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A+History
History · Manchester

Manchester dates to 1672, and 21% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 96% of U.S. towns · #15 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it

8 places in town are on the National Register, among them the Cheney Brothers Historic District, a National Historic Landmark, and five historic districts with 1,322 buildings between them. Below: 30 old photos and papers, maps from 1892 on, and the census since 1850.

1672founded
8on the National Register
21%homes built before 1940
30old photos & papers
52famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Manchester’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Manchester began

When was Manchester founded?

1672

Manchester dates its founding to 1672 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1850.

First census: 2,546 in 1850354 years

How historic is Manchester?

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: Wikidata. First post office: 1820.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Manchester’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Manchester is more historic than 96% of U.S. towns, #15 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 Manchester’s overall grade.
Founding era1672, from Wikidata: founded before 1776, an older era than 96% of U.S. townsA+Homes built before 194020.9% of homes (±2.0) · typical CT town 15.1% · U.S. 8.4%B+National Register8 listings, 1,332 historic buildings, 223 per 10,000 residents · typical CT town 73.3 · U.S. 2.4A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 96%
NewerOlder
Connecticut towns of 2,500+ (155)Ahead of 91%

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 Manchester’s 223 sits above most of its state (78% of Connecticut towns have fewer) while its 1,332 historic buildings outnumber those of 99% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1672.
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.

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 Manchester’s past

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

A historic districtThe Manchester Historic District takes in 876 historic buildings.A town in old photos30 old photos, postcards and papers, 1880–1942.Lost villages6 post offices opened and closed inside today’s Manchester, and 8 old place names are still on the map.Older than the countryEstablished in 1672, 104 years before the Declaration of Independence.
★ What stands out · On the National Register

8 listings protect 1,332 historic buildings

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

places listed
8
National Historic Landmark
1
Cheney Brothers Historic District
historic buildings protected
1,332
each building in a district counts
first listed
1978
Cheney Brothers Historic District
Edward L. Burnham FarmUS Post Office-Manchester MainMain Street Historic DistrictWoodbridge FarmsteadManchester Historic DistrictUnion Village Historic DistrictCase Brothers Historic DistrictCheney Brothers Historic District★
BuildingsDistricts★ landmark

Architectural styles listings

Colonial Revival4
Gothic Revival2
Greek Revival2
Italianate2
Queen Anne2
Tudor1
★ Landmark
Cheney Brothers Historic DistrictTudor
Edward L. Burnham FarmVernacular Greek Revival
US Post Office-Manchester MainGeorgian Revival
Main Street Historic DistrictColonial Revival
Woodbridge FarmsteadGreek Revival
Manchester Historic DistrictGothic Revival
Union Village Historic DistrictFederal
Case Brothers Historic DistrictColonial Revival

