History · Cornwall

Cornwall dates to 1740, and 40% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 96% of U.S. towns. What drives it

9 places in town are on the National Register, among them the Steward's House, Foreign Mission School, a National Historic Landmark. Below: maps from 1892 on and the census since 1820.

1740founded

9on the National Register

40%homes built before 1940

9famous people

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Quick answers

How Cornwall began

When was Cornwall founded?

1740

Cornwall dates its founding to 1740 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1820.

First census: 1,661 in 1820286 years

How historic is Cornwall?

A⁺

More historic than 96% 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 Cornwall’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Cornwall is more historic than 96% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.

A⁺

HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Cornwall’s overall grade.

Founding era1740, from Wikipedia: founded before 1776, an older era than 96% of U.S. townsA⁺Homes built before 194039.7% of homes (±5.2) · typical CT town 15.1% · U.S. 8.4%A National Register9 listings, 13 historic buildings, 91.2 per 10,000 residents · typical CT town 73.3 · U.S. 2.4B⁺

All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 96%

NewerOlder

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 Cornwall’s 91.2 sits near the middle of its state (53% of Connecticut towns have fewer) while its 13 historic buildings outnumber those of 77% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikipedia alone; no second source gives 1740.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±5.2 points).

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 Cornwall’s past

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

Lost villages4 post offices opened and closed inside today’s Cornwall, and 7 old place names are still on the map.A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Cornwall are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 18925 editions of the USGS map, 1892 to 1984. Watch Cornwall change.A National Historic Landmark9 places on the National Register, including Steward's House, Foreign Mission School, a National Historic Landmark.

★ What stands out · Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Cornwall’s post office has been open since 1802. Four other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.

Cornwall

1802–today

Cornwall Bridge

1812–today

Cornwall Hollow

1829–1902

West Cornwall

1841–today

North Cornwall

1852–1888

East Cornwall

1865–1905

Cornwall Center

1888–1898

18001910today

Hamlets and corners on the map

Calhoun CornersCorner of the PinesCornwall BridgeEast CornwallNorth CornwallWest CornwallYelping Hill

Gone or out of use

Cream Hill Agricultural SchoolschoolForeign Mission SchoolschoolRed Mountain ShelterbuildingRipley Field Airportairport

5cemeteries and burying grounds inside Cornwall

AllenCornwallSedgwickSoutheastWright

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

Help out

Start Cornwall’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Cornwall’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos

00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s

0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.

Share a family photoSign in to add one+10

On the map

Cornwall on the map, 1892 to 1984

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

1892Cornwall 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 Cornwall.

The story

How Cornwall came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Cornwall.

Read it all →

The town of Cornwall, Connecticut, is named after the county of Cornwall, England. The town was incorporated in 1740, nearly four decades before the United States declared its independence. The town encompasses three townships: Cornwall Bridge and West Cornwall, each bordered by the Housatonic River to the west, and Cornwall Village, located three miles east of the river. In addition to those three townships, there are also the hamlets of East Cornwall and Cornwall Hollow, both distinct communities within the town. One significant natural feature is the vast amount of forested land, including hundreds of acres of Mohawk State Forest, resulting in Cornwall often being called “the “Greenest Town in Connecticut”.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Cornwall, 1893–1904

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

These settlements are supposed to have been made in the southern part wliere the first village of Cornwall was located; but soon after settlements were made in the north part, in Cornwall Hollow, lying among tlie mountains. Among these settlers was one William Tanner. Jr.. calle<l 'Mh-eat Tanner," … — **Genealogy of the descendants of Thomas Tanner, sr., of Cornwall, Connecticut, with brief notes of several allied families, also short sketches of several towns of their early residence**1893Read the page →
Read the text
These settlements are supposed to have been made in the southern part wliere the first village of Cornwall was located; but soon after settlements were made in the north part, in Cornwall Hollow, lying among tlie mountains. Among these settlers was one William Tanner. Jr.. calle<l 'Mh-eat Tanner," from his large
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

"Upon the petition of Noah Rogers, and others, Resolved by this Assembly, that such of the petitioners and others, inhabitants of town of Cornwall, residing within the limits of the First Ecclesiastical Society in Cornwall, as shall, on or before the first day of December enrol themselves as herein… — **Historical records of the town of Cornwall, Litchfield County, Connecticut**1904 · page 160Read the page →
Read the text
"Upon the petition of Noah Rogers, and others, Resolved by this Assembly, that such of the petitioners and others, inhabitants of town of Cornwall, residing within the limits of the First Ecclesiastical Society in Cornwall, as shall, on or before the first day of December enrol themselves as hereinafter directed, shall be and constitute an ecclesiastical society by the name of the Second Ecclesiastical Society in Cornwall ; and Noah Rogers J% of said town is hereby appointed to enrol the names of all such persons as shall by said day elect to be enrolled as
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

