Willimantic, CT

Willimantic is a census-designated place in Windham, named for the Willimantic River that runs through it. It grew into a major textile mill community, especially around the American Thread Company's mills, and still has a striking collection of Victorian-era houses and a Romanesque Revival town hall. Today it is also shaped by Eastern Connecticut State University and a diverse, working small-city population. Willimantic feels historic, scrappy, and river-mill urban, with brick factories and student life sharing the same streets.