New Britain, population 71,538, was settled as early as 1687 though it was not chartered as a township until 1850. In 1871 it became the “City of New Britain.” In the 20th century, the city acquired the nickname, “The Hardware Capital of the World” since major manufacturers such as the Stanley Works and Corbin Locks were headquartered in the city. Today Stanley still manufactures several items of hardware in New Britain, though most industry has been “off-shored” in intervening years. A recent industrial addition to the city was a Carvel ice cream plant. The city is the home of Central Connecticut State University. It has a wide system of parks including Walnut Hill Park, designed by Friedrich Law Olmsted. The New Britain Museum of American Art, two theater companies, and a wide range of arts organizations are located in the city. A minor league baseball team, The Rock Cats, plays at the Willow Brook Park sports complex.

More information is available by visiting www.new-britain.net.

FLCR is a member of NEWBAIC, the New Britain Area Interfaith Conference, and hosts community meetings of the Friendship Service Center (an organization offering shelter and transitional services to the homeless), the New Britain Food Security Collaborative and Race in the Park, among other groups.

Downtown New Britain on a November Night.