The Housatonic is now crossed by three bridges, maintained jointly with Sharon, two of wood and one of iron: one at West Cornwall, formerly Hart's Bridge; one at Cornwall Bridge; and one in the southwest part of the town, caUed Swift's Bridge. This latter was rebuilt in 1875 of iron, at a cost of $… — **Historical records of the town of Cornwall, Litchfield County, Connecticut**1904 · page 22Read the page →
Read the text
The Housatonic is now crossed by three bridges, maintained jointly with Sharon, two of wood and one of iron: one at West Cornwall, formerly Hart's Bridge; one at Cornwall Bridge; and one in the southwest part of the town, caUed Swift's Bridge. This latter was rebuilt in 1875 of iron, at a cost of $2,500, a single span, as it was difficult to maintain a pier from the ice.
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

Cornwall, 1740 to 2016

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

18th century
1740
FoundingCornwall is established
1751Born hereIra Allen is born here
1764Born hereThomas R. Gold is born here
1787Born hereEdward Rogers is born here
19th century
1802Post officeThe Cornwall post office opens
1812Post officeThe Cornwall Bridge post office opens
1813Born hereJohn Sedgwick is born here
1829Post officeThe Cornwall Hollow post office opens
1859BuiltMaj. Gen. John Sedgwick House is built
1886BuiltCornwall Bridge Railroad Station is built
1892On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
20th century
1902Post officeThe Cornwall Hollow post office closes
1934BuiltRed Mountain Shelter is built
1935BuiltCream Hill Shelter is built
21st century
2016LandmarkSteward's House, Foreign Mission School named a National Historic Landmark

On the National Register

9 historic places in Cornwall

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving. One is a National Historic Landmark, the highest tier.

places listed

National Historic Landmark

Steward's House, Foreign Mission School

historic buildings protected

each building in a district counts

first listed

1972

Cornwall Bridge Railroad Station

BuildingsStructures★ landmark

Architectural styles listings

Adirondack Rustic2

Greek Revival1

Late Victorian1

Italianate1

Cornwall Bridge Railroad StationBuilt 1886

West Cornwall BridgeStructure

Cream Hill Agricultural SchoolBuilding

Cream Hill ShelterAdirondack Rustic · Built 1935

Red Mountain ShelterAdirondack Rustic · Built 1934

Rumsey HallGreek Revival

Maj. Gen. John Sedgwick HouseLate Victorian · Built 1859

Stephen and Helen Foster HouseBuilding

All 9 listings

Steward's House, Foreign Mission SchoolBuilding · listed 2016

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

People over time

Cornwall, census by census

Between 834 and 2,041 people in every census since 1820.

19 censuses, 1820–2020.

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

Famous people

9 famous people were born in Cornwall

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

See all →

John SedgwickAmerican military officer · b. 1813

Ira AllenAmerican politician and first Treasurer of Verm… · b. 1751

Thomas R. GoldAmerican politician · b. 1764

Edward RogersAmerican politician · b. 1787

Victory BirdseyeAmerican politician · b. 1782

George GoldAmerican politician · b. 1830

Stories next door

History across the town line

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

Sharon7 historic placesA⁺West Cornwall2 historic placesnot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town Goshen2 historic placesA Cornwall Bridge1 historic placenot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town Canaan5 historic placesA⁺Kent4 historic placesA Warren1 historic placeB

Questions about Cornwall’s history

What year was Cornwall founded?

In 1740, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Cornwall’s post office opened in 1802, and the census of 1820 counted 1,661 people here.

How does Cornwall rank for history?

Cornwall is more historic than 96% of U.S. towns. 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 Cornwall?

9 listings: 8 buildings, among them the Steward's House, Foreign Mission School (a National Historic Landmark since 2016), and the Cornwall Bridge Railroad Station (listed 1972, the first), and 1 structure. 13 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Cornwall?

40% of Cornwall’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.2 points), against a typical 15% for a Connecticut town; the median home was built in 1959.

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 (18), the Library of Congress (11), Wikidata (3), the National Register of Historic Places (9), 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.

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