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Bethel, Connecticut
Seth Seelye House, now a public library
Seth Seelye House, now a public library
Official seal of Bethel, Connecticut
Seal
Location in Fairfield County and the state of Connecticut.
Location in Fairfield County and the state of Connecticut.
Country  United States
U.S. state  Connecticut
County Fairfield
Metropolitan area Bridgeport-Stamford
Incorporated 1855
Government
 • Type Selectman-town meeting
Area
 • Total 16.9 sq mi (43.8 km2)
 • Land 16.8 sq mi (43.5 km2)
 • Water 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km2)
Elevation
482 ft (147 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 20,358
 • Density 1,204.6/sq mi (465.1/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (Eastern)
ZIP code
06801
Area codes 203/475
FIPS code 09-04720
GNIS feature ID 213390

Bethel is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. Its population was 20,358 at the 2020 census. The town includes the Bethel Census Designated Place.

Interstate 84 passes through Bethel, and it has a train station on the Danbury Branch of Metro-North's New Haven Line.

History

Bethel was first settled around 1700. The first houses built in Bethel were in the 1730s or 1740s; they are located at 27 Grassy Plain Street and 63 Grassy Plain Street. 1759 – church members such as Ebenezer Hickok, Lemuel Beebe, Isaac Hoyt, Thomas Starr, and Phineas Judd found it both difficult to travel to church in Danbury and when there, to get a seat. They petitioned the General Assembly to form two distinct ecclesiastical societies, the First and Second Congregational Societies, creating a new second parish in the eastern portion of Danbury. The new area was called Bethel (which means house of God). 1760 – 71 people were members of the church. Bethel ran most of its affairs through the church.(Bethel's first Congregational minister was Noah Wetmore) 1760 – Captain Benjamin Hickock built the house at 245 Greenwood Avenue and used it as a tavern. 1777 (April) – the city's records were burned by the British in the British raid on Danbury. Late 1700s – P. T. Barnum’s grandfather built one of the town's earliest hotels, the Barnum Tavern.

On the National Register of Historic Places

  • Greenwood Avenue Historic District — Roughly along Greenwood Ave., P.T. Barnum Sq., Depot Pl., and South St. (added 1999)
  • Rev. John Ely House — 54 Milwaukee Ave. (added May 25, 2001)
  • Seth Seelye House — 189 Greenwood Ave. (added September 29, 1977)
  • Captain Benjamin Hickock house — 13 Blackman Ave.

Historic pictures

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 16.9 square miles (44 km2), of which 16.8 square miles (44 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2), or 0.53%, is water. The CDP corresponding to the town center has a total area of 4.1 square miles (11 km2), all land. Bethel borders Redding to the south, Danbury to the west, Brookfield to the north, and Newtown to the east.

In Bethel

Sycamore Tree in Bethel, CT - January 5, 2011
Bethel Sycamore
  • The first meeting of the Young Communist League was held in Bethel in May 1922.
  • Battery manufacturer Duracell is headquartered in Bethel.
  • In 1934, Rudolph Kunett started the first vodka distillery in the U.S. after purchasing rights to the recipe from the exiled Smirnoff family.
  • Bethel High School is home to an award-winning NJROTC unit.

Demographics

Historical population
Year Pop. ±%
1860 1,711 —    
1870 2,311 +35.1%
1880 2,727 +18.0%
1890 3,401 +24.7%
1900 3,327 −2.2%
1910 3,792 +14.0%
1920 3,201 −15.6%
1930 3,886 +21.4%
1940 4,105 +5.6%
1950 5,104 +24.3%
1960 8,200 +60.7%
1970 10,945 +33.5%
1980 16,004 +46.2%
1990 17,541 +9.6%
2000 18,067 +3.0%
2010 18,584 +2.9%
2020 20,358 +9.5%

As of the 2010 census Bethel had a population of 18,584. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 88.8% white, 1.8% black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 4.5% Asian, 2.8% from some other race and 1.9% from two or more races. 7.6% of the population was Hispanic or Latino from any race.

As of the census of 2000, there were 18,067 people, 6,505 households, and 4,846 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,075.7 people per square mile (415.5/km2). There were 6,653 housing units at an average density of 396.1 per square mile (153.0/km2). The racial makeup of the town in 2005 was 85.86% White, 1.91% African American, 0.26% Native American, 4.58% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 3.20% from other races or of multiple races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.33% of the population. 20.2% were of Italian, 17.5% Irish, 9.1% German, 7.0% English, 6.7% American and 6.0% Polish ancestry according to Census 2000. 88.7% spoke English, 4.4% Spanish, 3.3% Portuguese, 1.5% German and 1.0% French as their first language.

There were 6,505 households, out of which 38.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.4% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.5% were non-families. 20.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.23.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.3% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 31.9% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $68,891, and the median income for a family was $78,358. Males had a median income of $51,816 versus $36,544 for females. The per capita income for the town was $28,927. About 1.2% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.3% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.

Historic pictures

Economy

Battery manufacturer Duracell is headquartered in Bethel.

Education

Bethel High School located in Bethel.

Notable people

  • Raghib Allie-Brennan, member of the Connecticut House of Representatives (raised in Bethel)
  • Matt Barnes (born 1990), pitcher for the Boston Red Sox
  • P. T. Barnum (1810–1891), showman
  • Barbara Britton (1919–1980), stage, film and television actress.
  • Dan Cramer, mixed martial arts fighter for the Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • Tony Dovolani, ballroom dancer, cast member on Dancing with the Stars
  • Kevin Gutzman, constitutional scholar and professor of history
  • Allan J. Kellogg, Medal of Honor recipient
  • Jan Miner (1917–2004), actress
  • Thurston Moore (born 1958), singer and guitarist for Sonic Youth
  • Noël Regney, composer
  • Meg Ryan, actress
  • Glover Teixeira, Professional MMA Fighter in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Champion of the Light heavyweight (MMA) division.
  • Julius Hawley Seelye (1824–1895), missionary, author, congressman, and former president of Amherst College
  • Annamarie Tendler (born 1985), artist
  • Henry Arthur "Art" Young (1866–1943), cartoonist

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Bethel (Connecticut) para niños

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