![]() It also has two Metro-North railroad stations for commuter trains into New York City, with a 38 to 39 miles (61 to 63 km) commute of 46–50 minutes from Noroton Heights and 49–53 minutes from Darien. Its northern border is just south of the historic Merritt Parkway, where Exits 36 and 37 are closest to the town. The town has four exits on the northbound-traffic side of Interstate 95 (Exits 10–13) and three on the southbound-traffic side (where there is no Exit 12). Geography Īccording to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 14.8 square miles (38 km 2), of which 12.9 square miles (33 km 2) is land and 2.0 square miles (5.2 km 2), or 13.41%, is water. 82% of the people stopped are white, 12% are Black, and 15% are Hispanic. Laura Hobson's novel Gentleman's Agreement centered on antisemitism in Darien, in neighboring towns, and among the WASP culture of the era.ĭarien is one of the few municipalities in Connecticut that comply with the State's mandate to report the racial and ethnic makeup of people stopped by the police. There were events involving anti-Black racism and anti-Semitism in the 1930s and 1940s, with Darien being a prototypical sundown town. The town's exclusionary policies in the early 20th century were similar to many segregated suburbs at that time, including Beverly Hills, California and Tuxedo Park, New York. Previously, however, Darien had a narrower racial and religious culture. One of seven households report speaking a language other than English at home. In the twenty-first century, Darien is a multi-ethnic town with residents of many religions and backgrounds, although still overwhelmingly white. ĭarien was mostly white Protestant through the middle of the twentieth century. "You can always tell when someone is not from here, because they do pronounce it the way it's spelled," Louise Berry, director of the town library, said in a 2006 interview. Residents say this is still the proper pronunciation. The town name is pronounced / d ɛər i ˈ æ n/ (like "Dairy-Ann"), with stress on the last syllable, and has been referred to as such at least as far back as 1913. A sailor who had traveled to Isthmus of Darien, then part of the Spanish Empire, suggested the name Darien, which was eventually adopted by the people of the town. He apparently rejected the honor while supporting the Darien option. Some proposed naming the town "Belleville" in honor of Thaddeus Bell, a veteran of the revolutionary war. Middlesex Parish was incorporated as the Town of Darien in 1820.Īccording to the Darien Historical Society, the name Darien was decided upon when the residents of the town could not agree on a name to replace Middlesex Parish, many families wanting it to be named after themselves. The Loyalist-Patriot conflict in Darien is the setting for the novel Tory Hole, the first book by children's author Louise Hall Tharp. Tories raided the town several times during the American Revolution at one point, they took 26 men in the parish prisoner for five months, including the Reverend Moses Mather, pastor of the parish. It was not until 1739, however, that the Middlesex Society of the Town of Stamford built the first community church, now the First Congregational Church of Darien, which stands on the original site at the corner of Brookside Road and the Boston Post Road. Main article: History of Darien, ConnecticutĪccording to early records, the first clearings of land were made by men from the New Haven and Wethersfield colonies and from Norwalk in about 1641. For recreation, the town boasts eleven parks, two public beaches, the private Tokeneke beach club, three country clubs including the first organized golf club in Connecticut, a riding and racquet club, the public Darien Boat Club, and Noroton Yacht Club. Many residents commute to New York City, with two Metro-North railroad stations, Noroton Heights and Darien, which link Darien to Grand Central Terminal. Situated on Long Island Sound between the cities of Stamford and Norwalk, the town has relatively few office buildings. It has the youngest population of any non-college town in Connecticut, a high rate of marriage, and high average number of children per household. The town is part of the Western Connecticut Planning Region. With a population of 21,499 and a land area of just under 13 square miles, it is the smallest town on Connecticut's Gold Coast. Darien ( / ˌ d ɛər i ˈ æ n/ dair-ee- AN) is a coastal town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States.
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