Wesleyan acceptances have been announced and many of you will be setting out on pilgrimages to campus in order to kick the tires (metaphorically, of course) and to try the place on for size. As an aid and, completely free of charge (you will get what you pay for here on CC), I have I have pulled together some fun facts and figures for your enjoyment and traveling pleasure.
- Middletown is older than Wesleyan by nearly two centuries, incorporated by English settlers in 1650 in a region still occupied by native Americans. Its eventual name references its location mid-way between similar settlements in Hartford to the north and Saybrook to the south.
- Middletown’s proximity to a wide bend in the Connecticut River made it a major stop in the infamous Triangular Trade of “slaves, molasses and rum” for much of the 1700s.
- Charles Dickens is said to have stopped by during a lecture tour and remarked that High Street (the two-lane thoroughfare fronting the main campus that resembles a Universal Studios backlot) was “the most beautiful street in America.”
- Many of Middletown’s citizens (perhaps, a majority) are descendants of Irish and Sicilian immigrants who made major contributions to the town’s transition from shipping to manufacturing.
- Middletown loves its senior citizens; there is a facility of some sort on nearly every block surrounding campus.
- As a consequence of town and gown’s combined needs, less than 20% of the housing stock around campus is owner-occupied.
- Middletown was the county seat for many decades and the county courthouse, hospital and several firehouses are still located within blocks of campus.
- Wesleyan was the first college in America to be named after Methodist-founder, John Wesley but until the early 20th century, Middletown was also home to the Episcopal Bishop of Connecticut.
- Nearly every residential building of consequence erected during New York City’s “Gilded Age” was quarried from brownstone across the river in nearby Portland. The material is also reflected in many of Wesleyan’s buildings.
- A result of decades of urban renewal efforts (with significant Wesleyan backing), Middletown’s Main Street has become a hub for restaurant dining and a variety of take-out foods. So, manjiare!