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AHistory
History · Brooklyn

Brooklyn dates to 1786, and 16% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 85% of U.S. towns · #71 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it

6 places in town are on the National Register, among them three historic districts with 137 buildings between them. Below: 15 old photos and papers, maps from 1889 on, and the census since 1820.

1786founded
6on the National Register
16%homes built before 1940
15old photos & papers
9famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Brooklyn’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Brooklyn began

When was Brooklyn founded?

1786

Brooklyn dates its founding to 1786 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1820.

First census: 1,254 in 1820240 years

How historic is Brooklyn?

A

More historic than 85% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1802.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Brooklyn’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Brooklyn is more historic than 85% of U.S. towns, #71 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 Brooklyn’s overall grade.
Founding era1786, from Wikipedia: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 194016.3% of homes (±4.7) · typical CT town 15.1% · U.S. 8.4%BNational Register6 listings, 141 historic buildings, 166 per 10,000 residents · typical CT town 73.3 · U.S. 2.4A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 85%
NewerOlder
Connecticut towns of 2,500+ (155)Ahead of 55%

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 Brooklyn’s 166 sits above most of its state (69% of Connecticut towns have fewer) while its 141 historic buildings outnumber those of 91% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would still be A−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.7 points). Two sources give 1786.

Founding year: Wikipedia (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 Brooklyn’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

Shrank, then grewLost a third of its people between 1890 and 1920, then grew 5-fold.On the map since 18896 editions of the USGS map, 1889 to 1970. Watch Brooklyn change.A historic districtThe Brooklyn Green Historic District takes in 70 historic buildings.A town in old photos15 old photos, postcards and papers, 1940–1995.
★ What stands out · People over time

Brooklyn, census by census

02,0004,0006,0008,00018501900195020002,628 in 1890Low: 1,655

Lost a third of its people between 1890 and 1920, then grew 5-fold.

19 censuses, 1820–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Brooklyn’s Wikipedia page.

On the map

Brooklyn on the map, 1889 to 1970

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Brooklyn. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Brooklyn on the 1889 USGS mapBrooklyn on the 1893 USGS mapBrooklyn on the 1919 USGS mapBrooklyn on the 1946 USGS mapBrooklyn on the 1955 USGS mapBrooklyn on the 1970 USGS map1889Putnam 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 Brooklyn.

On the National Register

6 listings protect 141 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
6
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
141
each building in a district counts
first listed
1970
Trinity Church
Trinity ChurchUnitarian MeetinghousePutnam FarmBrooklyn Green Historic DistrictQuinebaug Mill-Quebec Square Historic DistrictBush Hill Historic District
BuildingsDistricts

Architectural styles listings

Greek Revival3
Georgian2
Federal2
Italianate2
Colonial1
Queen Anne1
Trinity ChurchGeorgian
Unitarian MeetinghouseBuilding
Putnam FarmBuilding
Brooklyn Green Historic DistrictColonial
Quinebaug Mill-Quebec Square Historic DistrictGreek Revival
Bush Hill Historic DistrictFederal

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

The story

How Brooklyn came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Brooklyn.

Read it all →

Brooklyn was settled in the late 17th century and incorporated as its own town in 1786. It is named for the Quinebaug River, or Brook Line, which forms its eastern boundary. Brooklyn was originally land of the Wabaquasset. It was incorporated as a town separate from Canterbury and Pomfret in May 1786. It is home to the Brooklyn Fair, America's oldest continuously operating agricultural fair, as well as the Brooklyn Correctional Institution, a state-run medium security prison.

Brooklyn held the 1833 trial of Prudence Crandall, a schoolteacher charged with the crime of educating black female students in nearby Canterbury.

ChaptersVillages

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Brooklyn in 1888

Passages that mention Brooklyn, cut from the printed page as they were published.

To all people to whom these presents shall come, greeting : Know ye that I, Thomas S. Marlor of the town of Brooklyn, County of Windham, and State of Connecticut, for the consideration of One Dollar received to my full satisfaction of the State of Connecticut, do give, grant, bargain, sell, and con…
A history of the equestrian statue of Israel Putnam, at Brooklyn, Conn1888 · page 14Read the page →
Read the text

To all people to whom these presents shall come, greeting : Know ye that I, Thomas S. Marlor of the town of Brooklyn, County of Windham, and State of Connecticut, for the consideration of One Dollar received to my full satisfaction of the State of Connecticut, do give, grant, bargain, sell, and confirm unto the said State of Connecticut, certain land situated in said Brooklyn, and described as follows, to wit : A certain driveway situated on the south side of property deeded by this grantor to the State by

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The same to be built in the town of Brooklyn, Connecticut, in such place as said agents shall designate, and said pedestal and statue are to be placed thereon by said Gerhardt.
A history of the equestrian statue of Israel Putnam, at Brooklyn, Conn1888 · page 13Read the page →
Read the text

The same to be built in the town of Brooklyn, Connecticut, in such place as said agents shall designate, and said pedestal and statue are to be placed thereon by said Gerhardt.

