Fairfield dates to 1639, and 19% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 89% of U.S. towns · #47 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it
13 places in town are on the National Register, among them 2 National Historic Landmarks and two historic districts with 177 buildings between them. Below: 17 old photos and papers, maps from 1892 on, and the census since 1820.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1776.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Fairfield’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Fairfield is more historic than 89% of U.S. towns, #47 of 155 in Connecticut. 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 Fairfield’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 Fairfield’s 41.8 sits near the middle of its state (35% of Connecticut towns have fewer) while its 265 historic buildings outnumber those of 95% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1639.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A. The pre-1940 share (±1.3 points) is firm at this size.
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 Fairfield’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
In 1635, Puritans and Congregationalists in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, were dissatisfied with the rate of Anglican reform, and sought to establish an ecclesiastical society subject to their own rules and regulations. The Massachusetts General Court granted them permission to settle in the towns of Windsor, Wethersfield, and Hartford which are now within the state of Connecticut.
On January 14, 1639, a set of legal and administrative regulations called the Fundamental Orders was adopted and established Connecticut as a self-ruling entity. By 1639, these settlers had started new towns in the surrounding areas. Roger Ludlowe, framer of the Fundamental Orders, purchased the land then-called Unquowa (now Fairfield), and established the name.
Passages that mention Fairfield, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Newton genealogy, genealogical, biographical, historical1915 · page 737Read the page →
Read the text
"The tract of land purchased by Eoger Ludlow for the town of Fairfield embraced within its boundaries the Uncoway and Sasqua rivers, the fine harbors of Poquonnock and Black Rock, and a good harbor at Sasqua." — From History of Fairfield.
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.
By decade
Fairfield, decade by decade
5 decades in the archive, from the 1850s to the 1910s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
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 1639, according to Wikidata. Fairfield’s post office opened in 1776, and the census of 1820 counted 4,151 people here.
How does Fairfield rank for history?
Fairfield is more historic than 89% of U.S. towns, #47 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 Fairfield?
13 listings, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks: 8 buildings, 2 historic districts, the Greenfield Hill Historic District and the Southport Historic District, with 177 contributing buildings, 1 site, and 2 structures. 265 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Fairfield?
19% of Fairfield’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.3 points), against a typical 15% for a Connecticut town; the median home was built in 1960.
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 (17), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (13), 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.
★ Landmark
★ Landmark
1867
1867
1905
c. 1906
c. 1907
1907–1915
1907–1915
1908
1908
1909
c. 1909
1910
