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The Beauty of Redding Redding has been blessed with a natural beauty in its landscape, hills, marshes, lakes, and glens. The residents of Redding have always shown a strong interest in preserving this natural beauty by maintaining an open space program, restraining new home development to a moderate level, and adhering to the best use of land via enforcement of reasonable planning, zoning, and conservation regulations. Traveling through Redding with a camera is like going on a photo-shoot. The scenery is gorgeous. Location Redding offers close proximity to major job markets in New York City, Westchester County, and Fairfield County with the presence of a rural community environment. It is located approximately 53 miles northeast of New York City, 35 miles northeast of White Plains, 30 miles northeast of Stamford, 8 miles south of Danbury, and 48 miles west of Hartford. The town has been rated #1 among small towns in Connecticut by Connecticut Magazine. The current population is 8270 with an annual growth rate of 1.28% and a land area of 31.5 square miles. The total school enrollment is 2010 pupils with an average class size of 22 pupils. The annual per capita income is $54,000 and the real estate tax rate is 29.0 mils at 70% assessment. Commuters into New York City can take the train from West Redding, Branchville, or Canondale. History Redding was named after the first colonist to settle here, John Read, who came With a wife and two children in 1714. Read was an eighteenth century lawyer, investor, and farmer. He homesteaded on land that is now part of Redding and claimed 500 acres to build a farm, which he called Lonetown Manor. At that time, the land that later became Redding was considered part of the Town of Fairfield, though in name only. Travel by horse and wagon to Fairfield Center for attending church and buying/selling goods took too long. The residents of Redding decided to petition the State of Connecticut for separation from Fairfield. Finally, in 1797, the Connecticut General Assembly incorporated the Town of Redding as an independent township. At the time, Redding had less than 1000 inhabitants. It is interesting to note that the early town records of Redding were destroyed by the British in 1777 when they marched from Fairfield to Danbury, burning many homes and public buildings along the way. Homes with a black ring painted around the chimneys, indicating loyalty to the King, were spared. The route through Redding included Blackrock Turnpike and Sunset Hill Road. The British troops captured a munitions supply in Danbury and then returned to Long Island Sound via Ridgefield, Wilton, and Norwalk. Homes found in Redding today date from the early 1700's through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries to the present. The two acre zoning laws, characteristic of most of the residential areas of Redding, were first enacted in 1953. There has been no demolition of older homes in Redding to build newer ones. Rezoning of land from residential to commercial has been minimal. As a result, almost every home ever built in Redding is still standing! Education System Redding has a long and honored history of intellectual achievement. Two giants of American literature, Joel Barlow and Samuel Clemens (alias Mark Twain) made their homes here. This tradition lives on in Redding's excellent public school system. The system is simple in structure-- one elementary school, Redding Elementary; one middle school, John Read; and one high school, Joel Barlow. Joel Barlow operates as a regional school, in combination with the Town of Easton. The percentage of high school students from Joel Barlow that continue into post secondary education is 92.2. The recently expanded Mark Twain Library, founded by Samuel Clemens in 1909, complements the education program in Redding by providing a collection of 40,000 books, magazines, videos, and CDs plus Internet access. Redding Parks Redding is blessed with three beautiful parks- Putnam Memorial, Topstone, and Huntington. Putnam Memorial, containing 35 acres, has historical significance dating back to the Revolutionary War. It was the largest of three sites of the winter encampments of General Israel Putnam's division of the Continental Army during 1777-1778. It was donated by a Redding resident to the State of Connecticut in the 1880's. In 1971, Edward Steichen, a nationally known artistic photographer and Redding resident, sold his private land holdings of 270 acres to the Town of Redding for the nominal sum of $675,000, in cooperation with Redding Open Lands, Inc (ROLI), for use as a town park. The property was renamed Topstone Park and is used by Redding residents for swimming, fishing, hiking, and camping. Finally, the world-renowned sculptress Anna Hyatt Huntington, a long time Redding resident, donated a total of 900 acres to the State of Connecticut for use as open space and hiking trails. In addition, over 3000 acres of other permanently protected open space land has been acquired and purchased by Redding in cooperation with Redding Open Lands, Inc. (ROLI) since the mid 1960's. The town motto has been "Keep Redding Green"! Recreation Active sports and travel programs are provided in Redding for residents of all ages and talents. These include baseball, basketball, field hockey, football, golf, hockey, lacrosse, skiing, soccer, swimming, tennis, and track. In addition bus transportation is arranged for trips to Broadway shows, major league baseball games, etc. In addition to the Town Parks and Recreation Staff, several volunteer organizations provide additional recreational opportunities, including the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Boys and Girls Club, and the Redding Soccer Club. A new Community Center, soon to be completed, will accommodate activities for all age groups. Places of Worship Redding is home to a broad range of places of worship, both Christian and Jewish. The Social philosophy of Redding is non-discriminatory in terms of race and religion. Its residents support the doctrine of inclusion not exclusion. Health Providers In terms of health providers, Redding residents are serviced by two major hospital systems- Danbury and Norwalk. Medical and dental offices are located also in Bethel, Georgetown, and Ridgefield. |