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B+History
History · North Haven

North Haven dates to 1786, and 2 of its places are on the National Register

More historic than 65% of U.S. towns · #125 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it

Most of North Haven was built recently: 10% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1964. 2 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 50 buildings. Below: 10 old photos and papers, maps from 1892 on, and the census since 1820.

1786founded
2on the National Register
10%homes built before 1940
10old photos & papers
7famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From North Haven’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How North Haven began

When was North Haven founded?

1786

North Haven dates its founding to 1786 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1820.

First census: 1,298 in 1820240 years

How historic is North Haven?

B+

More historic than 65% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1839.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives North Haven’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, North Haven is more historic than 65% of U.S. towns, #125 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 North Haven’s overall grade.
Founding era1786, from Wikidata: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 19409.7% of homes (±1.9) · typical CT town 15.1% · U.S. 8.4%B−National Register2 listings, 51 historic buildings, 21.0 per 10,000 residents · typical CT town 73.3 · U.S. 2.4B−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 65%
NewerOlder
Connecticut towns of 2,500+ (155)Ahead of 19%

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 North Haven’s 21.0 sits below most of its state (25% of Connecticut towns have fewer) while its 51 historic buildings outnumber those of 85% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1786.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to B+. The pre-1940 share (±1.9 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 North Haven’s past

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

On the map since 18926 editions of the USGS map, 1892 to 1984. Watch North Haven change.A historic districtThe Pines Bridge Historic District takes in 50 historic buildings.Lost villages1 post office opened and closed inside today’s North Haven, and 4 old place names are still on the map.Deep rootsEstablished in 1786: 240 years of North Haven.
★ What stands out · On the map

North Haven on the map, 1892 to 1984

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

North Haven on the 1892 USGS mapNorth Haven on the 1921 USGS mapNorth Haven on the 1954 USGS mapNorth Haven on the 1967 USGS mapNorth Haven on the 1972 USGS mapNorth Haven on the 1984 USGS map1892New Haven 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 North Haven.

On the National Register

2 listings protect 51 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
51
each building in a district counts
first listed
1979
Rising Sun Tavern
Rising Sun TavernPines Bridge Historic District
BuildingsDistricts

Architectural styles listings

Queen Anne1
Greek Revival1
Georgian Colonial1
Rising Sun TavernBuilding
Pines Bridge Historic DistrictQueen Anne

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

Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

North Haven’s post office has been open since 1839. Another post office, Montowese, opened and closed inside today’s town.

North Haven
1839–today
Montowese
1871–1918
18301930today
Hamlets and corners on the map
AugervilleMillbrookMontoweseNorth Haven Bridge
Gone or out of use
Northford StationlocaleTuttle Bridgebridge
4cemeteries and burying grounds inside North Haven
All SaintsMontoweseNew CenterOld Center

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

The story

How North Haven came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of North Haven.

Read it all →

In his will of 1714, the Reverend James Pierpont (1659–1714) of New Haven gave 8 acres (32,000 m2) to his neighbors in the Northeast Parish, as North Haven was called, "provided those neighbors will set their meeting house there and do their training and burying there."

The first meeting house, completed in 1722, stood on the Green, west of what is now known as the Old Center Cemetery. About half of the original Pierpont gift remains today as the North Haven Green.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

North Haven, 1727 to 1970

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

  1. 18th century
  2. 1727Born hereEzra Stiles is born here
  3. 1786
    FoundingNorth Haven is established
  4. 19th century
  5. 1817Born hereEdwards Pierrepont is born here
  6. 1834Born hereHobart B. Bigelow is born here
  7. 1835In the archiveBarberJohnWarnerNorthHaven
  8. 1839Post officeThe North Haven post office opens
  9. 1871Post officeThe Montowese post office opens
  10. 1892On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  11. 20th century
  12. 1903In the archiveFour Children at North Havenlabel QS:Len,"Four Children at North Haven"
  13. 1918Post officeThe Montowese post office closes
  14. 1940In the archivePigeons raised by Mr. Edward J. Warher, who is a part time carpenter. North Haven, Connec…
  15. 1970Born herePaul Marcarelli is born here
By decade

