Brief History of Stratford

Fairfield County, Connecticut

Pre-Colonial time  --  the Native Americans knew the area as Cupheag.

1639 – the town of Stratford founded by 25 families who settled along the Housatonic River. Stratford once encompassed part of Shelton and Trumbull.

c. 1750 – Capt. David Judson built the Georgian style Judson House on the site of his great-grandfather's 1639 stone house. (It is now home to the Stratford Historical Society.)

1880-1885 – the prominent Beach Family of 1812 Elm Street built a Carriage House. (The building was saved by the Stratford Historical Society.)

1886 – a Romanesque mansion was built for the Sterling family, one of Stratford's oldest and wealthiest families. The architect was Bruce Price of New York. Frederick Law Olmsted planned the original lawns and gardens for the homestead. (Sterling House is included in the National Registry Historic District.)

1909 – electricity came to Stratford.

1931  --  Cordelia Sterling, the daughter of Captain John Sterling, died.  She donated the the Sterling Homestead, House and Park, in memory of her father, to the people of Stratford. (Sterling House has been utilized as a community center since 1932.)

1939 – Stratford became the birthplace of the American helicopter industry, when Russian immigrant, Igor Sikorsky successfully flew the first helicopter at his Stratford-based aircraft plant.

1991 – the Friends of Square One Theatre held its first meeting at the home of Bette Kucklick in order to organize a staff of volunteers who would support all aspects of the Square One Theatre Company.

2000 census  -  the population was 49,976.

Sources:

Stratford, Connecticut: About Stratford. http://www.townofstratford.com/about.htm

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