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B+History
History · Hebron

Hebron dates to 1704, and 2 of its places are on the National Register

More historic than 73% of U.S. towns · #110 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it

Most of Hebron was built recently: 4% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1986. 2 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 59 buildings. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1892 on, and the census since 1820.

1704founded
2on the National Register
4%homes built before 1940
1old photo or paper
16famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Hebron’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Hebron began

When was Hebron founded?

1704

Hebron dates its founding to 1704 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1820.

First census: 2,094 in 1820322 years

How historic is Hebron?

B+

More historic than 73% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1801.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Hebron’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Hebron is more historic than 73% of U.S. towns, #110 of 155 in Connecticut. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

B+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Hebron’s overall grade.
Founding era1704, from Wikidata: founded before 1776, an older era than 96% of U.S. townsA+Homes built before 19404.4% of homes (±2.2) · typical CT town 15.1% · U.S. 8.4%CNational Register2 listings, 60 historic buildings, 65.5 per 10,000 residents · typical CT town 73.3 · U.S. 2.4B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 73%
NewerOlder
Connecticut towns of 2,500+ (155)Ahead of 29%

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 Hebron’s 65.5 sits near the middle of its state (44% of Connecticut towns have fewer) while its 60 historic buildings outnumber those of 86% 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 (±2.2 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1704.

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 Hebron’s past

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

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 1 old photo is in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.Lost villages4 post offices opened and closed inside today’s Hebron, and 3 old place names are still on the map.Shrank, then grewLost half of its people between 1820 and 1930, then grew more than tenfold.On the map since 18925 editions of the USGS map, 1892 to 1984. Watch Hebron change.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Hebron’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old view1940 Census Enumeration District Maps -…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners and burying grounds

Hebron’s post office has been open since 1801. Four other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.

Hebron
1801–today
Gilead
1828–1914
Hope Valley
1831–1845
Turnersville
1863–1913
Hopevale
1892–1901
Amston
1913–today
18001910today
Hamlets and corners on the map
AmstonGileadHope Valley
6cemeteries and burying grounds inside Hebron
Andover RoadBurrows HillGayGileadJones StreetSaint Peters

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

People over time

Hebron, census by census

02,0004,0006,0008,00010,00018501900195020002,094 in 1820Low: 879

Lost half of its people between 1820 and 1930, then grew more than tenfold.

19 censuses, 1820–2020.

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

The story

How Hebron came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Hebron.

Read it all →

The town of Hebron was settled in 1704, and incorporated on May 26, 1708, within Hartford County from Non-County Area 1 of the Connecticut Colony. The diamond shape of the town seal has its origins in the diamond figure brand,

, required on all horses kept in Hebron by a May 1710 act of the Colonial Assembly.

Hebron became a town in Windham County upon its formation on May 12, 1726. It became a town in Tolland County upon its formation from part of Windham County on October 13, 1785. On October 13, 1803, the town of Marlborough, Hartford County was created from parts of the towns of Colchester (New London County), Glastonbury (Hartford County), and Hebron.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Hebron, 1704 to 2010

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

  1. 18th century
  2. 1704
    FoundingHebron is established
  3. 1762Born hereSamuel Morey is born here
  4. 1772Born hereJohn Samuel Peters is born here
  5. 1773Born hereErastus Root is born here
  6. 1781Born hereWilliam A. Palmer is born here
  7. 19th century
  8. 1801Post officeThe Hebron post office opens
  9. 1828Post officeThe Gilead post office opens
  10. 1831Post officeThe Hope Valley post office opens
  11. 1845Post officeThe Hope Valley post office closes
  12. 1880In the archive1940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Connecticut - Tolland County - Hebron - ED 7-8
  13. 1892On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  14. 20th century
  15. 1914Post officeThe Gilead post office closes
  16. 21st century
  17. 2010CensusPopulation peaks at 9,686
By decade

Hebron, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1880s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1880s1 item
1940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Connecticut - Tolland County - Hebron - ED 7-818801940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Connecticut -…
1890s–1990snothing 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
Today17 recent
Air Line State Park Trail at CT 2072024Air Line State Park Trail at CT 207Air Line State Park Trail 92024Air Line State Park Trail 9Air Line State Park Trail 82024Air Line State Park Trail 8Air Line State Park Trail 72024Air Line State Park Trail 7BrownstoneGravestoneHebronConnecticut2020BrownstoneGravestoneHebronConnecticutDeck of Air Line Trail bridge over the Jeremy River, December 20182018Deck of Air Line Trail bridge over the Jeremy River, …Air Line culvert over Senate Brook, December 20182018Air Line culvert over Senate Brook, December 2018Air Line bridge over Judd Brook, December 20182018Air Line bridge over Judd Brook, December 2018Air Line Trail near Hartford Road, December 20182018Air Line Trail near Hartford Road, December 2018Air Line Trail cut in Amston, December 20182018Air Line Trail cut in Amston, December 2018Air Line Trail bridge over the Jeremy River, December 20182018Air Line Trail bridge over the Jeremy River, December…Dunkin Donuts2017Dunkin DonutsHebron CT lg2010Hebron CT lgRham2009RhamHebron ct highlight2007Hebron ct highlightConnecticut Town History Sign2007Connecticut Town History SignConnecticut Town History Sign2007Connecticut Town History Sign
On the map

Hebron on the map, 1892 to 1984

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

Hebron on the 1892 USGS mapHebron on the 1944 USGS mapHebron on the 1953 USGS mapHebron on the 1970 USGS mapHebron on the 1984 USGS map1892Gilead 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 Hebron.

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.

1940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Connecticut - Tolland County - Hebron - ED 7-8
Retake this view1940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Connecticut - Tolland County - Hebron - ED 7-8, 1880

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

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

2 listings protect 60 historic buildings

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

places listed
2
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
60
each building in a district counts
first listed
1982
Augustus Post House
Augustus Post HouseHebron Center Historic District
BuildingsDistricts

Architectural styles listings

Federal2
Greek Revival1
Augustus Post HouseFederal
Hebron Center Historic DistrictFederal

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

Famous people

16 famous people were born in Hebron

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

See all →
William A. PalmerAmerican politician · b. 1781
Erastus RootAmerican politician · b. 1773
Samuel MoreyAmerican engineer · b. 1762
John Samuel PetersAmerican politician · b. 1772
S
Samuel InghamAmerican politician · b. 1793
D
Daniel BuckAmerican politician · b. 1753
Stories next door

History across the town line

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

Colchester8 historic placesA−Marlborough2 historic placesB−Andover3 historic placesAColumbia2 historic placesB+Bolton4 historic placesA−Lebanon5 historic placesA

Questions about Hebron’s history

What year was Hebron founded?

In 1704, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Hebron’s post office opened in 1801, and the census of 1820 counted 2,094 people here.

How does Hebron rank for history?

Hebron is more historic than 73% of U.S. towns, #110 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 Hebron?

Two places: the Augustus Post House (listed 1982) and the Hebron Center Historic District (1993).

How old are the homes in Hebron?

4% of Hebron’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.2 points), against a typical 15% for a Connecticut town; the median home was built in 1986.

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 National Register of Historic Places (2), 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) 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.