Redding
REDDING, CT
Redding is located in exclusive Fairfield County, Connecticut, one of the most expensive counties in the United States. Bordered by Bethel and Danbury to the north, Ridgefield to the west, Wilton to the south, and Weston and Newtown, Redding has a total area of 32.1 square miles of rural tranquility. And this is what Redding is all about; space, beauty, privacy and memories of the past.
The population density of Reading is 262.5 people per square mile compared to its neighbor Ridgefield, with a population density of 1,125.2. There is strict two acre zoning in town with the exception of the Georgetown neighborhood. Redding consistently has been rated as one of the best small towns to live in, attaining the Number four ranking in the US in 2009 from CNN Money. The 9,144 residents pride themselves on their ability to live a quiet and peaceful life in this beautiful town.
There are two railroad stations in Redding which brings you quickly to the main line to New York City. There are two North /South roads, Route 7, Route 23 and Route 27, linking to Danbury to the north with its large shopping mall and Wilton and Westport to the South with its sophisticated shops and restaurants. If it is important that you can jump in your car and be at a store in five minutes, Redding is not the town for you. The historic center has no stores of any kind and to gas up your car or buy loaf bread means a drive of fifteen minutes.
Redding was incorporated in 1767 and became a farming and manufacturing community in the 19th and early 20th century. The railroad came to town in 1852 and with it Redding ceased to be a major transit point for goods on their way from Norwalk to Danbury and the population decreased rapidly as farms were given up and families moved away. It was not until after World War II that New Yorkers discovered the delights of living in such a beautiful setting and began to build new houses and buy up the antique colonials.
Redding prides itself on its educational facilities and offers outstanding outdoor activities. Joel Barlow High School is consistently ranked among the top High Schools in Connecticut, earning the prestigious Silver Medal from US News and World Report. Redding has two elementary/middle schools and one High School which enrolls 988 students. The student/teacher ratio is 14.3 and 89% of its graduates attend a four year college.
The Mark Twain Library is outstanding with its cache of Twain memorabilia. Twain lived in town for a number of years and died here in 1910 shortly after contributing money to build the library. Other well known people who have called Redding home are Leonard Bernstein, Jascha Heifetz, Meat Loaf, Mary Travers of Peter, Paul and Mary fame, and the well known photographer Edward Steichen.
It is the outdoors where Redding shows itself in dramatic fashion. There is Putnam Memorial Park, the oldest state park in Connecticut with its hiking trails and revolutionary sites, and Devil’s Den, with 1,746 pristine acres of hiking trails and nature preserve. There is Redding Country Club with its 18 hole golf course and tennis courts and pool and there are miles and miles of two lane roads lined with fields, woods and fabulous homes.
Redding is a unique town with a foot in the past aware of the encroachments of today and determined to remain a place of peace and calm.