Preston was incorporated in October of 1687. Oanaco, Chief Sachem of the Mohegans, deeded a tract of land to the settlers living there. The nearby Thames, Shetucket, and Quinebaug Rivers offered access to shipping and potential for trade to the settlers, and contributed to the successful development of Preston. A stage route was established to link Preston with the nearby shipping towns of Norwich, Groton, and New London.
The Mohegans and the Pequots, two tribes of the Algonquin Indian Nation, played major roles in Preston's history and have had increasingly powerful roles in current community and economic development. In 1992 the Mashantucket Pequots opened what has become the largest gambling casino in the world. A few years later, the Mohegans opened another casino. St. James sits on the most direct route between the two casinos.
The full impact of these casinos on the community has yet to be determined, but it is clear that St. James' neighboring community is in transition. Prior to the casinos, the surrounding towns had a rural New England flavor. Preston has a population of 5,500 and is governed by a Board of Selectmen and an Open Town Meeting. It serves as a bedroom community for larger towns like Norwich, Groton, New London, and Hartford. It is overwhelmingly residential, and has many points of historic interest. Some small pockets of agriculture remain in the form of tree farms, produce stands, and several dairy farms. In 1999, commercial properties with a focus on tourism have been popping up on land that, not long ago, provided grazing for dairy cows.
The casinos have created jobs for people, many of whom lost jobs during cutbacks at the previously-thriving local defense industry, or the closing of Norwich Hospital, one of a number of state mental institutions whose doors have been closed. Most of the casino/tourism-related jobs do not pay as well as the jobs lost. Most families have two working parents. Pfizer (a pharmaceutical research and production facility), Electric Boat Corporation (a division of General Dynamics which makes submarines), and the more recently built Corrigan Correctional Institute and Radgowski Correctional Center continue to employ many local people. The possibility of an expansion of Pfizer should give an economic boost to the area, but the direction it will take is uncertain.
At present, the most common type of housing in the neighboring community is the privately-owned, single-family dwelling, with an average cost of $120,000 to $160,000. To date, Preston has enjoyed status in the county as a comparatively affluent residential town, with zoning regulations that reflect the qualities of country living and affluence. The 1990 census shows a median income for Preston households of $42,823, compared to a median income of $37,488 for New London County. It is important to note there has been a considerable drop in property values in close proximity to the casinos. Fair market value is decreasing as traffic, commercialism, and crime are increasing. Preston's population was aging as it moved into the decade of the 1990's, with the 7.8% increase in population involving the upper age groups of mature workers (45 to 64 years of age) and retired people (65 and older).
Preston's population reflects a high level of education, with most adults having had at least some college or trade/vocational education.
The local school system remains quite good. In fact, many young families cite the quality of the school system as their reason for living in Preston. There are three schools in town, serving kindergarten through eighth grade. This will change in the future; Preston will build a school which will contain kindergarten through fifth grade, which will replace two older schools. Area students attend one of four neighboring high schools. However, of the more than 500 children enrolled in Preston schools, 97.7% are white. Families must seek resources outside of town in order to offer children opportunities to build relationships with people of color and different cultural backgrounds.
The availability of community resources in the area at large is good. The immediate area does not offer public transportation, dentists, doctors, or a post office, but it is only a short drive to any of these resources. There are three major roads in and out of Preston. Route 2 runs east and west through the southern section of town, providing access through Norwich to Hartford, or through Ledyard to Westerly, Rhode Island, and Interstate 95. Route 164 begins in Preston at a junction with Route 2 and goes north to Griswold, passing Route 395, which can be used to move toward Groton, New London, and New Haven. Route 165 divides Preston approximately in half, beginning at Preston's westerly border with Norwich and moving east into Griswold, offering a path to Providence, Rhode Island, Route 138, and Interstate 95.
Just a stone's throw from St. James' is Preston's new Community Park. It consists of two soccer fields, two softball fields, a basketball court, a tennis court, playscape, track, barbecue pit, and a covered pavilion.
Within a short distance, one can attend Three Rivers Community-Technical College (in Norwich), Connecticut College (in New London), Mitchell College (also in New London), and the University of Connecticut branch at Avery Point (in Groton). There is a choice of two hospitals within a half-hour drive from St. James: William Backus in Norwich or Lawrence and Memorial in New London. Backus has recently made major improvements (including a heliport for the LifeStar helicopter) and has been accredited as a trauma center.
