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Lake PocotopaugPhoto: –Grondemar · CC BY-SA 3.0
–Not graded
History · Lake Pocotopaug

Half of Lake Pocotopaug’s homes were built after 1976

Most of Lake Pocotopaug was built recently: 7% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1976. Below: maps from 1893 on.

0on the National Register
7%homes built before 1940
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: –Grondemar · CC BY-SA 3.0

What stands out about Lake Pocotopaug’s past

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

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Lake Pocotopaug are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 18936 editions of the USGS map, 1893 to 1984. Watch Lake Pocotopaug change.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Lake Pocotopaug’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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On the map

Lake Pocotopaug on the map, 1893 to 1984

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

Lake Pocotopaug on the 1893 USGS mapLake Pocotopaug on the 1945 USGS mapLake Pocotopaug on the 1952 USGS mapLake Pocotopaug on the 1961 USGS mapLake Pocotopaug on the 1971 USGS mapLake Pocotopaug on the 1984 USGS map1893Middletown 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 Lake Pocotopaug.

The story so far

Lake Pocotopaug, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Lake Pocotopaug yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Lake Pocotopaug is an unincorporated village and census-designated place (CDP) in the town of East Hampton in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 4,901, up from 3,436 in 2010. It is named for the large local lake, which for years has been a popular resort area. The lake is surrounded by numerous homes. Most are year-round residences, although some summer cottages dot the shore. It is especially noted for two islands in its center, separated by a narrow, shallow strait (both of which have cabins).

Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 3,436 to 4,901 (+43%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

By decade

Lake Pocotopaug, decade by decade

Today5 recent
William ONeill Performing Arts Gazebo, Sears Park, East Hampton CT2023William ONeill Performing Arts Gazebo, Sears Park, Ea…Sears Park beach, East Hampton CT2023Sears Park beach, East Hampton CTWalgreens (East Hampton, Connecticut)2019Walgreens (East Hampton, Connecticut)Lake Pocotopaug2010Lake Pocotopaug2010 Census Urban Cluster Reference Map for Lake Pocotopaug--East Hampton, Connecticut20102010 Census Urban Cluster Reference Map for Lake Poco…Book
Famous people

Famous people close to Lake Pocotopaug

Nobody well known was born in Lake Pocotopaug itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
John Hasbrouck Van VleckAmerican physicist · b. 1899
Dean AchesonAmerican statesman and lawyer · b. 1893
Jules DassinAmerican film director · b. 1911
Dana WhiteAmerican businessman and president of UFC · b. 1969
C
Candace BushnellAmerican author · b. 1958
Laura IngrahamAmerican radio and television host · b. 1963

Questions about Lake Pocotopaug’s history

Memory lane

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

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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). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (5) and U.S. Geological Survey historical maps. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.