Cornwall

History

The town of Cornwall, Connecticut, is named after the county of Cornwall, England. The town was incorporated in 1740, nearly four decades before the United States declared its independence. The town encompasses three townships: Cornwall Bridge and West Cornwall, each bordered by the Housatonic River to the west, and Cornwall Village, located three miles east of the river. In addition to those three townships, there are also the hamlets of East Cornwall and Cornwall Hollow, both distinct communities within the town. One significant natural feature is the vast amount of forested land, including hundreds of acres of Mohawk State Forest, resulting in Cornwall often being called “the “Greenest Town in Connecticut”. The proximity of its settlements to the Housatonic River offered an efficient means of transporting materials and goods, which helped stimulate Cornwall's early farming economy as well as assisting in the evolution of business and industry. During the 19th century and the arrival of the Industrial Revolution, the town maintained two furnaces, including a blast furnace, to support charcoal-making industries. Cornwall was home to the Foreign Mission School, dating to 1817, as well as the Cream Hill Agricultural School in 1845, whose property, still an active farmstead, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Cornwall has long been known as the “Home of the Covered Bridge,” which has spanned the Housatonic River since 1864. One of only three surviving covered bridges in Connecticut, the bridge is a popular tourist destination and among the most-photographed locations in the state. Modern-day Cornwall continues to reflect its rural farming character while being home to arts, culture, artisans and entrepreneurs. Its convenience to major…

Geography

Cornwall is in northwestern Litchfield County. It is bordered to the north by the town of Canaan, to the east by Goshen, to the south by Warren, to the southwest by Kent, and to the west, across the Housatonic River, by Sharon. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town of Cornwall has a total area of , of which are land and , or 0.55%, are water. The town contains a major portion of Mohawk State Forest. *Cornwall (has its own ZIP Code for a specific P.O. box) *Cornwall Bridge (has its own post office) *Cornwall Hollow *East Cornwall *West Cornwall (has its own post office)

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  15,735
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  14,875
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  13,290
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  12,976
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  12,970
• Song Sparrow

  Melospiza melodia (A.Wilson, 1810) · Aves
  12,578
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  11,537
• American Goldfinch

  Spinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  11,310

Largest nearby schools

• Wamogo Regional High School
  High · Litchfield · 371 students · 8.8:1 ratio
• Housatonic Valley Regional High School
  High · Falls Village · 319 students · 8.4:1 ratio
• Center School
  Elementary · Litchfield · 260 students · 10.4:1 ratio
• Litchfield High School
  High · Litchfield · 234 students · 8.1:1 ratio
• Litchfield Intermediate School
  Middle · Litchfield · 189 students · 11.1:1 ratio
• Wamogo Regional Middle School
  Middle · Litchfield · 166 students · 11.1:1 ratio
• Goshen Center School
  Elementary · Goshen · 137 students · 9.1:1 ratio
• Litchfield Middle School
  Middle · Litchfield · 125 students · 12.5:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.66 — 2014-08-14
  6 km SW of Deep River Center, Connecticut