Page 26 - Manor Hill Flipbook

The Story of Stratford

Founded in 1639, Stratford is a community rich in history
and abundant natural beauty. Situated on Long Island
Sound, and bounded to the east by the Housatonic River,
Stratford has long viewed its waterfront as an important
natural resource. The Town's location on Long Island
Sound affords residents and visitors alike with two public
bathing beaches, five marinas, several fishing piers and
two public boat-launching facilities. Within an hour's
drive of New York City, Stratford is the easternmost town in
Fairfield County-Connecticut's Gold Coast. Major highways
such as I-95, Route 8/25 and the Merritt Parkway bisect
Stratford, and provide convenient access to the entire
Northeast corridor. The deep water harbor of neighboring
Bridgeport provide excellent docking and terminal
facilities for either domestic or overseas shipping, in
addition to ferry passenger service to Long Island.

Sikorsky Memorial Airport, located in the Lordship
section of Stratford, remains a hub of corporate activity
and provides commuter service to other cities in the
northeast. Rail service provided by Metro North with
connections to Amtrak further round out an excellent array
of transportation choices. Stratford has a long association
with the aviation industry. Stratford became the birthplace
of the American helicopter industry, when in 1939, a
Russian immigrant, Igor Sikorsky, successfully flew the first
helicopter at his Stratford-based aircraft plant. More than
a half-century later, Sikorsky Aircraft, the world's leading
helicopter manufacturer, still designs and produces state-
of the art helicopters for both military and commercial
applications at its sprawling manufacturing facility on
Stratford's north side. Drawn by a highly skilled and
productive work force, excellent access to transportation,
and a large inventory of affordable housing, it's no surprise
that many businesses have chosen to call Stratford home.

The diversity of Stratford's natural resources is as rich as its
cultural heritage, ranging from the 250 acre, town owned
Roosevelt Forest to the Great Meadows Salt Marsh, one of
the largest salt marshes remaining in New England and
now a portion of the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife
Refuge. Stratford is host to a variety of cultural attractions
as well, including the soon to be revitalized Shakespeare
Theatre and Boothe Memorial Park, a Municipally
owned park and museum showcasing an assortment of
architecturally unique structures and vast collection of
Americana.