Ledyard, Connecticut

Ledyard /ˈlɛdʒərd/ is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States, located along the Thames River. The town is named after Colonel William Ledyard, a Revolutionary War soldier who was killed with his own saber after surrendering to the British at the end of the Battle of Groton Heights.^[3] The population was 15,051 at the 2010 census.^[2] The Foxwoods Resort Casino, owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, was located in the northeastern section of Ledyard, until the land was annexed by the tribe. Ledyard's zip code is 06339. Within the southwestern area of Ledyard is the district known as Gales Ferry, which has the postal code 06335.

Geography

Bill Library and the Ledyard Congregational Church in Ledyard Center

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 40.0 square miles (104 km²), of which 38.1 square miles (99 km²) is land and 1.9 square miles (4.9 km²), or 4.62%, is water. Ledyard is situated north of Groton, and borders the east bank of the Thames River in southeastern Connecticut. The northern half of the Naval Submarine Base New London is located in the southwest corner of the town.

Ledyard is among the areas of the United States that was covered by a continental ice sheet during the last Ice Age. Therefore, Ledyard has its share of interesting glacial geology. The glaciers that covered Ledyard carried the many large boulders that litter the town. The town has set aside land designated as a "Glacial Park" which consists of a section of end moraine and outwash deposits (containing kettles). This area encompasses a segment of the "Ledyard Moraine"—a clast-supported boulder deposit that is anomalous in nature.

The principal communities of Ledyard are Ledyard Center (also known as Ledyard Village) and the Gales Ferry section (including Christy Hill Estates, Devonshire Estates, Ferry View Heights, Glenwoods, Birdland, Sherwood Forest, and Woodridge Estates). Other minor communities and geographic areas are Aljen Heights, Barrett Park, Colonial Manor, Cranwood Homestead, Highlands, Lakeside, Lantern Hill, Long Pond, Parsonage Hill Manor, Presidential Estates, Quaker Town, and Stonehenge. The town also contains the Mashantucket Pequot Reservation, in the northeastern corner of the town.

Notable people

Andy Dick (1965–), actor/comedian, grew up in Ledyard
Casey Neistat (1981–), filmmaker, grew up in Ledyard
Doc Hammer (1967–), painter and co-creator of The Venture Bros., born in Ledyard^[4]
Frederick Ayer (1822–1918), industrialist born in Ledyard
Dean Neistat (1983–), Actor, Stuntman, USAF grew up in Ledyard
Fuller Potter (1910–1990), abstract expressionist artist, lived most of his life in town
Lyn-Z (1977–), bassist for Mindless Self Indulgence, grew up in Ledyard
Ron Jirsa (1959–), men's college basketball coach born in Ledyard
Samuel Seabury (1729–1796), Second Presiding Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church, born in Ledyard
Gordon Waller (1945-2009), member of Peter & Gordon, lived in Ledyard

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1840	1,871		—
1850	1,558		−16.7%
1860	1,615		3.7%
1870	1,392		−13.8%
1880	1,373		−1.4%
1890	1,183		−13.8%
1900	1,236		4.5%
1910	1,079		−12.7%
1920	1,161		7.6%
1930	1,144		−1.5%
1940	1,426		24.7%
1950	1,749		22.7%
1960	5,395		208.5%
1970	14,837		175.0%
1980	13,735		−7.4%
1990	14,913		8.6%
2000	14,687		−1.5%
2010	15,051		2.5%
Est. 2014	15,121	^[5]	0.5%
Population 1840 - 2000^[6] Population 2010^[2]

As of the census^[7] of 2000, there were 14,687 people, 5,286 households, and 4,101 families residing in the town. The population density was 385.1 people per square mile (148.7/km²). There were 5,486 housing units at an average density of 143.8 per square mile (55.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was:

88.23% White
3.51% Native American
2.70% Hispanic or Latino of any race
2.50% African American
2.19% Asian
0.07% Pacific Islander
0.84% from other races
2.66% from two or more races

There were 5,286 households out of which 39.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.2% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.4% were non-families. 16.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.12.

The ages of Ledyard's population were spread out with:

28.3% under 18
6.3% from 18 to 24
31.0% from 25 to 44
25.4% from 45 to 64
9.0% from 65 years of age or older.

