6p: Zoning Board of Appeals meets at the Preston Town Hall.
6:30p: Preston Public Safety Advisory Commitee meets at the Town Hall Conference Room.
7p: Preston Board of Education meets at Preston Veterans Memorial School, 325 Route 165 in Preson.
Tuesday, May 13th:
7p: Board of Finance meets in the Town Hall Conference Room.
7p: Library Board of Trustees meets in the Community Room at the Preston Public Library.
Wednesday, May 14th:
3-5p: Preston Historical Society is sponsoring its third Genealogy Share at the Preston Public Library. See the Community Postings page on this site for detailed information.
7p: Preston Ethics Commission meets at the Preston Public Library in the Community Room.
7p: Norwich Hospital Advisory Committee meets at the Town Hall in the Conference Room.
Thursday, May 15th, 6:30p:
Preston Board of Selectmen meet at the Preston Town Hall.
Tuesday, May 20th, 7:30p: Inland Wetlands Commission
Meets at the Town Hall.
Wednesday, May 21st, 7p: Norwich Hospital Advisory Committee
Meets at the Town Hall in the Conference Room.
Thursday, May 22nd, 6:30p: Board of Selectmen
Meets at the Preston Town Hall.
Monday, May 26th, 7:30p: Conservation Commission
Meets at the Town Hall in the Upstairs Meeting Room.
Tuesday, May 27th, 7:30p: Preston Parks and Recreation:
Meets in the Conference Room at the Preston Town Hall.
Wednesday, May 28th, 7p: Norwich Hospital Advisory Committee:
Board of Selectmen,November 20th 2007: Left to right, Selectman Gerald Grabarek, Selectman Michael Sinko and 1st Selectman Bob Congdon. Click on photo for an enlargement of the image.
The Town of Preston has a Town Meeting form of government that acts as the legislative branch.The three member elected Board of Selectmen acts as the governing body for most matters; all town expenditures over $100,000 must, by Town Ordinance, go to referendum.
In 1687 a tract of land lying east of Norwich between Norwich and .Stonington (now North Stonington) was deeded to Capt. James Fitch, Capt Joshua Standish, Thomas Parks, Sr, Jonathan Tracy, Thomas Tracy, Joseph Morgan, and all the rest living in the towns bounds by Oanaco, chief Sachem of the Mohegans (son of Uncas). The town was called “New Preston” in the deed, named after an English town from which some families came. But the name shortly became just “Preston”. At first, the northern boundary of the town was Plainfield. But in 1815, Griswold separated to form a separate town, reducing the size of Preston by about half. This is why many early Preston town records are found in Griswold. There also were other changes in the town eastern boundaries through the years. Preston consisted of 3 populated areas, and scattered farms. Each area, Preston City, Poquetanuck, and Long Society, were typical small New England villages, with services such as a blacksmith shop, a grist mill, and a store. Early trades practiced were tanning of leather, shoe making, a silversmith, goldsmith, and a clock maker. Small industries existed, such as shipbuilding in Poquetanuck, a fulling and carding mill,and brick making along Brickyard Road. As in most of colonial New England, the Congregational Church was the center of the religious, political, educational, and social activities of the town. The earliest church was established in 1698 in Preston City, followed by many other of various denominations in Long Society, Poquetanuck, and Preston City. Schools were built in “districts” to serve the local children, until two central schools, one on Poquetanuck and one in Preston City were built between 1938 and 1940. Even today, you will see examples of early Connecticut farmhouses dotted throughout the town along with small ponds, brooks, stonewalls and dams. This delightful hamlet continues to maintain its history of country living.
Harriet Rosiene, of the Preston Historical Society, was the primary author of the above narrative.
Preston, Connecticut Coordinates: 41°31′12″N, 72°00′21″W NECTA Norwich-New London Region Southeastern Connecticut Incorporated 1687 Government - Type Selectman-town meeting - First selectman Robert M. Congdon Area - City 82.4 kmē (31.8 sq mi) Population (2005) - City 4,867 - Density 61/kmē (158/sq mi) Time zone Eastern (UTC-5) - Summer (DST) Eastern (UTC-4) ZIP code 06365
