LOCATION
Five miles of shorefront along
Long Island Sound provide fine beaches and excellent boating. Located just 50
miles northeast of New York City, and 25 miles southwest of New Haven,
Fairfield is convenient to both areas for commuters. Trains to New York City
take approximately 70 minutes from the Fairfield and Southport stations.
Sixteen commuter trains run during peak morning hours, and hourly thereafter.
Public transportation is available by bus along routes reestablished by the
greater Bus District.
HISTORY
Yesterday and Today -
Many streets basically follow those laid out by Fairfield's' founding fathers.
Beach Road and Old Post Road were originally part of the King's Highway which
meandered east-west through town and was mandated by colony law. Those roads
border Town Hall and Green, Fairfield's municipal center, which has been
located within the original Four Squares" of the colonial village since 1639.
Other roads with colonial ancestry were built around the Mile of Common and
Half Mile of Common set aside in early days as undivided land used by all. This
gave the town its first cross-town road plus long, straight north-south access
roads still used today. Authorities of town planning in Connecticut say that of
all the state's communities only Fairfield has kept suburban growth from
submerging all traces of colonial planning. Recognition of the significance of
common land in the community can still be seen all over town where trees and
seasonal flowers are planted and maintained on greens, traffic circles and
esplanades. An original U.S. mail route for post riders carrying mail between
Southern Colonies, Philadelphia, New York, Boston and North (which took a month
in good weather) had a Fairfield stop and carriers rode over parts of today's
Old Post Road, cutting through Mill Plain to ford Mill River. Now, the Merritt
Parkway north of town and the Connecticut Turnpike along the southern border
give access to and from all directions with an ease undreamed of by the post
riders.
Today - Fairfield today
is largely a home-owner's town. The largest majority of the approximately
20,000 housing units are single family homes. Of the nearly 20% of residences
that are not single family, most are condominium units. There is a small
percentage of two-family homes and apartments. Prices in recent years have
ranged from over $100,000 to more than one million dollars for single family
homes.
Affluent and culturally
exciting, Fairfield is ideally positioned for elegant living, an abundance of
leisure activities and convenient travel to metropolitan areas. Situated on
Long Island Sound, Fairfield's 6 mile coastline and pristine beaches are a
summer playground for water sport enthusiasts and sun worshippers
alike.
Overlooking the Mill River,
several beautifully landscaped parks offer the tranquil pleasures of
picnicking, bicycling, walking and nature study. Residents may swim in
freshwater at Lake Mohegan and in the winter months, ice skating is enjoyed at
Owen Fish Park, Sturges Pond and Gould Manor Park.
An extensive and diverse range
of housing suits the most selective tastes and pricing requirements of
residents. There are stately colonials dating from 1700's, Greek Revival,
Federal and Victorian homes, as well as striking contemporary structures and a
wide variety of condominiums.
Fairfield offers a solid
education to the student population. The program features a general academic
curriculum, accelerated classes for exceptional pupils and a specialized agenda
for the handicapped. A summer session supplements the traditional school year
with a variety of academic, cultural and arts programs designed to maximize the
learning potential of the town's children. Two well-known colleges - Fairfield
University and Sacred Heart University round out the education opportunities of
Fairfield.
Culture, history and the arts
are generously supported and actively cultivated in Fairfield. Southport, on
the western tip of town, is the site of the gracious 18th century homes of the
area's first families. These grand homes, the marina, stately churches and many
well-preserved buildings are nationally recognized as historic landmarks. The
Pequot Library in Southport maintains one of the nation's most impressive
collections of rare volumes and Americana. The refined tastes of residents are
amply satisfied by the select group of shops, art galleries, restaurants and
private country clubs.
Unlike many suburbs, though,
Fairfield exudes a deeply settled quality. The Community Theater manages to
stay in business after 70-odd years. You can still buy groceries downtown, next
to the fancy gift emporiums, and wherever you are, you're seldom more than a
short walk away from a baseball diamond or horseshoe pit. It's a place where
people actually hang out downtown (often around the small green-gazebo to which
young and old gravitate in summer, lawn chairs in tow, to listen to band
concerts or other local entertainment). It's also a place where thousands each
year are persuaded to attend a festival honoring - the Dogwood. The annual
Dogwood Festival attracts thousands of visitors each May.
