Noank, Connecticut is a village and census-designated place (CDP) located in the town of Groton, New London County, Connecticut, United States. It is situated on a small, steep peninsula at the mouth of the Mystic River along the Long Island Sound coastline.
Geography
Noank covers a total area of 2.2 square miles (5.7 km²), of which approximately 1.5 square miles (4.0 km²) is land and 0.7 square miles (1.7 km²) is water, with water comprising about 30% of the total area. The village extends westward to Palmer Cove and northward to U.S. Route 1. It is located at approximately 41°19′30″N 71°59′30″W, with an elevation of about 75 feet (23 meters).
Demographics
According to the 2020 United States Census, Noank had a population of 1,654 residents. The median age was 58.1 years, with 12.3% of residents under the age of 18 and 34.1% aged 65 or older. The racial composition was approximately 90.8% White, 2.2% Asian, 0.6% Black or African American, 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, and 5.6% identifying as two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.4% of the population.
In the 2000 census, the population was 1,830, with a median household income of $61,250 and a per capita income of $41,355.
History
In 1614, the area was known as Nauyang, meaning "point of land," and served as a summer camping ground for the Pequot people. The Pequot were driven out in 1655 following the Pequot War. The land comprising the Noank Peninsula was acquired by James Morgan through a lottery in 1712.
The community developed around a tradition of fishing, lobstering, and boatbuilding. In 1861, Charles Mallory and Elihu Spicer Jr. established the C. H. Mallory and Company Steamship line. In 1879, Robert Palmer introduced steam railways to his shipbuilding plant in Noank, and his company became one of the largest wooden shipbuilders in the United States at the time, constructing approximately one thousand vessels ranging from fishing boats to sound steamers.
The fishing sailboat type known as the "Noank Smack" is indigenous to the village; an example, the Emma C. Berry, is preserved at Mystic Seaport. Around 1912, the Connecticut State Lobster Hatchery was established in Noank.
Historic District
The majority of the community was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 as the Noank Historic District. The district encompasses approximately 260 houses and businesses dating back to 1840, with significance primarily attributed to its preserved domestic architecture featuring distinctive mid-to-late 19th-century residential woodwork.
Culture and Notable Events
Noank hosts one of the longest-running continuous Memorial Day parades in the United States, held annually since 1876. Scenes for the film Mystic Pizza were filmed at Ford's Lobsters in Noank.
Notable Residents
- Henry Ward Ranger, artist, lived in Noank.
- Robert Brackman (1898–1980), painter, lived and worked in Noank.
- Amelia Earhart, aviator, married George Palmer Putnam in Noank on February 7, 1931.
- Peter Freuchen (1886–1957), Arctic explorer, lived in Noank.
- Lars Thorsen (1876–1952), painter, lived and worked in Noank.
Education
Noank, along with the rest of Groton Town, is served by the Groton School District.