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Timeline

Brooklyn, 1757 to 2020

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 18th century
  2. 1757Born hereElijah Paine is born here
  3. 1786
    FoundingBrooklyn is established
  4. 1799Born hereDaniel Tyler is born here
  5. 19th century
  6. 1802Post officeThe Brooklyn post office opens
  7. 1833Born hereEmily Huntington Miller is born here
  8. 1867Born hereLucy Scarborough Conant is born here
  9. 1889On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  10. 20th century
  11. 1940In the archiveMr. Karrlo Maki, Finnish poultry farmer
  12. 1995In the archiveConnecticut State Route 169 - A Store in
  13. 21st century
  14. 2020CensusPopulation peaks at 8,450
By decade

Brooklyn, decade by decade

2 decades in the archive, from the 1940s to the 1990s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1940s4 items
Mr. Karrlo Maki, Finnish poultry farmer1940Mr. Karrlo Maki, Finnish poultry farmerPost office and general store1940Post office and general storeUntitled photo, possibly related to: Mr. Karrlo Maki, Finnish poultry farmer1940Untitled photo, possibly related to: Mr. Karrlo Maki,…Untitled photo, possibly related to: Post office and general store1940Untitled photo, possibly related to: Post office and …
1950s–1980snothing yet
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.
Add from your album
1990s2 items
Connecticut State Route 169 - A Store in1995Connecticut State Route 169 - A Store inConnecticut State Route 169 - Church in1995Connecticut State Route 169 - Church in
Date unknown9 to date
Historic American Buildings Survey (Fed.) Stanley P. Mixon, Photographer May 16, 1940 (A) EXT. OLD WELL HOUSE AND DRUM …Date?Historic American Buildings Survey (Fed.) Stanley P. …RockChurch in BrooklynCTDate?RockChurch in BrooklynCTWest Brooklyn Green, Tatnic Road & Hartford RoadDate?West Brooklyn Green, Tatnic Road & Hartford RoadTown HallDate?Town HallUnitarian ChurchDate?Unitarian ChurchTrinity Episcopal ChurchDate?Trinity Episcopal ChurchGeneral Israel Putnam PrivyDate?General Israel Putnam PrivyOld Well House, Maplehurst FarmDate?Old Well House, Maplehurst FarmBrooklyn Green, North Green, South Green, & West Green, parts of Brown Road, Canterbury Road (Route 169), Hartford Road…Date?Brooklyn Green, North Green, South Green, & West Gree…
Today16 recent
Brooklyn, CT2025Brooklyn, CTStetson Cemetery2024Stetson CemeteryCT Route 2052024CT Route 205Brooklyn, Connecticut2024Brooklyn, ConnecticutBrooklyn, Connecticut2024Brooklyn, ConnecticutBrooklyn, Connecticut2024Brooklyn, ConnecticutBlackwell Brook2024Blackwell BrookLapsley Farm Stand2022Lapsley Farm StandBrooklyn, Connecticut fairgrounds2020Brooklyn, Connecticut fairgroundsVeterans Memorial2019Veterans MemorialMortlake Fire Company2019Mortlake Fire CompanyLibrary2019LibraryBrooklyn Historical Society Museum2019Brooklyn Historical Society MuseumKFC Taco Bell2018KFC Taco BellBrooklynCT PutnamFarm2015BrooklynCT PutnamFarmBrooklyn CT lg2010Brooklyn CT lg
Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Mr. Karrlo Maki, Finnish poultry farmer
Retake this viewMr. Karrlo Maki, Finnish poultry farmer, 1940

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Brooklyn’s page.

Retake this view · +15
Famous people

9 famous people were born in Brooklyn

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Elijah PaineUnited States federal judge · b. 1757
Daniel TylerUnion Army general · b. 1799
Emily Huntington MillerAmerican writer · b. 1833
L
Lucy Scarborough ConantAmerican artist, and a costume and set designer · b. 1867
Waldo HutchinsAmerican politician · b. 1822
David Low DodgeAmerican theologian · b. 1774
Places that used to be

Old corners and burying grounds

Brooklyn’s post office has been open since 1802.

Hamlets and corners on the map
East BrooklynQuebecStetson CornerWest Wauregan
5cemeteries and burying grounds inside Brooklyn
Israel Putnam MemorialOld Trinity ChurchSacred HeartSouthStetson

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Help out

Finish Brooklyn’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
2 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Date a photo9 archive items have no date. Guess the decade.+2Retake an old viewMr. Karrlo Maki, Finnish poultry farmer: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Killingly7 historic placesAEast Brooklyn1 historic placenot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townPlainfield11 historic placesA+Danielson4 historic placesAPomfret5 historic placesA+Wauregan1 historic placenot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townHampton1 historic placeACanterbury7 historic placesA

Questions about Brooklyn’s history

What year was Brooklyn founded?

In 1786, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Brooklyn’s post office opened in 1802, and the census of 1820 counted 1,254 people here.

How does Brooklyn rank for history?

Brooklyn is more historic than 85% of U.S. towns, #71 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 Brooklyn?

6 listings: 3 buildings, among them the Trinity Church (listed 1970, the first), and 3 historic districts, the Brooklyn Green Historic District, the Quinebaug Mill-Quebec Square Historic District and the Bush Hill Historic District, with 137 contributing buildings. 141 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Brooklyn?

16% of Brooklyn’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.7 points), against a typical 15% for a Connecticut town; the median home was built in 1978.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

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 (20), the Library of Congress (11), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (6), Wikipedia, 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), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.