Further, there isn't really an
urban that Fairfield is suburban to. It assumes little from next-door
Bridgeport, has only a nodding acquaintance with Stamford, and lies far enough
away to render Manhattan a dim vision at the end of a commute. Combine that
with Fairfield's long and well-remembered history, and what you've got is a
place with a shape, a center of gravity, something more than the sum of its
split levels. What you've got is a town. Even though Fairfield holds nearly as
many people as Meriden, no one would think to call it a city, least of all the
people who live here. Even Fairfield's governing leader is called first
selectman, because "mayor" has the "connotation of the metropolis," as a
Fairfield guide delicately points out.
Founder Roger Ludlow wasn't
exactly a suburbanite, but he moved here for all the familiar reasons. He'd
seen the place in 1673, having helped defeat the Pequots in the Great Swamp
Fight in Southport. Two years later, he came back with the rights to buy land
from the natives. The called it Uncoway, meaning "looking forward - a valley."
Ludlow renamed if for its outstanding physical feature - actually, sale marsh -
that suited cattle so well.
In 1918 about 5,000 peopled
lived in Fairfield. By 1948, the population had increased to 22,000 and in the
last 25 years, the population has increased to almost 60,000.
Census data reveals that there
are approximately 8,000 residents aged 65 and over and approximately 7,000
residents are school aged.
In sum, though Fairfield's
history includes being burned almost completely by the British in July 1779,
when over 85 Fairfield and Southport houses and shops were destroyed and the
town had to be almost totally rebuilt, many fine examples of pre- and
post-Revolutionary architecture remain. These and the styles of later
development are all preserved in noted historic districts. Taken together with
all other aspects of Fairfield's assets, these are living reflections of
Fairfield's past. Over some 350 years of history, and the promise of many fine
tomorrows can be found in Fairfield today.
CULTURE SCENE
The Arts are alive and will in
Fairfield and surrounding towns, demonstrated by a wide variety of cultural
activities and opportunities. Area newspapers, local radio and television
stations are valuable sources for times and locations of such
events.
MUSIC
The Peuot Library is Southport,
with its fine acoustic auditorium, hosts the South Shore Music Club. This group
performs a series of summer concerts presenting new professional talent,
individual concerts and monthly performances. The Chamber Orchestra of
Connecticut and the Pequot Music Club also hold concerts at the library's
recital hall. Call Pequot Library at 203-259-0346 for information.
Each year, Fairfield
University's "Evening of Music" series offers sic concerts featuring
world-renowned and emerging recital artists and chamber ensembles. The
university also sponsors a chamber group in residence - the Round Hill Chamber
players, a professional group, which performs four concerts a year. Further,
the Fairfield University Glee Club and Chamber Orchestra hold concerts at
various times throughout the year.
The Sacred Heart University
Chamber Orchestra and the Chorale, both consisting of students and community
members, perform at the local university which also hosts visiting
groups.
At the Arnold Bernhard Arts and
Humanities Center, University of Bridgeport, performances by the Concert Band
Concert Choir, Madrigal Singers, Jazz Ensembles and Bridgeport Civic Orchestra
are all open to the public. In addition, the Center hosts music, dance, theater
and lecture programs and a series of special events featuring amateur and
professional entertainers.
Friends of Music sponsors fine
international artists including string quartets, chamber ensembles and
pianists. Performances take place throughout the year at the Unitarian Church
in Westport. Pre-concert lectures by local musicians are held in private
homes.
The Fairfield County Chorale, a
mixed chorus of about 150 voices, presents three concerts each year as well as
a summer performance at the Levitt Pavilion in Westport.
Fairfield and surrounding town
also have instrumental groups ranging from quartets to symphony orchestras.