The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 97.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $62,647, and the median income for a family was $69,214. Males had a median income of $46,582 versus $32,339 for females. The per capita income for the town was $24,953. About 2.9% of families and 4.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.5% of those under age 18 and 2.7% of those age 65 or over.

Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 25, 2005^[8]
Party		Active Voters	Inactive Voters	Total Voters	Percentage
	Republican	2,350	104	2,454	27.07%
	Democratic	1,879	85	1,964	21.66%
	Unaffiliated	4,404	245	4,649	51.27%
	Minor Parties	0	0	0	0.0%
Total		8,633	434	9,067	100%

Schools

Ledyard High School in 2014

Ledyard has four elementary schools, a middle school and a high school. The Superintendent of Schools is Cathy Patterson who had recently served as the Assistant Superintendent of Schools. The Assistant Superintendent of Schools is Dr. Jennifer Byars, who previously served as Principal and Assistant Principal of many of the town's schools. The Superintendent is appointed by the Board of Education.

Elementary schools:

Gales Ferry School (Grades K through 2)
Gallup Hill School (Grades K through 6)
Juliet W. Long School (Grades 3 through 6)
Ledyard Center School (Grades K through 6)

Middle school:

Ledyard Middle School (Grades 7 & 8)

High school:

Ledyard High School (Grades 9 through 12)

Government & Emergency Services

The Town of Ledyard is governed by the Mayor-Council form of government. The mayor is elected by registered voters and serves as the Town's Full-time Administrator and Chief Executive; elected mayors serve for a term of 4 years and there are no term-limits. The mayor, with advice from the town council and voters appoints officials to positions such as: Town Clerk, Town Attorney, Director of Finance, Director of Public Works, and many of the other administrative positions. The Town Council has the power to appoint officials to Boards and Commissions, as Fire Marshals and Town Clerks. Registered Voters also elect the members of the Board of Education.

Police

The Town of Ledyard operates an independent police force, administered by Chief of Police John Rich. The town previously had provided Police Services through the Resident State Trooper Program. The department employs 22 highly trained personnel including the chief, an administrative assistant, and one detective.

The Town of Ledyard Police Department is also tasked with operating the Ledyard Animal Control Division.

Fire & EMS Service

The Town of Ledyard operates the Ledyard Fire Company and the Gales Ferry Volunteer Fire Company.

Employers

The Naval Submarine Base New London, located immediately south of Ledyard in Groton, is a significant employer of Ledyard residents. Other major employers include Foxwoods Resort Casino, Electric Boat, and Pfizer.

Media

Radio

Radio stations licensed in Ledyard include WCSE-LP.

Television

Ledyard was featured on an episode of the MTV show MADE, in which Katherine, a shy, book-loving teenager, is made into Miss Congeniality in her town's beauty pageant for Miss Ledyard Fair.

Points of interest

Allyn's Point on the Thames River

National Register of Historic Places

Applewood Farm—founded in 1826, it was listed on the NRHP in 1987.
Gurdon Bill Store—built in 1818, it was added to the NRHP in 1982.
Nathan Lester House—built in 1793, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
Main Sawmill—built in 1869, it was added to the NRHP in 1972.
Mashantucket Pequot Reservation Archeological District—added to the NRHP and declared a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1993.
Perkins-Bill House—built in 1781, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.
Capt. Mark Stoddard Farmstead—built in 1770, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.

Panorama of Ledyard Center, including the fire department, town hall, Ledyard Center School, and Ledyard Congregational Church plus several businesses

References

↑ "Mayor's Office". Town of Ledyard, CT. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
1 2 3 "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Ledyard town, New London County, Connecticut". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved October 25, 2012.
↑ Zug, James (6 March 2009). American Traveler: The Life and Adventures of John Ledyard, the Man Who Dreamed of Walking the World. Basic Books. p. 272. ISBN 978-0-7867-3941-7.
↑ Hammer, Doc (2005-05-16). "50 Questions (from MySpace)". DeviantArt. Retrieved 2010-12-07.
↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Retrieved June 4, 2015.
↑ Accessed April 21, 2010.
↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
↑ "Registration and Party Enrollment Statistics as of October 25, 2005" (PDF). Connecticut Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-09-23. Retrieved 2006-10-02.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ledyard, Connecticut.

Ledyard, Connecticut travel guide from Wikivoyage
Town of Ledyard official website
Ledyard Public Schools
Ledyard Community Profile at Epodunk

State of Connecticut

Hartford (capital)

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