ORANGE, CONNECTICUT

'Orange' is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 13,970 as of 2005. The town is governed by a Board of Selectmen and an annual town meeting. Orange has a blend of rural and suburban development, and features a traditional town green within the historic district and a highly commercialized strip of businesses along the Boston Post Road, just north of Interstate 95. The town currently faces continuing political issues regarding ongoing urbanization and commercial development.

Contents

Culture and Notable Features

History

On the National Register of Historic Places

Schools

Notable residents, past and present

Geography

Principal communities

Demographics

External links

References

Culture and Notable Features

Orange maintains its rural roots through the Orange Country Fair every September, which serves as a miniature homage to many typical American State Fairs. In early August, the town also promotes the Orange Volunteer Fireman's Carnival, which raises funds to support the town's continuing all-volunteer fire department. Both events are held at the fairgrounds at High Plains Community Center near the center of town.
Orange was the home of the first computer camp, held at the local Amity Jr. High School in 1978. Orange is also host to one of the primary manufacturing plants of PEZ candies.
During the Cold War, Orange served as a location for the permanent deployment of Nike missiles for the defense of Greater New Haven. The former site of the Nike missiles has since served (from the late 1950s onward) as the home of the 103rd Air Control and Warning Squadron, later to become the 103rd Tactical Control Squadron and as it remains today the 103rd Air Control Squadron, a part of the Connecticut Air National Guard.
In the early nineteenth century, settlers from Orange founded Orange, Ohio, then part of Connecticut's Western Reserve.

History

The Paugusset, an Algonquian people, once lived in the area that is now Orange. When originally settled by English colonists, Orange was simply the northern and eastern district of the now neighboring city of Milford, Connecticut; however, by 1822, the population of the area had grown to the point where residents desired to form their own separate community, thus forming the town of Orange.
The town is named after King William III, "Prince of Orange". William is remembered for succeeding James II, deposed in the Glorious Revolution of 1688. James II had been considered a despot in Connecticut; he had famously and unsuccessfully commissioned Edmund Andros to seize Connecticut's Charter. ^[1]
The town continued to grow throughout the 19th century. As early as 1848, a separation of Orange and West Haven was considered. It was not until 1921 that the two were officially separated by act of the Connecticut General Assembly and
the new city of West Haven was formed out of the southeastern portion of Orange.¹. This gave the remnant town of Orange a very rural feel, as the bulk of the urbanized population was ceded to West Haven. In the post-war years, however, Orange began suburbanizing at a rapid pace.
Early roads through the area included the Boston Post Road (Route 1) and the Derby Turnpike (Route 34). The turnpike was originally an Indian path. A toll road through Orange, from New Haven to Derby, was built starting in 1800. The toll house was located in Orange; tolls ended in 1887. ^[2] The New Haven and Derby Railroad ran through Orange starting in 1871, with a station in Orange. At its peak, there were eleven trains per day in each direction along with one freight train. The advent of a trolley from New Haven to Derby (starting in 1904 and running until 1937) hastened the end to rail service (in 1925).² Later, the construction of the Wilbur Cross Parkway and Interstate 95 brought highways through the area.

On the National Register of Historic Places

★ 'Col. Asa Platt House' — 2 Tyler City Road (added 2002). Federal style.

★ 'Henry F. Miller House' — 30 Derby Ave. (added May 25, 2001). This international style house was completed in 1949 and featured at the time in the New Haven Register as "The House of Tomorrow".

★ 'Orange Center Historic District' — Roughly Orange Center Road from Orange Cemetery to Nan Drive (added September 10, 1989). The Orange Congregational Church, designed by David Hoadley and built in 1810 on the town green, is a centerpiece of the district. This Federal style church features a Palladian window, domed belfry and a painted black oval "window" on the front tower.^[3] The district also includes the Stone-Otis House (Federal with Greek revival portico), built circa 1830 (now a museum) and The Academy, a schoolhouse built in 1878 with stick style elements, including an elaborate gable screen, also now a museum.

★ 'William Andrew House (Bryan-Andrew House)' — 131 Old Tavern Road (added 2002). Built about 1750 for the Bryan family, early settlers in North Milford. This area was known as "Bryan's Farms".

The Academy, Orange, CT

Schools

★ Mary L. Tracy, for kindergarten and pre-school

★ Peck Place, first through sixth grades

★ Turkey Hill, first through sixth grades

★ Racebrook, first through sixth grades

★ Amity Junior High School, seven though eighth grades (Orange campus)

★ Southern Connecticut Hebrew Academy (formerly New Haven Hebrew Day School)
Orange is served by the regional Amity High School in Woodbridge.

Notable residents, past and present

★ William Atherton, character actor, was born and raised in Orange

★ Christopher Collier, historian, professor and winner of the Newbery Honor lives in Orange

★ John J. DeGioia, president of Georgetown University, was raised in Orange

★ Henry Lee, former resident, notable for his forensic investigations of famous crimes.

★ Robert J. Bishop, CEO of Sonitek ( Sonic & Thermal Tech. INC )

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 45.1 km² (17.4 mi²). 44.5 km² (17.2 mi²) of it is land and 0.6 km² (0.2 mi²) of it (1.38%) is water.

Principal communities

★ Orange center

★ Tyler City

Demographics

'Historical population of Orange'[4]
1830	1,341
1840	1,329
1850	1,476
1860	1,974
1870	2,634
1880	3,341
1890	4,537
1900	6,995
1910	11,272
1920	16,614
1930	1,530
1940	2,009
1950	3,032
1960	8,547
1970	13,524
1980	13,237
1990	12,830
2000	13,233

As of the census² of 2000, there were 13,233 people, 4,739 households, and 3,895 families residing in the town. The population density was 297.2/km² (770.0/mi²). There were 4,870 housing units at an average density of 109.4/km² (283.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.08% White, 0.79% Black or African American, 0.08% Native American, 3.84% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.32% from other races, and 0.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.44% of the population.
There were 4,739 households out of which 35.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.1% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.8% were non-families. 15.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.6% under the age of 18, 4.3% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 19.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 94.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $79,365, and the median income for a family was $88,583. Males had a median income of $58,946 versus $41,563 for females. The per capita income for the town was $36,471. About 2.1% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.4% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.

Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 25, 2005[5]
Party		Active Voters	Inactive Voters	Total Voters	Republican	2,544	37	2,581	Democratic	2,017	25	2,042	Unaffiliated	5,235	94	5,329	Minor Parties	6	0	6
Total		9,802	156	9,958

External links

★ Town of Orange official Web site

★ Orange Historical Society

★ Orange School District

★ Orange 150, Sesquicentennial 1822-1972

References

1. History of Orange
2. The Derby Turnpike, Priscilla Searles, Business New Haven, Jan 27, 1997
3. Liz Deluca, The Historic District, A Walking Tour, Our Town Newspaper, June 10,1997, pages 9-11.
4. Connecticut State Register and Manual
5. Registration and Party Enrollment Statistics as of October 25, 2005