Bethlehem dates to 1787, and 14% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 84% of U.S. towns · #79 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it
3 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 63 buildings. Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1893 on, and the census since 1820.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Bethlehem is more historic than 84% of U.S. towns, #79 of 155 in Connecticut. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Bethlehem’s overall grade.
Connecticut towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Connecticut town has 73.3 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Bethlehem’s 202 sits above most of its state (75% of Connecticut towns have fewer) while its 69 historic buildings outnumber those of 87% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±6.8 points). Two sources give 1787.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Bethlehem’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Lost a third of its people between 1820 and 1920, then grew 6-fold.
18 censuses, 1820–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Bethlehem’s Wikipedia page.
On the map
Bethlehem on the map, 1893 to 1984
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Bethlehem. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1893Waterbury sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Bethlehem.
The story so far
Bethlehem, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Bethlehem yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Bethlehem is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 3,385 at the 2020 census, down from 3,607 at the 2010 census. The town is part of the Naugatuck Valley Planning Region. The town center is a historic district and a census-designated place (CDP). The town's name has prompted thousands of visitors each December to mail their Christmas cards at the renowned local post office, situated at 34 East Street, in order to get a "Bethlehem" postmark. The post office also has nearly 100 Christmas-related stamps for customers to decorate their envelopes during the holiday season. Bethlehem is one of the two towns in Litchfield County served by the area code 203/are…
Bethlehem was established in 1787.
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
Timeline
Bethlehem, 1787 to 2010
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
In 1787, according to Wikidata. Bethlehem’s post office opened in 1811, and the census of 1820 counted 932 people here.
How does Bethlehem rank for history?
Bethlehem is more historic than 84% of U.S. towns, #79 of 155 in Connecticut. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Bethlehem?
Three places: the Joseph Bellamy House (listed 1982), the Bethlehem Green Historic District (1982) and the Caleb Martin House (1996).
How old are the homes in Bethlehem?
14% of Bethlehem’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.8 points), against a typical 15% for a Connecticut town; the median home was built in 1976.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (6), the National Register of Historic Places (3), Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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