Winsted

History

Settled in 1750, The Gilbert School, originally endowed with more than $600,000 by William L. Gilbert, is a private secondary school that serves as the public high school for the town of Winchester. In 1955, Hurricane Connie and Hurricane Diane passed over Connecticut within one week, flooding the Mad River and Still River through downtown. The Mad River, which parallels Main Street, caused flooding up to deep through the center of town. This damaged the buildings between Main Street and the river such that all buildings on that side of Main Street through the center of town were subsequently removed and Main Street widened to four lanes. The buildings on the north side of Main Street for the most part survived and were repaired. Further downstream, the Still River flowed between the buildings of the Gilbert Clock Company. The flooding caused extensive damage to their buildings, and this was the final blow to a company which was already in poor financial condition. Northwestern Connecticut Community College was founded in 1965 by Winsted residents, including Ralph Nader's older brother, Shafeek. It occupies the original Gilbert School building. NCCC was one of the first four community colleges in Connecticut, and is accredited by both the Connecticut Board of Governors for Higher Education and by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. The Northwestern Community College Foundation was incorporated in 1981 to support the mission of Northwestern Connecticut Community College. NCCF generates private funds for the purpose of benefiting the students attending NCCC and the community of Winsted. In 2013, Henry Centrella, the former city finance director, was served a complaint which stated that over $2.2 million was misappropriated during his 30-year tenure.…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , of which are land and , or 3.73%, are water. Winsted sits in the eastern part of the town of Winchester at the confluence of the Still and Mad Rivers. This Mad River is one of seven rivers with the same name in New England, one other of which is also in Connecticut. The Still River continues north as a tributary of the Farmington River and is part of the Connecticut River watershed. The city is laid out in a horseshoe-shaped valley ringed by seven hills; two other hills stand amid this, comprising a total of nine named hills. There are five stone churches in a crescent from east to west. In their exact center is the Castle Tower Civil War monument, a stone tower of over 40 feet erected in 1890. The city is crossed by U.S. Route 44, Connecticut Route 8, Connecticut Route 183 and Connecticut Route 263. US 44 leads southeast to Hartford, the state capital, and northwest to North Canaan. Route 8 leads south to Torrington and to Waterbury, and north to U.S. Route 20 in West Becket, Massachusetts.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Torrington High School
  High · Torrington · 1,010 students · 11.6:1 ratio
• Torrington Middle School
  Middle · Torrington · 975 students · 11.9:1 ratio
• Oliver Wolcott Technical High School
  High · Torrington · 618 students · 12.1:1 ratio
• Torringford School
  Elementary · Torrington · 612 students · 13.6:1 ratio
• Northwestern Regional High School
  High · Winsted · 564 students · 9.6:1 ratio
• Vogel-Wetmore School
  Elementary · Torrington · 532 students · 11.1:1 ratio
• The Gilbert School
  High · Winsted · 410 students · 10:1 ratio
• Forbes School
  Elementary · Torrington · 310 students · 11.9:1 ratio