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

By decade

Manchester, decade by decade

5 decades in the archive, from the 1880s to the 1940s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1880s–1910s20 items
View of South Manchester, Conn. 18801880View of South Manchester, Conn. 1880Laurel Park streetcar station 1910 postcardc. 1910Laurel Park streetcar station 1910 postcardPostcardAero view of Manchester, Connecticut 19141914Aero view of Manchester, Connecticut 1914Ceremonies - Alabama thru Connecticut - Red Cross Drive parade, S. Manchester, Conn. Surgical dressing workers section1917Ceremonies - Alabama thru Connecticut - Red Cross Dri…Ceremonies - Alabama thru Connecticut - Red Cross Drive parade, South Manchester, Conn. "Ever Ready Auxiliary" float1917Ceremonies - Alabama thru Connecticut - Red Cross Dri…Ceremonies - Alabama thru Connecticut - Red Cross Drive parade, South Manchester, Conn. Army and Navy Club float1917Ceremonies - Alabama thru Connecticut - Red Cross Dri…Ceremonies - Alabama thru Connecticut - Red Cross Drive parade, South Manchester, Conn. Bolton float and automobiles in…1917Ceremonies - Alabama thru Connecticut - Red Cross Dri…Ceremonies - Alabama thru Connecticut - Red Cross Drive parade, South Manchester, Conn. Field hospital unit1917Ceremonies - Alabama thru Connecticut - Red Cross Dri…Ceremonies - Alabama thru Connecticut - Red Cross Drive parade, South Manchester, Conn. Float representing Red Cross nu…1917Ceremonies - Alabama thru Connecticut - Red Cross Dri…Ceremonies - Alabama thru Connecticut - Red Cross Drive parade, South Manchester, Conn. General view of marchers1917Ceremonies - Alabama thru Connecticut - Red Cross Dri…Ceremonies - Alabama thru Connecticut - Red Cross Drive parade, South Manchester, Conn. North End Auxiliary1917Ceremonies - Alabama thru Connecticut - Red Cross Dri…Ceremonies - Alabama thru Connecticut - Red Cross Drive parade, South Manchester, Conn. One of the floats1917Ceremonies - Alabama thru Connecticut - Red Cross Dri…Ceremonies - Alabama thru Connecticut - Red Cross Drive parade, South Manchester, Conn. One of the floats1917Ceremonies - Alabama thru Connecticut - Red Cross Dri…Ceremonies - Alabama thru Connecticut - Red Cross Drive parade, South Manchester, Conn. Soldiers join parade1917Ceremonies - Alabama thru Connecticut - Red Cross Dri…Ceremonies - Alabama thru Connecticut - Red Cross Drive parade, South Manchester, Conn. Spinning mill employees1917Ceremonies - Alabama thru Connecticut - Red Cross Dri…Ceremonies - Alabama thru Connecticut - Red Cross Drive parade, South Manchester, Conn. St. James Auxiliary1917Ceremonies - Alabama thru Connecticut - Red Cross Dri…Industries of War - Cloth - Silk - INDUSTRIES OF WAR, MANUFACTURE OF SILK. PRINTING FOULARD. Cheney Bros. Factory, Sout…1917Industries of War - Cloth - Silk - INDUSTRIES OF WAR,…Industries of War - Cloth - Silk - INDUSTRIES OF WAR, MANUFACURE OF SILK. DESIGNING ROOM FOR CLOTH. Cheney Bros. Factor…1917Industries of War - Cloth - Silk - INDUSTRIES OF WAR,…Industries of War - Cloth - Silk - INDUSTRIES OF WAR, MANUFACURE OF SILK. EMPLOYEES' NOON RESTAURANT. Cheney Bros. Fact…1917Industries of War - Cloth - Silk - INDUSTRIES OF WAR,…Liberty Bonds - Parades - Miscellaneous: 2nd Campaign - 2ND LIBERTY LOAN PARADE. South Manchester, Conn1917Liberty Bonds - Parades - Miscellaneous: 2nd Campaign…
1920s–1940s10 items
New York Times - 1929.10.24 - 39 - Town of Manchester, Conn1929New York Times - 1929.10.24 - 39 - Town of Manchester…Making harnesses, Mary Saverick stitching, Pioneer Parachute Company Mills1939Making harnesses, Mary Saverick stitching, Pioneer Pa…The water stretching machine of an eastern parachute manufacturer stretches shroud lines so as to make them more adapta…1939The water stretching machine of an eastern parachute …The water stretching machine of an eastern parachute manufacturer stretches shroud lines so as to make them more adapta…1942The water stretching machine of an eastern parachute …The water stretching machine of an eastern parachute manufacturer1a35382v1942The water stretching machine of an eastern parachute …Production. Parachute making. As these two girls thread shroud cords through the material, these yards of silk become m…1942Production. Parachute making. As these two girls thre…Production. Parachute making. As Louis Nerkin guides this cutting machine along the pattern lines, these layers of silk…1942Production. Parachute making. As Louis Nerkin guides …Production. Parachute making. Doing her part, as her brother in the Navy is doing his, this operator is assembling pack…1942Production. Parachute making. Doing her part, as her …Production. Parachute making. Final inspection of flare parachutes is as important to this worker as inspection of para…1942Production. Parachute making. Final inspection of fla…Production. Parachute making. The utmost precision is required of these operators who are cutting and drilling parachut…1942Production. Parachute making. The utmost precision is…
1950s–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
Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners and burying grounds

Manchester’s post office has been open since 1820. Six other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.

