Break Neck News Archive

West Side District
Break Neck Neighborhood
​An abandoned 'fairy' village in Waterbury could be demolished with highway update
NOTE: This villiage is in Waterbury, not Middlebury as some people falsely contend; however, the only road access is through Middlebury.
Stamford Advocate; picture, article; 2024.01.25
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The Break Neck Neighborhood

1. About the Break Neck Hill Neighborhood
   1. ​Originally part of Hartford, then Farmington, then Waterbury, most of what Break Neck originally was is now part of the Town of Middlebury.  However, back-in-the-day, Break Neck was an important part not only of Waterbury's history and evolution but also to the revolution of the new world colonies of America.  Additionally, the far west neighborhood of Waterbury still identifies with Break Neck as a neighborhood.
2. History of the Break Neck Hill Neighborhood
   1. ​The identification of Breakneck dates to the year 1657 or earlier
   2. Breakneck became an even more important part of Waterbury in 1702
   3. Breakneck became one of 4 school districts in Waterbury in 1738,
      1. ​Along with 
         1. ​Town Plot town center
         2. Buckshill
         3. Judd's Meadow
   4. Breakneck may at one time have included parts of
      1. ​Middlebury
      2. Woodbury
   5. ​​Breakneck was the home of Isaac Bronson, and, in 1781
      1. ​That home was his headquarters during the French-American war​​
   6. Breakneck no longer existed as a neighborhood of Waterbury when parts of Breakneck joined in the incorporation of Middlebury as a Town.  Parts of Breakneck, parts of Southbury, and parts of Middlebury became the Town of Middlebury in 1807.
   7. Break Neck is only-known location to have been visited by United States' President George Washington, therewhere he aboded for at least 1 day, and most-probably closer to 2 weeks.
   8. The neighborhood was mentioned in many town records and other documents, in addition to the above, in 1670, 1673, 1691, 1701, 1702, 1704, 1705, 1706, 1707, 1708, 1713, 1720, 1723, 1733, 1746, 1751, 1784
3. ​Other Names for the Break Neck Hill Neighborhood
   1. ​West Farms (the West Farms of Waterbury)
   2. Waterbury
   3. (part of the) Parish of Middlebury
   4. (part of the) Town of Middlebury
4. Streets in the Break Neck Hill Neighborhood
   1. ​Crest Street
   2. Forest Avenue
   3. Highwood Road
   4. Lakeside Boulevard
   5. Larchmont Avenue
   6. Mason Avenue
   7. Old Waterbury Road
   8. Reynolds Drive
   9. Richardson Drive
   10. Straits Turnpike
   11. Wooster Avenue
5. The Break Neck Hill Neighborhood Highlights
   1. ​Historical Significance
6. Safety in the Break Neck Hill Neighborhood
7. Parks in the Break Neck Hill Neighborhood
   1. ​At the time when Break Neck Hill neighborhood was part of Waterbury, there were no known parks in the Break Neck Hill neighborhood.
8. Water in the Break Neck Hill Neighborhood
   1. ​Wooster Brook
   2. Tracy's Pond
9. Demographic Profile of the Break Neck Hill Neighborhood
   1. ​Farming and related trades
10. Business in Break Neck Hill (partial list)
11. Features of the Break Neck Hill Neighborhood
12. The Break Neck Hill Neighborhood Association
    1. ​There is no Break Neck Hill Neighborhood Association
13. Partners and Supporters of the Break Neck Hill Neighborhood
14. Notable People from the Break Neck Hill Neighborhood
    1. ​Isaac Bronson, son of Isaac & Mary (Brocket) Bronson
    2. Aaron Benedict b. 1785
    3. Luitenant Josiah Bronson
       
    4. Doctor and Author, Raymond E. Sullivan
15. Significant Structures in the Break Neck Hill Neighborhood
16. The Break Neck Hill Neighborhood Online
    1. ​There is no known online presence representing Break Neck, except possibly online resources which represent the Town of Middlebury
17. Map of the Break Neck Hill Neighborhood
    1. ​(See the enclosed map on this page)
18. Books About Breakneck
    1. ​Breakneck: The Early Settlement of Middlebury Connecticut from 1657 to it's Incorporation as a Town, written by Doctor Raymond E. Sullivan