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HISTORY The area now known as East Haven was obtained by Puritan settlers Reverend John Davenport and Theophilus Eaton in 1638 as part of the purchase of New Haven from the local Quinnipiack tribe. During colonial times, this area remained as part of the town of New Haven and went by several names; these include "East Farms" and "Iron Works Village". The latter name stems from the area being home to the first ironworks constructed in Connecticut, which was built on the shores of Lake Saltonstall in 1655. In 1639 Thomas Gregson , the first landowner, purchased Solitary Cove, later called Morris Cove . The first Connecticut ironworks was located in 1655 by Lake Saltonstall, formerly named Lonotononket, then Furnace Pond. East Farms became knows as Iron Works Village, the third iron industry in the New England colonies. Jacob Hemingway , the original Yale student, served as the first pastor (1704-1754) of the Congregational Church. In 1774 the Old Stone Church was erected; its first minister was Nicholas Street. During the American Revolution , the area saw troop movement and encampment by both revolutionary and British forces. In 1779, the British briefly invaded and occupied the district; Lafayette and revolutionary forces also visited town and encamped on the green. The town became an independent entity from New Haven in 1785. In the 20th century, East Haven was transformed from an older suburb of the city to a more built-up urbanized area. Many of the town's residents are members or descendants of New Haven's Italian-American community. CULTURE AND NOTABLE FEATURES As already stated, East Haven is known for its vibrant Italian-American ethnic heritage, many town residents and outsiders affectionally refer to it as "Staven". East Haven is also the location of the Shoreline Trolley Museum , which shows the history of trolley cars in the New Haven area. East Haven shares with New Haven the land belonging to local Tweed-New Haven Airport . The largest food bank in Connecticut, the Connecticut Food Bank , is headquartered in East Haven. In 1998 Vinnie Penn, a radio personality for KC101, did a very funny update of the song " Silver Bells " called "Christmas Time in East Haven" that mocked the "vibrant Italian-American ethnic heritage". Some say this was the reason for his previously unannouced departure in 2005. East Haven's current mayor is Joseph Maturo. Fall Festival One of East Haven's best-loved annual events is the East Haven Fall Festival, currently in the planning stages of its fifteenth year. Begun in 1992, it is a celebration of local talent and commerce. Highlights include an annual roadrace, a vintage car show, and an excellent midway that opens to the stage crafted from the town's gazebo. A favorite Festival highlight is the performance schedule, which includes exhibitions from local martial arts and dance studios as well as hour-long sets from musicians in such genres as jazz, rock 'n roll, and American Top 40. Past performers include both local favorites like The Galvanized Jazz Band, One Way Ticket, and Lauren Cook and Sierra, and also national acts like Leslie Gore and Livingston Taylor (brother of James Taylor ). GEOGRAPHY According to the United States Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 34.8 Km&2 (13.4 Mi&2 ). 31.8 km&2 (12.3 mi&2) of it is land and 3.0 km&2 (1.1 mi&2) of it is water. The total area is 8.57% water. If one were to look at East Haven on a map, it would appear taller than it is long. NEIGHBORHOODS AND HISTORICAL LANDMARKS The residents of the town divide it into three large "sections" rather than a number of smaller neighborhoods. These sections are:
DEMOGRAPHICS As of the Census 2 of 2000, there were 28,189 people, 11,219 households, and 7,494 families residing in the town. The Population Density was 887.8/km&2 (2,298.4/mi&2). There were 11,698 housing units at an average density of 368.4/km&2 (953.8/mi&2). The racial makeup of the town was 93.92% White , 1.40% African American , 0.14% Native American , 1.91% Asian , 0.01% Pacific Islander , 1.52% from Other Races , and 1.09% from two or more races. 4.36% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 11,219 households out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.6% were Married Couples living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.2% were non-families. 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.08. In the town the population was spread out with 22.2% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 31.6% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.8 males. The median income for a household in the town was $47,930, and the median income for a family was $56,803. Males had a median income of $41,464 versus $30,709 for females. The Per Capita Income for the town was $22,396. 5.2% of the population and 3.5% of families were below the Poverty Line . 4.7% of those under the age of 18 and 9.1% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. NOTABLE RESIDENTS
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