Town of Durham

Facts about Durham

Town/City established:

• Incorporated in 1708.

Named from:

• This town was named from Durham, a town and county in England. Durham also comes from the Indian name, “Coginchaug”.

County:

• Middlesex.

Notable citizens (past and present):

• Stephen F. Austin, founder of the state of Texas.
• Vernon “Lefty” Gomez, New York Yankee Hall of Famer.
• Charles D. Madsen, Wisconsin State Senator.
• Nathaniel Chauncey, first graduate of Yale University.
• Vin Baker, former NBA player for Milwaukee Bucks.

Top Five Attractions:

• Millers Pond State Park.
• Miller Tree Farm.
• Tri-Mountain State Park.
• Durham Farm Museum.
• Mattabesett Blue Trail.

Annual visitor’s events:

• Farmers Market, May-September.
• Durham Fair, September.
• Pick-your-own tree at Miller Tree Farm, December.

Quality of town/city:

• The rural community of Durham is located halfway between Hartford and New Haven and is known for their annual “Durham Fair” every fall. The fair began in 1916, and now almost 100 years later, attracts more than 200,000 visitors from Connecticut and surrounding areas. Durham also offers outdoor recreation at Miller Pond State Park, Tri-Mountain State Park, and the Mattabesett Blue Trail. Miller Pond offers fishing, biking, hunting and mountain biking. Tri-Mountain and the Mattabesett Blue Trail offer a combined 160 miles of trails for hiking, walking and mountain biking.