Settled in 1648, West Haven (then known as West Farms) was a part of the original
New Haven Colony. In 1719, it became the separate parish of West Haven, but was still officially a part of New Haven until 1822.
Colonial and revolutionary history The
Quinnipiac,
Pequot, and
Mohegan Native American tribes spent summers near the West Haven green and
Morse Park, and as far inland as
Maltby Lakes. Before
New Haven was colonized in 1638 by five hundred settlers following Reverend
John Davenport from the
Massachusetts Bay Colony, Dutch trader
Adriaen Block noted the high mounds of oyster shells along the shoreline while exploring in 1614. Settled in 1648, West Haven (then known as West Farms) was a part of the original
New Haven Colony. The historic crossing of the
West River by horse bridge is commemorated in the 1938 mural, "Fording of the West River to Settle West Haven", in the main post office. Colonists built both a Congregational meeting house and, in the early 18th century, Christ Episcopal Church, one of the first Episcopal churches in New England. The church was started with the help of
Yale College and constructed next door to the meeting house. Campbell is buried in the Allingtown section of town off Prudden Street. Patriot victims of the invasion are buried in the Christ Church and First Society Cemetery. A historical headstone marks Campbell's approximate gravesite and is maintained by the West Haven Historical Society.
Early attempts to incorporate While West Haven again attempted to incorporate as its own town in 1784, that attempt failed, primarily due to the protests of neighboring
Milford, which opposed North Milford becoming part of the new town. West Haven and North Milford tried again in 1786 and 1787 with the same result. The two finally joined to become
Orange (incorporated as a town in 1822). In 1921, West Haven split from Orange to become a separate
town. It was incorporated as a city in 1961 and is known as "Connecticut's Youngest City", although it is also one of the state's oldest settlements.
Economic history From colonial times until at least World War II, West Haven was heavily involved in shipping. Ships from West Haven sailed to the West Indies and South America for spices, silks, rum, sugar and similar items in return for local timber. More than 35 ship owners, ship builders, masters and captains from West Haven have been identified with that trade. Tall-masted trade ships were built in town by Scandinavian boat builders, and in World War II, pontoon craft and light weight Chris Craft were built in the community. The Savin Rock section of West Haven was the site of the
Savin Rock Amusement Park, which began in the late 19th century as a regionally renowned seaside resort. It evolved into a general
amusement park in the 20th century and eventually closed in the 1960s. What followed was a 40-year struggle to stop Savin Rock's Redevelopment—approved by voters in 1963 and officially starting in 1966. It involved multiple referendums, petition drives, court cases, and Connecticut Supreme Court decisions affecting the 40-acre area. Opposition began about 1971 soon after old Savin Rock had been torn down and the first project built, but ballooned in 1973 when Save Our Shore (SOS) led a referendum to stop "the Great Wall of China", an 800-foot, 12-story apartment, proposed for a 10-acre parcel, blocking the shore view. A 1974 referendum to stop all development was organized by IMPACT (successor to SOS), but was overturned by the Supreme Court in 1978. This led to a struggle for a Compromise Plan, initiated by Mayor Robert Johnson, and brought to completion by action of the Concerned Citizens for Bradley Point (1979), which petitioned the final holdout to the Plan, to which the Supreme Court had required all developers to agree for any significant change. The Compromise was signed by all in May 1979, but IMPACT continued to oppose it thru 1980. Thereafter, a committee sought public input and federal money, and in July 1984, the 20-acre Bradley Point Veterans Memorial Park opened. In 1987 and 1989, the city bought development rights of all the remaining parcels, part of which became the Old Grove Park and part included a former restaurant that became the Savin Rock Conference Center. In 1991, the Land Trust of West Haven, Inc. was founded, but it was not until 2007 that a Conservation Easement was signed, preserving all but the Conference Center, as open space forever—beautiful parks, with walks and bike path, along Connecticut's longest public shoreline. Several restaurants remain as last reminders of the area's commercial past; Jimmies of Savin Rock was a restaurant known for its seafood and split hot dogs.
Twentieth century West Haven and North Milford joined to become
Orange (incorporated as a town in 1822). In 1921, West Haven split from Orange to become a separate town. It was incorporated as a city in 1961 and is known as "Connecticut's Youngest City." In 1927,
Lender's Beigel Bakery was founded in the city by Polish immigrant Harry Lender. His customers were primarily Jewish delicatessens in New York City. Lender's sons,
Murray and Marvin, later ran the business, specializing in "flash-frozen" bagels, a process that allowed the bagels to be sold nationwide. The business had grown to 600 employees by 1984, when it was sold to
Kraft Foods. In 1986, West Haven observed the Bicentennial of the
United States Constitution. During the year-long celebrations, the mayor and council passed numerous resolutions to encourage community involvement, including naming the official ship of West Haven—the U.S. Navy destroyer
USS Edson (DD-946)—and the city's official flower, the
daylily. Public schools included curriculum on the Constitution from K–12, and school children were released from class to participate in a Constitution Day parade up Campbell Avenue.
Twenty-first century West Haven has a mayor-City Council form of government. John M. Picard, the city's tenth mayor, was elected in 2005. There are three independent fire districts served by the West Haven, West Shore and Allingtown fire departments. In June 2014, the "Where Angels Play" playground opened next to Sea Bluff Beach in West Haven. The playground was built in honor of Charlotte Bacon, a victim of the
Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. The playground is pink for Charlotte's favorite color and includes some of her drawings. West Haven has a
mayor-council form of government. Nancy R. Rossi, the city's twelfth mayor, was elected in 2017. She is West Haven's first female mayor. There are two independent fire districts served by the First Fire Taxation (Center) and West Shore. The Allingtown Fire District was relatively recently subsumed by the City who's now responsible for all of its pension-related obligations going forward. Residents expect efforts will be made to consolidate the remaining two fire districts based, in large part, on the recommendation of the State's Municipal Accountability Review Board (MARB) who is currently providing financial support and guidance to the City. As it currently stands, each of the remaining independent Fire Districts levy its own tax rate. Since 2020, a persistent humming noise has disturbed residents of the West Shore neighborhood, prompting the city to hire an acoustics specialist to investigate. ==On the National Register of Historic Places==