New Haven, Connecticut (CT), United States

Facts & Statistics
Place Name	New Haven
Place Status (Type)	city
Population	130,474 (1990)
Location	New Haven County, Connecticut (CT), United States, North America
Latitude	41°18'N
Longitude	72°55'W

New Haven , city (1990 pop. 130,474), New Haven co., S Conn., port of entry where the Quinnipiac and other small rivers enter L.I. Sound; 41°18'N 72°55'W. Firearms and ammunition, clocks and watches, tools, rubber and paper prods., and textiles are among the mfg. The city is an educational center, being the seat of Yale Univ. and its allied institutions and of Albertus Magnus Col. and Southern Conn. State Univ. New Haven was founded in 1637-1638 by Puritans led by Theophilus Eaton and John Davenport. The city hosted the 1995 World Special Olympics, which attracted many internatl. heads of state. It was one of the 1st planned communities in Amer. and was the chief town of a colony that later included Milford, Guilford, Stamford, Branford, and Southold (on L.I.). Its govt. was theocratic; religion was a test for citizenship, and life was regulated by strict rules. In 1665 the colony was reluctantly united with Conn.; it was joint capital with Hartford from 1701 to 1875. In the late 18th and early 19th cents., New Haven was a thriving port. Mfg. grew, and New Haven firearms, hardware, coaches, and carriages became famous prods. New Haven was raided by a Br. and Tory force in the Amer. Revolution, and the port was blockaded during the War of 1812. The world's 1st commercial telephone exchange was est. there in 1879. The city centers upon a large public green, dating from 1680, on which stand 3 churches built bet. 1812 and 1816—Center and United Churches (both Congregational) and Trinity Church (Episcopal). Many old bldgs. have been preserved, and there is a historic dist. Landmarks in the city are 2 traprock cliffs—West Rock, with the Judges' Cave, and East Rock. Since the 1950s, New Haven has received natl. attention for its pioneering urban renewal projects. The nation's 1st antipoverty program began there in 1962. Despite these improvements, the city suffered a serious racial riot in 1967. New Haven's mfg.-based economy has since declined, and by 1990 mfg. employed less than 20% of city's workforce. Noah Webster and Eli Whitney lived and are buried in the city. Inc. 1784.