NEW CANAAN

New Canaan incorporated in 1801, was originally established as Canaan Parish in 1731. Because this community was not planned as a town, it did not have a main street, central common, or a town hall. Like many of the surrounding communities of the time, New Canaan was primarily an agricultural community. After the Revolutionary War, the major industry transitioned to shoemaking, similar to that of the neighboring town of Pound Ridge, NY to its north. As the shoe business grew in the early 19th century, regional settlements sprang up such as Ponus Ridge, West Road, Oenoke Ridge, Smith Ridge, Talmadge Hill, and Silvermine.

 

With the expansion of the railroad in 1868, New Canaan, like many of the towns in Fairfield County, began to attract New York City’s wealthy who began building summer homes. Eventually, these estates started becoming permanent residents, making this town one of the most sought-after zip codes. Come the 1940s, New Canaan started to become known as a center for modern architecture with many well-known homes you can visit today, like the Philip Johnson Glass House.

 

A quaint downtown with boutiques, shops, and restaurants and easy access to the train and the Merritt Parkway, make this a gold star town in a part of Connecticut’s Gold Coast.