| Ridgefield, Connecticut |
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Ridgefield is a town located in Fairfield County, Connecticut . As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 23,643. Notable residents of the town include Carolyn Kepcher from the hit NBC Show '' The Apprentice ''; author and artist Maurice Sendak , best known for his book '' Where The Wild Things Are '', Priceline founder Jay Walker, queer actor and playwright Harvey Fierstein , composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz , actor Robert Vaughn and cartoonist Roz Chast . Past residents have included JFK advisor , an American painter, illustrator, and sculptor who specialized in depictions of the American West, futurist Alvin Toffler and former Partridge, David Bruce Cassidy. Ridgefield is home to the Keeler Tavern Museum and the prestigious Aldrich Museum Of Modern Art . HISTORY Ridgefield was founded in 1708 , when a group of settlers purchased land from the Ramapoo Tribe . The most notable historical event to occur there was the Battle of Ridgefield (on April 27, 1777 ), a Revolutionary War skirmish between colonial militia (led by, among others, Benedict Arnold ), and a British force returning from a raid on the colonial supply depot in Danbury, Connecticut . The Keeler Tavern , a local inn and museum, features a British cannonball still lodged in the side of the building. There are many other landmarks from the Revolutionary War in the town, with most along Main Street. Of the families to settle in Ridgefield, the Rockwells and Lounsburys owned approximately one third of the land in Ridgefield by 1900 . Among the major buildings built or owned by this family were the State Police Barracks (at the time, a family home) and the Keeler Tavern. The families lost most of these landholdings in the Great Depression of 1929 . These two families had a tremendous impact on politics, not only in Ridgefield, but at all levels in the United States . At the state level, the Lounsburys supplied two of Connecticut's governors. More recently, the Rockwells and the Lynches (linked through marriage) continued the connection to politics through Patricia Lynch , who married US President Richard Nixon . GEOGRAPHY According to the United States Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 90.6 Km&2 (35.0 Mi&2 ). 89.2 km&2 (34.4 mi&2) of it is land and 1.4 km&2 (0.5 mi&2) of it is water. The total area is 1.52% water. The town is bordered by Westchester County, New York to the west, Danbury, Connecticut to the north, Wilton, Connecticut to the south and Redding, Connecticut to the east. The town has a Metro North railroad station called Branchville. DEMOGRAPHICS As of the Census 2 of 2000, there were 23,643 people, 8,433 households, and 6,611 families residing in the town. The Population Density was 265.1/km&2 (686.7/mi&2). There were 8,877 housing units at an average density of 99.5/km&2 (257.8/mi&2). The racial makeup of the town was 96.12% White , 0.62% Black or African American , 0.09% Native American , 2.08% Asian , 0.03% Pacific Islander , 0.36% from Other Races , and 0.70% from two or more races. 1.97% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 8,433 households out of which 43.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.6% were Married Couples living together, 6.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.6% were non-families. 18.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.5% 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 3.21. In the town the population was spread out with 30.6% under the age of 18, 3.2% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 27.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.4 males. The median income for a household in the town was $107,351, and the median income for a family was $127,981. Males had a median income of $100,000 versus $50,236 for females. The Per Capita Income for the town was $51,795. 2.4% of the population and 1.3% of families were below the Poverty Line . 1.7% of those under the age of 18 and 5.3% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. SCHOOLS The public school system of Ridgefield comprises 9 schools. The 6 elementary schools are Veterans Park, Branchville, Farmingville, Scotland, Barlow Mountain, and Ridgebury. Scotts Ridge and East Ridge are the town's middle schools. The one high school is Ridgefield High School . Ridgefield High School 's team is the Tigers. EXTERNAL LINKS
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