Manchester
1820–today
Bucklands Corners
1833–1848
Oakland
1841–1850
Buckland
1848–1965
Manchester Station
1850–1861
Highland Park
1886–1940
Manchester Green
1886–1943
18201920today
Hamlets and corners on the map
BucklandHassunadchuauckHighland ParkHilliardvilleLydallvilleManchester GreenOaklandOxford Village
7cemeteries and burying grounds inside Manchester
Beth Sholom Memorial ParkEastNorthwestSaint BridgetsSaint JamesSaint JohnsWest

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

The story

How Manchester came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Manchester.

Read it all →

The area known as Manchester began its recorded history as the camping grounds of a small band of peaceful Native Americans known as the Podunk tribe. The area was settled by colonists around 1673, some 40 years after Thomas Hooker led a group of Puritans from Massachusetts Bay Colony to found Hartford.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Manchester, 1672 to 1978

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

  1. 17th century
  2. 1672
    FoundingManchester is established
  3. 19th century
  4. 1820Post officeThe Manchester post office opens
  5. 1833Post officeThe Bucklands Corners post office opens
  6. 1841Post officeThe Oakland post office opens
  7. 1848Post officeThe Bucklands Corners post office closes
  8. 1850Post officeThe Oakland post office closes
  9. 1880In the archiveView of South Manchester, Conn. 1880
  10. 1892On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  11. 20th century
  12. 1905Born hereAstrid Allwyn is born here
  13. 1910In the archiveLaurel Park streetcar station 1910 postcard
  14. 1926Born hereHenry Molaison is born here
  15. 1929In the archiveNew York Times - 1929.10.24 - 39 - Town of Manchester, Conn
  16. 1939In the archiveMaking harnesses, Mary Saverick stitching, Pioneer Parachute Company Mills
  17. 1942In the archiveThe water stretching machine of an eastern parachute manufacturer stretches shroud lines …
  18. 1961Born hereDaniel C. Burbank is born here
  19. 1969Born hereDana White is born here
  20. 1978LandmarkCheney Brothers Historic District named a National Historic Landmark
On the map

Manchester on the map, 1892 to 1992

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

Manchester on the 1892 USGS mapManchester on the 1928 USGS mapManchester on the 1944 USGS mapManchester on the 1952 USGS mapManchester on the 1963 USGS mapManchester on the 1984 USGS mapManchester on the 1992 USGS map1892Hartford 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 Manchester.

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.

View of South Manchester, Conn. 1880
Retake this viewView of South Manchester, Conn. 1880, 1880

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

Retake this view · +15
People over time

Manchester, census by census

05,00010,00015,00020,00025,00030,00035,00040,00045,00050,00055,00060,00065,000185019001950200059,713

Grew from 2,546 people in 1850 to 59,713 in 2020, more than tenfold.

18 censuses, 1850–2020.

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

Famous people

52 famous people were born in Manchester

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

See all →
Dana WhiteAmerican businessman and president of UFC · b. 1969
Daniel C. BurbankAmerican astronaut · b. 1961
H
Henry MolaisonAmerican memory disorder patient · b. 1926
Astrid AllwynAmerican film and stage actress · b. 1905
J
Joe McCluskeyAmerican steeplechaser and long distance runner · b. 1911
Doug BlairAmerican musician · b. 1963
Help out

Finish Manchester’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
4 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewView of South Manchester, Conn. 1880: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Stories next door

History across the town line

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

Glastonbury12 historic placesA−Bolton4 historic placesA−East Hartford8 historic placesA−South Windsor4 historic placesAVernon6 historic placesA

Questions about Manchester’s history

What year was Manchester founded?

In 1672, according to Wikidata. Manchester’s post office opened in 1820, and the census of 1850 counted 2,546 people here.

How does Manchester rank for history?

Manchester is more historic than 96% of U.S. towns, #15 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 Manchester?

8 listings: 3 buildings and 5 historic districts with 1,322 contributing buildings. 1,332 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Manchester?

21% of Manchester’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 1962.

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 (23), the Library of Congress (7), the National Register of Historic Places (8), 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.