Weston Information
The history of Weston dates back to 1725 when initial residents came from the neighboring town of Fairfield. Westonites were originally farmers, although Weston’s soil was far from ideal. In 1787 Weston officially became a town; prior to that it had been merged with Easton. In the 1800’s Weston produced iron, steel, cigars, horn buttons, shirts and hats. In 1835 Weston’s Boarding School was founded. Most students came here from NY. In 1857 there were seven one-room schoolhouses; each had one teacher and students of all ages. The Weston Historical Society, founded in 1961 has helped to preserve this information for our future. This building is housed at the Coley Homestead on a 3.7 parcel of land on Weston Road. Weston has changed quite a bit since its inception. According to the US Census in 2000, Weston is # 3 in the state for per capital income, #1 for the percentage of people who have graduate education, and #4 for home prices.
One characteristic that is distinctive about Weston is their emphasis on natural preservation. Weston is known for their purchase of conservation land. In fact, almost one third of the Town is actually permanently devoted to open space use. Some examples of this protected land are: the northern Nature Conservancy Lucius Pond Ordway- Devil’s Den 1,765 acres; Katherine Ordways Preserves 72 acres on the east side of Weston; or the 645 acres of land belonging to the Aspetuck Land Trust which is literally all over the town. Devil’s Den, in particular, is a favorite sojourn for families and school children. Many school field trips occur here, where there are 21 miles of walking trails and many natural wonders to learn about and appreciate.
Over 50 years ago, Weston developed a plan to help keep Weston rural. This included establishing minimum 2-acre lots for new homes on remaining land. As a result, the charming homes of Weston are all on oversized lots and are surrounded by natural beauty and serenity. Typically the homes are Colonials, Farmhouses, and some Capes and Contemporaries. There are no condominiums, apartment houses or corporate offices.
In addition, the Town decided to take tight control over commercial development. The only stores that exist are in our Weston Center. These include: a gas station; dry cleaners; package store; drug store-Weston Pharmacy; a terrific supermarket-Peter’s Market; luncheonette-The Lunch Box; and the Weston Post Office. Peter’s Market is a frequent stop for many Westonites as the food is top quality and one can get virtually anything that is needed. The “Lunch Box” is a misnomer as it is open for breakfast and dinner as well. They even deliver. This small restaurant is a friendly place where town members inevitably bump into other Westonites. The Weston Pharmacy has that nice, small town feel. The pharmacists know most of the residents and will go that extra mile to provide quick service, and will let you know any specific information regarding prescriptions being filled. If one wants other shopping opportunities, there are many within a short distance in neighboring towns.
Weston’s Schools are truly exemplary. Surprisingly, for many years Weston didn’t actually have its own schools. Students were bused into neighboring Westport. However, this all changed in 1968 when the town built its own 16 million dollar school system. This is located on a 125- acre parcel of land on School road. Along this road are the elementary school, the middle school, the high school and the playing fields. In 2005, due to increased population, a fourth school was added-Weston Intermediate School. Huge improvements and large additions were also made to the other three schools. Extra playing fields were also added. Now, the schools are divided as follows: Hurlbutt Elementary school houses pre-K through 2nd grade; Weston Intermediate School includes children from grades 3-5; Weston Middle School has students from 6-8th grade; and Weston High School goes from 9th-12th grade. There are currently approximately 2,600 students in total serviced in these four schools and a teaching body of approximately 263 individuals. 89% of these teachers have advanced degrees, and many teachers spend their entire tenure in the Weston School System. Weston’s Schools have earned the designation of “Blue Ribbon”-which means that they are in the top 1% of schools in the nation. More than 95% of the graduates go to College, and State Mastery and SAT scores are amongst the highest in Connecticut. The Talented and Gifted Programs as well as Special Education are stellar. The town of Weston believes that the quality of their schools is paramount; therefore approximately 64% of the town’s budget is allotted to education.
Families who are seeking religious affiliation have three choices in town. There is the historic Norfield Congregational Church, the Emmanuel Episcopal Church and St. Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Church. There are many other churches and temples in the neighboring towns.
Country Fairs are a lovely part of Weston. There are Church fairs in the spring and the fall, as well as the Grange Fair at harvest time. On every Saturday morning from April to October, the Weston Women’s League sponsors the Farmer’s Market. This is currently being held at the Weston Historical Society. Vendors bring items such as fresh produce and homemade honey. The Hurl butt Elementary School PTO runs a Memorial Day fair, which the children treasure. There are rides, games, and typical fair food. The Weston Fire Department runs an incomparable Memorial Day Parade. A huge amount of town members bring their blankets/chairs and sit along Weston road. The children happily scour the streets reaching for the candy that is thrown by those marching in the parade. Other fun events are the Halloween Party, and the Easter Egg Hunt- both housed on the Historical Society grounds. Lastly, Fourth of July goes off with a boom on the school grounds. Town Residents come early with blankets and picnic fare, and listen to the band while they await the fireworks. All of these special moments really add to the small town feeling of Weston.
Swimming opportunities are abundant. Weston Residents are allowed to purchase seasonal passes to the Westport Beach for a moderate cost. Weston Middle School has their own pool and town members can pay a minor fee to take advantage of open swim hours. There are also swimming classes, water wizards, and birthday parties offered through the Weston Parks and Recreation Department. The Bisceglie-Scribner Park has an outdoor “swimming hole” which is a man made outdoor pool fed by natural underground springs. It is encased in sand and the children love it! It is also a place where town’s people congregate. There are also pools in the Aspetuck Country Club and the Field Club.
Weston Field Club 1 Weston Field Club 2
There are many sporting opportunities offered in Weston. Most sport facilities are either through the schools, Park and Recreation program or private clubs. There is tennis, judo, swimming, golf, football, basketball, softball, Little League. There are special programs like horseback riding, exercise classes, snorkeling and scuba and skiing. Many people enjoy fishing along the Saugatuck-this is open to all with a permit. Of course, there are numerous walking trails all over the town. Tennis is available through the 6 town tennis courts at the Weston High School and through the Weston Racquet Club. There are playgrounds at both Bisceglie-Scribner Park and at the Weston Schools. Also, the playground at Westport’s Compo Beach is available provided one has paid for the Westport Beach Permit.
Aspetuck Country Club: 203-226-4701
Devil’s Den Preserve: 203-226-4991
Hurlbutt Elementary School: 203-291-1444
Special Education: 203-291-1406
Weston Field Club: 203-227-8487
Weston High School: 203-291-1600
Weston Intermediate School: 203-291-2700
Weston Middle School: 203-291-1600
Weston Parks and Recreation Department: 203-454-1905
Weston Racquet Club: 203-226-3349
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