Town of Simsbury

Facts about Simsbury

Town/City established:

• Settled in 1670.

Named from:

• From Sim (on) Wolcott, leading settler or from Simondsbury in Dorset, England.

County:

• Hartford.

Notable citizens (past and present):

• William Bickford, inventor of the safety fuse.
• George McLean, 42nd Governor of Connecticut & United States Senator.
• William Phelps Eno, original architect of traffic regulations and transportation engineering; called the "father of the traffic light."
• Gifford Pinchot, an ardent environmental preservationist, first head of the United States Forest service. The largest tree in the state, located in town, is named after him.
• William Gray, inventor of coin telephone.
• Henry F. Phillips, inventor of the Phillips screwdriver.
• Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., spent two summers working in the tobacco fields in the 1940s.

Top Five Attractions:

• Old Drake Hill Flower Bridge.
• Simsbury Historical Society.
• Bike Friendly Community and Free Bike Program.
• Simsbury Performing Arts Complex.
• Talcott Mountain State Park and the Heublein Tower.

Annual Visitor’s Events:

• Whitewater Trip Crown New England Kayaking Championships, April.
• Try Simsbury, an adventure triathlon, May.
• Talcott Mountain Music Festival, featuring the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, June-July.
• Taste of Simsbury, August.
• Septemberfest, September.
• Arts & Crafts Festival, September.
• Simsbury Airport Fly-In & Antique Car Show, September.
• Simsbury Celebrates, November (Saturday after Thanksgiving).

Quality of town:

• An award winning town, Simsbury is listed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation as one of its "Dozen Distinctive Destinations." Also, federally designated as a "Preserve America" community, the town features a charming downtown filled with historic homes and fine restaurants, while the farms and open space harken back to their agricultural roots. With hiking trails, a navigable river for non-motorized vessels, a rails-to-trails bike path and free visitor bike rentals, there is a lot of outdoor recreational opportunities. And proud to be home of the biggest tree in Connecituct, the Pinchot Sycamore and a lovely predestian "flower bridge."