Morris, Connecticut | ||
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Town | ||
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Location in Litchfield County, Connecticut |
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Coordinates: 41°41′38″N 73°12′38″W / 41.69389°N 73.21056°WCoordinates: 41°41′38″N 73°12′38″W / 41.69389°N 73.21056°W | ||
Country | United States | |
State | Connecticut | |
NECTA | None | |
Region | Litchfield Hills | |
Incorporated | 1859 | |
Government | ||
• Type | Selectman-town meeting | |
• First selectman | Tom Weik (R) | |
• Selectman | Erica Dorsett-Mathews (R) | |
• Selectman | Vincent Aiello (D) | |
Area | ||
• Total | 18.7 sq mi (48.4 km2) | |
• Land | 17.2 sq mi (44.5 km2) | |
• Water | 1.5 sq mi (4.0 km2) | |
Elevation | 994 ft (303 m) | |
Population (2005) | ||
• Total | 2,393 | |
• Density | 139/sq mi (54/km2) | |
Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) | |
• Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) | |
ZIP code | 06763 | |
Area code(s) | 860 | |
FIPS code | 09-49460 | |
GNIS feature ID | 0213465 | |
Website | www |
Morris is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 2,388 at the 2010 census. The town consists of rolling hill country surrounding Bantam Lake, the largest natural lake in the state, covering about 1,200.5 acres (4.858 km2).
Morris was settled about 1723 and organized in 1767 as the South Farms parish of Litchfield. Morris was initially a farming community. It was incorporated as a separate town in 1859 and named for James Morris (1752–1820) a Revolutionary War soldier, who opened an academy in town in 1790. The ruins of the academy sit adjacent to the current James Morris Elementary school. Morris played a role in the Revolutionary War with many homes serving as quarters for revolutionaries from Maine and Vermont during their journey south to battles in New York.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 18.7 square miles (48 km2), of which, 17.2 square miles (45 km2) of it is land and 1.5 square miles (3.9 km2) of it (8.17%) is water.
Rather than a mayoral system, the local government of Morris is run by three Selectmen elected by the town at large. The First Selectman is the full-time chief executive and administrative officer responsible for the day-to-day operation of the town government. The Board of Selectmen establishes administrative and personnel policies and executes town policies and regulations.
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,301 people, 912 households, and 640 families residing in the town. The population density was 133.9 people per square mile (51.7/km²). There were 1,181 housing units at an average density of 68.7 per square mile (26.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.48% White, 0.70% African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.83% Asian, 0.17% from other races, and 0.70% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.87% of the population.