Lebanon, Connecticut | ||
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Town | ||
The First Congregational Church on the Green, site of the first town council and featured on the town seal
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Location in New London County, Connecticut |
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Coordinates: 41°37′57″N 72°14′24″W / 41.63250°N 72.24000°WCoordinates: 41°37′57″N 72°14′24″W / 41.63250°N 72.24000°W | ||
Country | United States | |
State | Connecticut | |
NECTA | Hartford | |
Region | Windham Region | |
Incorporated | 1700 | |
Government | ||
• Type | Selectman-town meeting | |
• First selectman | Betsy Petrie (R) | |
Area | ||
• Total | 55.2 sq mi (143.0 km2) | |
• Land | 54.1 sq mi (140.2 km2) | |
• Water | 1.1 sq mi (2.9 km2) | |
Elevation | 499 ft (152 m) | |
Population (2010) | ||
• Total | 7,308 | |
• Density | 130/sq mi (51/km2) | |
Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) | |
• Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) | |
ZIP code | 06249 | |
Area code(s) | 860 | |
FIPS code | 09-42390 | |
GNIS feature ID | 0213449 | |
Website | www |
Lebanon is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 7,308 at the 2010 census. The town lies just to the northwest of Norwich, directly south of Willimantic, 20 miles (32 km) north of New London, and 20 miles (32 km) east of Hartford. The farming town is best known for its role in the American Revolution, where it was a major base of American operations, and for its historic town green, which is one of the largest in the nation and the only one still used partially for agriculture.
Lebanon was originally settled by the Mohegan people, an Algonquian-speaking tribe that inhabited the upper Thames River Valley in eastern Connecticut. The area was known as Poquechaneed and was used primarily for hunting.
The town of Lebanon has its origins with the settlers of Norwich, who wanted to expand beyond the "nine miles square" they had bought from the Mohegan sachem Uncas. In 1663, the first grant in the area was given to Major John Mason, deputy governor of the Connecticut Colony; the next year, Mason accepted 500 acres (2.0 km2) northwest of Norwich. This area, known as "Pomakuck" or "Pomocook" by the Mohegans, is now the Goshen Hill area of Lebanon.
In 1666, Connecticut granted an additional 120 acres (0.49 km2) to the Rev. James Fitch, minister of Norwich, adjacent to Maj. Mason's land which was now known as Cedar Swamp. The Mohegans conferred their blessing on the grants by giving an additional 7-mile (11 km) strip to Maj. Mason's son in 1675, who split the land with the Rev. Fitch, his father-in-law. This area is now known as "Fitch and Mason's Mile", or just "The Mile".