These include the Connecticut String Quartet, the Greater Bridgeport Symphony
Orchestra, the New Haven Symphony, the Norwalk Symphony, the Stamford Symphony
and the Fairfield Chamber Orchestra.
A rich musical program is
offered at Yale University School of Music in New Haven throughout the academic
year. Chamber and jazz groups, organ concerts, symphony orchestras and solo
artists are featured.
Opera is performed at
Bridgeport's Klein Memorial Auditorium and at New Haven's Shubert
Theatre.
THEATER
The town of Fairfield is home to
three theater groups. The Boston Post Road Stage Company features Equity actors
performing new and established works at the Fairfield Fine Arts Center. The
Fairfield Community Theatre, sponsored by the Fairfield Department of
Recreation, features local amateur actors performing contemporary and classic
comedies, dramas and musicals. Performances are held at the Roger Ludlow
Community Center Theater. Finally, the Fairfield Teen Theater, also sponsored
by the Board of Recreation, gives young people a theater learning experience
every summer. Activities include workshops classes in acting, speech, dance,
make-up and stagecraft with one major production annually. The group
contributes to the community by performing plays at convalescent homes,
hospitals, children's playgrounds, libraries and business centers.
Fairfield University Playhouse,
Scared Heart University Auditorium, the University of Bridgeport's Mertens
Theater and the Westport Community Theater in Westport's town hall are sites
offering varied amateur theater.
Downtown Cabaret Theater in
Bridgeport stages productions for both adults and children. The cabaret offers
a comfortable setting in which members of the audience may enjoy their own
refreshments during the performance.
Other groups in the area include
the Polka Dot Playhouse in Bridgeport, the Darien Dinner Theater, the White
Barn Theater in Westport, the Wilton Playshop and the Ethel Kweskin Theater in
Stamford.
Professional theaters in the
Fairfield and New Haven area include the Yale Repertory Theater, the Shubert
Performing Arts Center and Long Wharf Theaters located in New Haven; the
American Festival Theater in Stratford, the Palace and Hartman Theatre in
Stamford and the Oakdale Musical Theatre in Wallingford. The Westport Country
Playhouse offers a series of plays featuring well-known actors and actresses
and also has summer presentations for children.
ART
Fairfield has many artists whose
works can be seen around town. Local banks and libraries exhibit their
paintings, crafts, sculpture and photography. Also, the Audubon Society
displays works of nature artists. The ART/PLACE, a cooperative gallery is
located in the renovated Southport railroad station. The GWS Galleries on the
Post Road in Southport features works of area artists among its large
collection. A wide variety of art forms are exhibited.
Young Artists Association of
Fairfield is a group of artists who hold monthly exhibitions at 18 Reef Road,
meeting to discuss their work, sponsor a summer arts and crafts show on Sherman
Green and a special exhibition of painting each winter. The Third Stream is an
association of artists who invite anyone interested in art to attend lectures,
discussions, demonstrations, and critiques they sponsor. The group meets
monthly at Bridgeport's Main Library. Fairfield Art for Youth brings live
cultural programs to the elementary schools with parents and community members
invited to attend. The Fairfield County Arts Association offers classes at the
Fairfield Arts Center.
Exhibits of outstanding artists
are open to public viewing weekdays 2 PM to 4 PM at the Gallery of the Center
for Financial Studies at Fairfield University. Sacred Heart University's Plohn
Art Gallery offers annual exhibits. University of Bridgeport's Carlson Gallery,
located in the Arnold Bernhard Arts and Humanities Center, presents exhibitions
of various art forms throughout the school year. In New Canaan, the Silvermine
Guild of Artists displays a variety of art, including paintings, pottery and
sculpture. Located in New Haven are the Yale University Art Gallery and the
Yale Center for British Art. The Whitney Museum of American Art operates a
branch in Stamford at One Champion Plaza where art from the New York museum is
displayed. There are gallery talks and other cultural programs offered by the
museum.
