Milford, Connecticut
Milford, Connecticut Quick Facts: Land area is approximately 23 Square Miles and the elevation is 60 feet. Incorporated in 1639, Milford currently has about 54,040 residents in 21,269 households, 74% of which are owner occupied. Approximately 32.4% of the housing stock built prior to 1950. The 2012-2013 Tax Rate is 25.6 mills. See the 2011-2012 property tax rate for Milford here.
Check out our 12 page detailed demographic report HERE.
Milford is the southwesternmost city in New Haven County, and borders Fairfield County. In 1639, Milford began with the purchase of what the Paugusset Indians called "Wepawaug". The city itself contains the incorporated borough of Woodmont (1903) and the village of Devon. Since Milford was one of the earliest settlements in this part of Connecticut, it bore several new towns that broke off and incorporated separately, inlcuding Orange and Woodbridge.
Milford was known primarily for shipbuilding and oystering, although there were also a few industrial facilities in town. The leather industry, including the making of shoes, boots, hats saw a rise here in the early 1900's, and the town was also well known for its carriages. Fort Trumbull was constructed in the late 1700's to protect the town after a blockade by Continental forces during the Revolutionary War. The actual site of the blockade is marked by the Liberty Rock monument. Milford was a stop on the Underground Railroad, during the Civil War.
See a Virtual Tour of Milford here
Early in its city life, Milford was considered a type of vacation destination for Bridgeport and New Haven residents. Since Milford boasts 17 miles of coastline on both Long Island Sound and the Housatonic River, it was and still remains very much an active water community. All that coastline and a plethora of beaches including Anchor Beach, Burwells Beach, Cedar Beach, Far View Beach, Merwin's Beach, Walnut Beach, Wildermere Beach,Myrtle Beach Pond Point Beach, and Silver Sands Beach. A number of small communities are within Milford, some of which are Morningside, Woodmont, Gulf Beach, Laurel Beach, Merwin's Point, Milford Point, Point Lookout, Wheelers Farms, Devon, and the Rivercliff area. Milford has two boat launching ramps: Milford Lisman Landing Marina at the Head of the Harbor and Milford Harbor.Three commercial marinas and the Milford Yacht Club offer boat slips. The Silver Sands State Park comprises a large portion of Milford's miles of shoreline. At low tide, you can walk on the sandbar to Charles Island, which is a protected bird sanctuary. Milford also owns three islands in the Housatonic River: Fowler Island, just to the south of the Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Bridge, Duck Island and Nells Island.
Each August, Milford celebrates its annual Oyster Festival on the Milford green, which is a type of town fair with, with a wide variety of events, music,and a culinary celebration of the town's shellfish history on Long Island Sound. The Milford Cultural Center puts together a number of events throughout the year, and the Milford Fine Arts Council is a very active group. A number of parks include two golf courses, the Connecticut Audubon Society Coastal Center at Milford Point,. an 8.4 acrea barrier beach that is next to 840 salt marsh at the Housatonic River, 220 acre Eisenhower Park and a number of other smaller parks and hiking trails in town.
Abundant shopping possibilities abound within the Westfield Shoppingtown Shopping Mall as well as up and down The Post Road, (Route 1) also known as furniture row. Transportation to and from Milford is easy- Accessible from I-95, the Merritt Parkway, and by train via Metro North railroad .
SEARCH MILFORD PROPERTIES HERE
TRIVIA: If you bought Quaker Oats back in 1902, the boxes came with a coupon for the legal deed to a tiny lot in Milford. Many of the lots were as small as 10 x 10 feet, and were carved out of a 15-acre tract in a never-built subdivision called "Liberty Park." At some time in the 1970's, town officials wanted to develop the area, and began a "general foreclosure" on all of the small parcels.. One of the streets in the Liberty Park subdivision plans, Shelland Street, is an access road to the Milford Power Company, and the site is currently home to the BIC Corporation's lighter factory.
Just a mile off Silver Sands Beach, a small island the Indians called "Poquahaug" (Charles Island) is said to have buried treasure. Captain Kidd and other pirates frequently sailed and hid along the Connecticut coast.
Our country's first President dined and stayed here, and three Connecticut governors have called Milford home.
Heidi Alice Voight, Miss Connecticut 2006, was from Milford.
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