita income for
1470-405: The average family size was 3.21. In the town, the population was spread out, with 30.6% under the age of 18, 3.2% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 27.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.4 males. The median income for a household in the town
1519-463: The district and renovated it for his use as a summer home. Roughly bounded by Pound Street, Fairview Avenue, Prospect Ridge, and Whipstick Roads, the district was added on October 7, 1984. In addition to the town center historic district, there are a number of individual properties and at least one other historic district in the town that are NRHP-listed: Ridgefield has a traditional New England Board of Selectmen–Town Meeting form of government, which
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1568-527: The divided land through close to 2 dozen transactions. The Trust for Public Land worked in partnership with the Weir Farm Trust and the State of Connecticut to advocate for its permanent protection. Sperry and his wife Doris Andrews were given life tenancy, and would give impromptu tours of the studios to park visitors until after both had passed. Afterwards the site underwent extensive restoration to transform
1617-430: The higher sections of town. Among the more noteworthy estates were Col. Louis D. Conley's "Outpost Farm", which at one point totaled nearly 2,000 acres (8.1 km ), some of which is now Bennett's Pond State Park; Seth Low Pierrepont's "Twixthills", more than 600 acres (2.4 km ), much of which is now Pierrepont State Park ; Frederic E. Lewis's "Upagenstit", 100 acres (0.40 km ) that became Grey Court College in
1666-436: The line differed greatly from those east of it. This fault line was formed some 250 million years ago by the collision of "Proto North America " and "Proto Africa ", and there are still occasional light earthquakes felt along its length. The line bisects the southern half of the town, running generally north of West Lane, across the north end of the village, past the south end of Great Swamp and generally easterly into Redding in
1715-465: The northern section of town; Scotland, which is south of Ridgebury; Farmingville, located northeast and east of the town center; Limestone, located northeast of the town center; Flat Rock, located south of the town center; and Florida, located just north of Branchville. Ridgefield consists of hilly, rocky terrain, ranging from 1,060 feet (320 m) above sea level (at Pine Mountain ) to 342 feet (104 m) at Branchville . Its average village elevation
1764-503: The park into a more visitor friendly experience. The two artist studios and house were restored to period, and in May 2014 were made accessible to the public again. The property today includes 16 buildings on 60 acres of land with the grounds including a hiking trail. Tours are offered by National Park Service rangers. In 2007, the U.S. Department of the Interior sought Congressional approval for
1813-406: The population. There were 8,433 households, out of which 43.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.6% were married couples living together, 6.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.6% were non-families. 18.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and
1862-456: The site. After Mahonris death Sperry would purchase the property and his wife Doris Andrews lead efforts with Cora Weir Burlingham to preserve the Weir Farm site, resulting in the U.S. government designating it a National Historic Site in 1990. Prior to its permanent protection, Weir Farm had been subdivided for housing development in the late 1980s. The Trust for Public Land worked to reacquire
1911-454: The time of the Revolution, had become a tavern and inn. The tavern was a center of community activities, an early post office, and a stop on the northern New York to Boston post road. In the early 20th century, it was the home of noted architect Cass Gilbert . The tavern is open several days a week, offers tours, and has a gift shop. The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum is a leading venue for
1960-468: The town into a suburban, bedroom community in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. However, strict planning and zoning has frozen development and locked in the aesthetic appearance of the 19th- and early 20th-century through to the 21st-century, especially along its famous mile-long Main Street. In 1946, Ridgefield was one of the locations considered for the United Nations Secretariat building, but
2009-545: The town's two middle schools . The high school is Ridgefield High School . The high school's teams are called the Tigers. Ridgefield's Roman Catholic schools are St. Mary, serving preschool through eighth grade, and St. Padre Pio Academy, serving kindergarten through eighth grade and run by the Society of St. Pius X . Ridgefield Academy is a co-educational , independent school serving preschool through eighth grade, situated on
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2058-511: The visual arts, along with Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park . Both sites maintain ongoing artist-in-residence programs; to date, the Weir Farm Art Center (formerly the Weir Farm Trust) has hosted more than 150 artists for month long stays at the site. Weir Farm also runs an ongoing "Take Part in Art" program, under which visitors can create their own works on site. Weir Farm was recognized on
2107-425: The west, Danbury to the north, Wilton to the south and Redding to the east. The Metro-North Railroad 's Branchville station is in the Branchville corner of town. The census-designated place (CDP) corresponding to the town center covers a total area of 6.4 square miles (17 km ), of which 0.16% is water. Other locales within the town include Titicus on Route 116 just north of the village; Ridgebury in
2156-638: The world's best contemporary artists. Its exhibitions have attracted national attention and respect. The museum was redesigned and expanded in 2004, and offers many special programs, including concerts. The Ridgefield Playhouse , opened in December 2000, is housed in the former Ridgefield Alternate High School auditorium, and was remodeled as a playhouse. It is the year-round venue for dozens of concerts and other performances, many by internationally known artists. The Playhouse also shows movies, many of them first-run. Weir Farm National Historic Site , which straddles
2205-478: Was $ 107,351, and the median income for a family was $ 127,981 (these figures had risen to $ 125,909 and $ 154,346 respectively as of a 2007 estimate ). Males had a median income of $ 100,000 versus $ 50,236 for females. The per capita income for the town was $ 51,795. About 1.3% of families and 2.4% of the population were below the poverty line , 5.3% of those age 65 or over. As of the census of 2000, there were 7,212 people, 2,933 households, and 1,994 families residing in
2254-561: Was a farming community. Among the important families in the 19th century were the Rockwells and Lounsburys, which intermarried. They produced two Connecticut governors, brothers and business partners George Lounsbury and Phineas Lounsbury . The Ridgefield Veterans Memorial Community Center on Main Street, also called the Lounsbury House, was built by Gov. Phineas Chapman Lounsbury around 1896 as his primary residence. The Lounsbury Farm near
2303-615: Was not chosen due to its relative inaccessibility. According to the United States Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 35.0 square miles (91 km ), of which 34.4 square miles (89 km ) is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km ), or 1.52%, is water. Ridgefield is bordered by the towns of North Salem and Lewisboro in Westchester County, New York and the town of Southeast in Putnam County, New York to
2352-663: Was rebuilt and expanded as a result of the need to expand the Ridgefield Playhouse parking lot. Part of the town center is a historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) as Ridgefield Center Historic District . The district was added to the Register in 1984 and includes representations of mid-19th-century revival, Late Victorian, and Colonial revival architectural styles. Noted architect Cass Gilbert purchased historic Keeler Tavern within
2401-654: Was settled then quickly incorporated by 1709. Ridgefield was first settled by English colonists from Norwalk in 1708, when a group of settlers purchased land from Chief Catoonah of the Ramapo tribe . The town was incorporated under a royal charter from the Connecticut General Assembly issued in 1709. Ridgefield was descriptively named. The most notable 18th-century event was the Battle of Ridgefield on April 27, 1777. This American Revolutionary War skirmish involved
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