Enfield dates to 1679, and 13% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 89% of U.S. towns · #46 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it
7 places in town are on the National Register, among them four historic districts with 550 buildings between them. Below: 6 old photos and papers, maps from 1892 on, and the census since 1820.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1811.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Enfield’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Enfield is more historic than 89% of U.S. towns, #46 of 155 in Connecticut. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Enfield’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 Enfield’s 136 sits near the middle of its state (63% of Connecticut towns have fewer) while its 559 historic buildings outnumber those of 97% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A+. The pre-1940 share (±2.0 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1679.
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 Enfield’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Enfield was originally inhabited by the Podunk people, and contained their two villages of Scitico and Nameroke. Though land grants were first granted in 1674, no one attempted to settle what is known as Enfield until 1679 when the Pease Brothers of Robert and John II, settlers from Salem, Massachusetts came in to settle the fertile lands. They dug a shelter into a hill and camped there for the winter until their families came to help them build houses. In 1675, a sawmill owned by William Pynchon II was burned in the wake of King Phillip's War. The first town meeting was held on August 14, 1679, and a committee of five were appointed by men from Springfield as it was the parent town at the time. Enfield was incorporated in Massachusetts on May 16, 1683, as the Freshwater Plantation, the same day as the town of Stow, Massachusetts, making them the 52nd/53rd towns in the Colony. The names…
Passages that mention Enfield, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The history of Enfield, Connecticut1900 · page 2646Read the page →
Read the text
THE following items are abstracts of entries found in the Book of Ancient Land Grants and Possessions of Springfield, Mass., from which town Enfield was set off in 1683. These Springfield grants were mostly forfeited or given up; but a few were afterwards confirmed by the Committee that settled the town of Enfield. There seems to be no evidence of actual settlement at Freshwater until 1680 or 1681, yet it is probable that Col. John Pynchon had a sawmill on Freshwater brook several years previous to this date. —KIBBE.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The history of Enfield, Connecticut1900 · page 2492Read the page →
Read the text
Whereas Heman Pease has come into & now resides in the town of Enfield not having gained a legal settlement in s‘ town or in any way received as an inhabitant we have this day warned & given him legal notice that he forthwith depart from & leave s* town of Enfield & not retnrn any more to reside their under penalty of the Law.
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
Enfield, 1679 to 1987
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 1679, according to Wikidata. Enfield’s post office opened in 1811, and the census of 1820 counted 2,065 people here.
How does Enfield rank for history?
Enfield is more historic than 89% of U.S. towns, #46 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 Enfield?
7 listings: 3 buildings, among them the Enfield Town Meetinghouse (listed 1974, the first), and 4 historic districts with 550 contributing buildings. 559 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Enfield?
13% of Enfield’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.0 points), against a typical 15% for a Connecticut town; the median home was built in 1963.
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 (7), 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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