The Town of Winchester/City of Winsted is nestled in the mountains of Litchfield County and is noted as the Gateway to the Berkshire Mountains. Winchester, with 32 square miles and a population of 11,500, claims a wonderful quality of life with beautiful lakes, fishing, boating, fresh water springs and more.
Winchester was first settled in 1732, and later incorporated in 1771. Today, with a population of approximately 10,650, the Town serves as a regional sub-center, with its Main Street, Winchester Business Park and the Winsted Industrial Park serving as home to numerous merchants and manufacturers.
Winsted is the downtown city area within the Town of Winchester, at the point where the region's major transportation corridor, Route 8, intersects with Route 44. The Town is noted for its beautiful ecclesiastical, Victorian, neo-classical, Greek Revival, Queen Anne and Colonial Revival architecture, as well as for one of the State's largest lakes, Highland Lake. Highland Lake is a resort lake over three miles in length and 444 acres in area. It is enjoyed for its swimming, fishing, boating and water skiing.
Northwestern Connecticut Community College is located in downtown Winsted. This two-year State College has a full-time equivalent enrollment of approximately 2,500 students. Degree programs in liberal arts, science, business and technical areas are offered. The college is nationally recognized for its special assistance program for the deaf and hearing impaired. NCCC is currently undertaking a $20 million dollar campus expansion project in the center of downtown.