LECTURES AND FILMS
Local libraries and museums
sponsor lectures and films throughout the year. Demonstrations, classes and
workshops are sponsored by the Fairfield Public Library, which also conducts
story hours in all three libraries. The "Book and a Sandwich," a lunch hour
discussion program, takes place at the main library.
Area universities host a wide
variety of outstanding lectures and films. Check the local newspaper under
those calendar listings.
DANCE
The three area universities have
dance departments which offer public performances of ballet, jazz, ethnic
works, modern and tap dance. Dancing schools here and in neighboring towns
offer lessons in ballet, pointe, tap, jazz and ethnic dance.
THE
UNIVERSITIES
Fairfield University -
Since it was established on a rolling 200-acre campus in 1942, Fairfield
University has become an increasingly important community resource. Most of its
varied cultural and special events, including lectures, art exhibitions and
musical, theatrical and related programs, most of them open to the public
without charge. Local residents also use the university's Nyselius Library,
Fairfield's Speakers Bureau and Tour programs and various community
organizations meet here on occasion or hold special programs of town wide
interest. The university's Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts houses a concert
hall, theater and art gallery.
Recognizing the education is a
life-long process, the university also serves the adult community with programs
for credit leading to a degree, for personal enrichment and for professional
advancement. There are part-time programs for undergraduate and graduate
degrees, short, non-traditional courses in the arts and humanities,
professional management-level and career certificate courses and a Women's
Bureau providing courses, workshops and referral services.
Sacred Heart University -
A non-residential university, Sacred Heart offers a unique mix of programs
including those geared to the adult part-time students as well as standard
undergraduate and graduate curricula. On its campus is the Plohn Art Gallery
which offers six exhibits annually featuring prominent and emerging
contemporary artists form the New York and New England areas as well as works
of SHU students and faculty.
PLACES
OF SPECIAL INTEREST
Historical Society -
Fairfield Historical Society on the Old Post Road provides a research library
and houses a museum collection of dolls and dollhouses, costumes and antiques
of all varieties from furniture to farming implements. The Society also runs
Ogden House, a living museum open to the public as previously
mentioned.
Museum of Arts, Science and
Industry - The Museum of Arts Science and Industry (MASI), located on Park
Avenue, Bridgeport, houses a hands-on-gallery designed to encourage
experimentation in the areas of art, science and space. The planetarium, open
daily, displays the heavens from anywhere in the planet and offers four
rotating shows. For additional information call 203-372-3526.
The Wonder Workshop offers
programs for preschool and school-age children. Families can enjoy craft
projects, music programs, science and art activities and move in a relaxed
environment. Family days and birthday parties are among their specialties. Call
203-371-1903.
Westport Nature Center - Nearby
is the Nature Center for environmental activities in Westport which houses
changing exhibits, animals for children to observe and nature
trails.
RECREATION & LEISURE
Fairfield flaunts five clay
tennis courts which convert to a tennis bubble in September through April with
thrity-four asphalt courts.
There are three popular golf
courses, Fairchild Wheeler, a 36 hole course, Smith Richardson Golf Course, an
18 hole course, and South Pine Creek Course which is a nine hole, par 3 course.
There are also baseball and softball diamonds, basketball courts, soccer
fields, boating, camping, hiking, skating, skiing and fishing. There are 22
parks, playgrounds, and picnic areas in Fairfield.
There are also plenty of private
clubs in Fairfield including Brooklawn Beach Club, Patterson Club, Pequot Yacht
Club, Southport Racquetbal, Wakeman Boys and Girls Clubs, and the Fairfield
YMCA.
In the winter, the hills of
Fairfield lend themselves to sledding, the ponds to skating, and thw woodlands
to some cross-country skiing. Through the Recreation Department, which offers
vast numbers of programs year-round, you can sign up for pre-school programs,
fitness classes, basketball programs, tennis, golf, volleyball, soccer, indoor
recreation and even fencing. Sailing lessons and field hockey camp, softball
leagues, and trips to exciting places are all available through a very active
department.
Private running and bicyle
clubs, which are available all year round, are very popular, as are ski-clubs
and cross-country skiing, which are available on a seasonal basis.
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