History of Torrington: Recent Times
Alhambra Theatre Circa 1925 (click to enlarge)
Traditional manufacturing jobs have always been the backbone of this Naugatuck Valley community. Today the economy still has a significant industrial component. Several companies which were started in the 19th century, such as Turner & Seymour and the Torrington Company (now Timken Corporation), are still in existence.
Many of the older industries have closed but several small, new firms have filled the manufacturing gap. As elsewhere, there is a growing trend toward service related business. Principal manufacturing industries today include electronics, bearings, automotive parts,
golf club shafts, sewn products, metal castings, thermoplastic components, universal
joints and fuel cells.
Fifty years ago, most of Torrington's residents worked in town. Today, many residents commute to other cities such as Waterbury, Hartford, and Danbury. Since the 1950s housing developments have been spreading out further from the central business district. The construction of new Route 8 in the 1960s was a catalyst for industrial and commercial development to move outward from the traditional center as well. Much of this recent growth has been in Torrington's east end and along the Winsted Road where new industrial parks, shopping centers and subdivisions have been built on former agricultural lands.
Today, Torrington has a population of about 35,000 people, many of them living in these outlying areas. To meet the needs of this widespread
population, the city undertook the modernization of the school system, police and fire departments. Some of the older neighborhood schools were closed but others were renovated for new generations of students.
A new high school opened in 1963 and renovations to that school took place in 2000. In 1976, a new East School was built and the old one was made into offices. South School closed in 1982 and the building was later converted into apartments. Riverside and North Schools both closed in 1986. In 1980, a new firehouse was built on Water Street and, in 1990, the North School was renovated into a much larger and improved police department.
In the last thirty years, Torrington's downtown experienced a decline as shopping centers and strip malls were built in outlying areas. In an effort to
improve and revitalize the central business district a number of initiatives have been undertaken to improve the business climate. Chief among them has been an effort to recognize the architectural and historical significance of downtown Torrington. In 1988, the Downtown Torrington National Register Historic District was formed and, in 2003, the same honor was extended west from the center as the Water Street Historic District.
During the last half of the 20th century, the city experienced cultural growth which continues to this day. In 1956, Gertrude Fyler Hotchkiss died,
leaving her Main Street estate to the Torrington Historical Society, which was established in 1944. Committed to the preservation and interpretation of Torrington's diverse history, the Torrington Historical Society's Hotchkiss-Fyler Museum, History Museum, research library, and special exhibits
are visited by thousands of people each year.
In 1961, the Torrington Civic Symphony was founded and a decade later Torrington native Sharon Dante established the Nutmeg Ballet, which would grow to become a ballet school of national renown. In 2001, the Nutmeg Ballet, and the Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts, moved into a greatly expanded and newly renovated Main Street building. The Warner Theatre, saved from demolition in 1981, and reopened in 1983, was fully restored in 2002. Today the Warner Theatre presents a full schedule of concerts, plays, ballets, and operates a school for the arts in downtown Torrington. Artwell, a visual arts organization, has opened a lively Water Street gallery and maintains an ambitious schedule of exhibitions and performances.
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Many of the older industries have closed but several small, new firms have filled the manufacturing gap. As elsewhere, there is a growing trend toward service related business. Principal manufacturing industries today include electronics, bearings, automotive parts,
golf club shafts, sewn products, metal castings, thermoplastic components, universal
joints and fuel cells.
Fifty years ago, most of Torrington's residents worked in town. Today, many residents commute to other cities such as Waterbury, Hartford, and Danbury. Since the 1950s housing developments have been spreading out further from the central business district. The construction of new Route 8 in the 1960s was a catalyst for industrial and commercial development to move outward from the traditional center as well. Much of this recent growth has been in Torrington's east end and along the Winsted Road where new industrial parks, shopping centers and subdivisions have been built on former agricultural lands.
Today, Torrington has a population of about 35,000 people, many of them living in these outlying areas. To meet the needs of this widespread
population, the city undertook the modernization of the school system, police and fire departments. Some of the older neighborhood schools were closed but others were renovated for new generations of students.
A new high school opened in 1963 and renovations to that school took place in 2000. In 1976, a new East School was built and the old one was made into offices. South School closed in 1982 and the building was later converted into apartments. Riverside and North Schools both closed in 1986. In 1980, a new firehouse was built on Water Street and, in 1990, the North School was renovated into a much larger and improved police department.
In the last thirty years, Torrington's downtown experienced a decline as shopping centers and strip malls were built in outlying areas. In an effort to
improve and revitalize the central business district a number of initiatives have been undertaken to improve the business climate. Chief among them has been an effort to recognize the architectural and historical significance of downtown Torrington. In 1988, the Downtown Torrington National Register Historic District was formed and, in 2003, the same honor was extended west from the center as the Water Street Historic District.
During the last half of the 20th century, the city experienced cultural growth which continues to this day. In 1956, Gertrude Fyler Hotchkiss died,
leaving her Main Street estate to the Torrington Historical Society, which was established in 1944. Committed to the preservation and interpretation of Torrington's diverse history, the Torrington Historical Society's Hotchkiss-Fyler Museum, History Museum, research library, and special exhibits
are visited by thousands of people each year.
In 1961, the Torrington Civic Symphony was founded and a decade later Torrington native Sharon Dante established the Nutmeg Ballet, which would grow to become a ballet school of national renown. In 2001, the Nutmeg Ballet, and the Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts, moved into a greatly expanded and newly renovated Main Street building. The Warner Theatre, saved from demolition in 1981, and reopened in 1983, was fully restored in 2002. Today the Warner Theatre presents a full schedule of concerts, plays, ballets, and operates a school for the arts in downtown Torrington. Artwell, a visual arts organization, has opened a lively Water Street gallery and maintains an ambitious schedule of exhibitions and performances.
<-Back