Which Are the Youngest Connecticut Towns?

For decades, debate has raged over which Connecticut town is the oldest. We’re not talking the age of the residents, but rather the age of the town itself, as far as official dates of incorporation.

Windsor is recognized in most circles as being the first Connecticut town, settled in late 1633. Signs at the town’s borders proclaim, “Welcome to Windsor - Connecticut’s First Town,” while the words “First in Connecticut” are printed on official town literature.

Residents of Wethersfield, however, have always claimed their town is oldest, and “Most Ancient Town” is displayed on welcome signs in that municipality.

Reading a story about the dispute the other day got me, a true history buff, pondering this thought: what is the most recently incorporated town in the state? A quick Google search led me directly to the Secretary of the State’s web site, and more information than I could have imagined.

The SOTS site lists all 169 Connecticut towns in order of date of incorporation, as well as interesting facts such as former town names and Indian names. For the record, Windsor is listed as No. 1 and Wethersfield No. 2 on the SOTS site.

A sampling of these seemingly trivial facts includes:

• Connecticut used to have towns called Freshwater, Suffrage, Swampfield, Chatham, Iron Works Village, and Conway - they are known today as Enfield, Canton, Danbury, East Hampton, East Haven and Portland.
• Wethersfield was originally settled as Watertown, while Hartford was first called Newtown.
• Greenwich was part of New York until 1656.
• Woodstock, Somers, Enfield and Suffield used to be part of Massachusetts.

Okay, to the list of youngest towns. The newest municipality in Connecticut is West Haven, which was incorporated from Orange in June 1921.

Manchester is No. 44; the SOTS site states, “incorporated from East Hartford, May, 1823, and named from Manchester, England, because of manufacturing. Originally Orford parish.”

Here are the 25 youngest towns, with facts from the SOTS site:

1. West Haven, incorporated from Orange, June, 1921; named when made the west parish of New Haven, about 1720.
2. Ansonia, incorporated from Derby, April, 1889; named from Anson G. Phelps, founder of mfg. village, 1843.
3. Thomaston, incorporated from Plymouth, July, 1875; named 1866 from Seth Thomas, clock mfr. there.
4. Newington, parish named 1721, from Newington in Kent or Stoke-N. Middlesex (London), incorporated from Wethersfield, July, 1871.
5. Beacon Falls, name descriptive, 1856; incorporated from Bethany, Oxford, Naugatuck and Seymour, June, 1871.
6. Plainville, named 1831 = earlier name “Great Plain”; incorporated from Farmington, July, 1869.
7. Middlefield, named 1744, from rural part of Middletown; incorporated from Middletown, June, 1866.
8. Sprague, incorporated from Lisbon and Franklin, May, 1861, and named from W. Sprague, village founder.
9. Morris, incorporated from Litchfield, June, 1859, and named from James Morris, prominent resident.
10. North Canaan, named 1813; incorporated from Canaan (whence its name), May, 1858.
11. East Granby, named 1822; incorporated from Granby and Windsor Locks, June, 1858.
12. Scotland, parish named by first settler, Magoon, a Scot, 1706; set off, 1732; incorporated from Windham, May, 1857.
13. Bridgewater, named 1803; name descriptive, incorporated from New Milford, May, 1856.
14. Putnam, incorporated from Pomfret, Thompson and Killingly, May, 1855; named from Israel Putnam. Indian name, “Quinebaug.”
15. Old Lyme, incorporated as South Lyme, from Lyme, May, 1855; named Old Lyme, 1857.
16. Bethel, named 1759; Hebrew = house of God; incorporated from Danbury, May, 1855.
17. Windsor Locks, named 1833 from canal locks there; incorporated from Windsor, May, 1854. Formerly Enfield Falls.
18. West Hartford, named 1806; incorporated from Hartford, May, 1854. Formerly West Division.
19. Old Saybrook, incorporated from Essex (then Old Saybrook), July 8, 1854, and named at the same time.
20. Essex, parish named 1820; named from Essex, England; incorporated, Sept. 13, 1852, as Old Saybrook; taken from Saybrook; name changed, July 8, 1854 to Essex. Indian name, “Patapoug.”
21. Cromwell, incorporated from Middletown, May, 1851, and named from Oliver Cromwell. Formerly Upper Middletown.
22. Seymour, incorporated from Derby, May, 1850, and named from Gov. Thomas H. Seymour. Indian name, “Naugatuck”; called Rimmon (1670), Chusetown (1735), Humphreysville (1805).
23. New Britain, parish named 1754 from (Great) Britain; incorporated from Berlin, May, 1850.
24. Andover, parish named 1747, perhaps from Andover, Mass.; incorporated from Coventry and Hebron, May, 1848.
25. Eastford, named as east parish of Ashford, 1777; incorporated from Ashford, May, 1847.

Read the complete SOTS list (albeit from oldest to youngest) here.