The area was first settled in the 1680s as Peagscomsuck, consisting mainly of land north of Norwich, south of New Roxbury, Massachusetts, and west of the Quinebaug River, Peagscomsuck Island, and the Plainfield Settlement. In 1703 it was officially separated from Plainfield and named The Town of Canterbury. The town's name is a transfer from Canterbury, in England.
Prudence Crandall's School (1831–1834)
In 1832, Prudence Crandall, a schoolteacher raised as a Quaker, stirred controversy when she opened the Canterbury Female Boarding School and admitted black girls to it. Prominent Canterbury resident Andrew T. Judson led efforts against the school. The Connecticut General Assembly passed a "Black Law" which prohibited the education of black children from out of state, but Crandall persisted in teaching, and in 1833 was arrested and spent a night in jail. Drawn- outlegal proceedings not leading to success, violence by a mob of Canterbury residents forced the closure of the school in 1834. Crandall left the state snd never returned. Connecticut repealed the Black Law in 1838, and later recognized Crandall with a small pension in 1886, four years before her death. In 1995, the Connecticut General Assembly designated Prudence Crandall as the state's official heroine because she opened the first school in the United States for black girls. The school still stands in Canterbury, and currently houses the Prudence Crandall Museum. It is a National Historic Landmark, and the leading tourist attraction in Canterbury. In 2009 a life-size bronze statue of Prudence Crandall with one of her African-American students was installed in the state capital.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of, of which, of it is land and of it is water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,692 people, 1,717 households, and 1,339 families residing in the town. The population density was 117.6 people per square mile. There were 1,762 housing units at an average density of 44.2 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 97.34% White, 0.36% African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.30% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.07% of the population. There were 1,717 households, out of which 37.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.5% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.0% were non-families. 16.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.06. In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.7% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.9 males. The median income for a household in the town was $55,547, and the median income for a family was $65,095. Males had a median income of $41,521 versus $28,672 for females. The per capita income for the town was $22,317. About 3.5% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.2% of those under age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over.
Canterbury Center Historic District — Roughly along Elmdale, Library, N. Canterbury, S. Canterbury, and Westminster Rds.. The historic district includes Colonial, Federal, and other architectural styles.
Canterbury's new administration was elected in November 2019. They will serve through November 2021. Christopher J. Lippke is First Selectman, Mark O. Weeks is Second Selectman, Jonathan T. Lane is Third Selectman. Natalie Ruth Ellston was elected to serve as Town Clerk and Tax Collector of Canterbury CT. Laurie Epler is the hired Town Treasurer.