North Haven, decade by decade

3 decades in the archive, from the 1830s to the 1940s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1830s1 item
BarberJohnWarnerNorthHaven1835BarberJohnWarnerNorthHavenDocument
1900s1 item
Four Children at North Havenlabel QS:Len,"Four Children at North Haven"1903–1904Four Children at North Havenlabel QS:Len,"Four Childr…
1910s–1930snothing 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
1940s8 items
Pigeons raised by Mr. Edward J. Warher, who is a part time carpenter. North Haven, Connecticut1940Pigeons raised by Mr. Edward J. Warher, who is a part…Pigeons raised by Mr. Edward J. Warner, who is a part time carpenter. North Haven, Connecticut1940Pigeons raised by Mr. Edward J. Warner, who is a part…Pigeons raised by Mr. Edward J. Warner, who is a part time carpenter. North Haven, Connecticut1940Pigeons raised by Mr. Edward J. Warner, who is a part…Untitled photo, possibly related to: Pigeons raised by Mr. Edward J. Warher, who is a part time carpenter. North Haven,…1940Untitled photo, possibly related to: Pigeons raised b…Untitled photo, possibly related to: Pigeons raised by Mr. Edward J. Warner, who is a part time carpenter. North Haven,…1940Untitled photo, possibly related to: Pigeons raised b…Untitled photo, possibly related to: Pigeons raised by Mr. Edward J. Warner, who is a part time carpenter. North Haven,…1940Untitled photo, possibly related to: Pigeons raised b…Untitled photo, possibly related to: Pigeons raised by Mr. Edward J. Warner, who is a part time carpenter. North Haven,…1940Untitled photo, possibly related to: Pigeons raised b…Untitled photo, possibly related to: Pigeons raised by Mr. Edward J. Warner, who is a part time carpenter. North Haven,…1940Untitled photo, possibly related to: Pigeons raised b…
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
Today14 recent
Popeye's Louisiana Kitchen2014Popeye's Louisiana KitchenPetco2014PetcoPanera Bread2014Panera BreadLeslie's Pool Supplies2014Leslie's Pool SuppliesJoyce Leslie2014Joyce LeslieInSight by Philip's Optical Store2014InSight by Philip's Optical StoreDollar Tree Store2014Dollar Tree StoreBig Lots2014Big LotsBest Buy2014Best BuyArby's2014Arby'sSt. Johns Episcopal Church2013St. Johns Episcopal ChurchN Haven CT lg2010N Haven CT lgNorthHavenCtLocatorMap2007NorthHavenCtLocatorMapHamden12006Hamden1
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.

Four Children at North Havenlabel QS:Len,"Four Children at North Haven"
Retake this viewFour Children at North Havenlabel QS:Len,"Four Children at North Haven", 1903–1904

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

Retake this view · +15
People over time

North Haven, census by census

05,00010,00015,00020,00025,000185019001950200024,253

Grew from 1,298 people in 1820 to 24,253 in 2020, more than tenfold.

19 censuses, 1820–2020.

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

Famous people

7 famous people were born in North Haven

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

See all →
Edwards PierrepontAmerican politician, lawyer and United States A… · b. 1817
Ezra StilesAmerican theologian, clergyman, Yale President … · b. 1727
Paul MarcarelliAmerican actor · b. 1970
Hobart B. BigelowAmerican politician · b. 1834
J
Joshua CalderónPuerto Rican footballer · b. 1996
Edgar SmithAmerican baseball player · b. 1860
Help out

Finish North Haven’s story

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
2 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewFour Children at North Havenlabel QS:Le…: 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.

Wallingford10 historic placesA−Wallingford Center7 historic placesnot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townHamden17 historic placesB+East Haven3 historic placesA−New Haven69 historic placesA+Northford4 historic placesnot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townNorth Branford6 historic placesB+

Questions about North Haven’s history

What year was North Haven founded?

In 1786, according to Wikidata. North Haven’s post office opened in 1839, and the census of 1820 counted 1,298 people here.

How does North Haven rank for history?

North Haven is more historic than 65% of U.S. towns, #125 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 North Haven?

Two places: the Rising Sun Tavern (listed 1979) and the Pines Bridge Historic District (1988).

How old are the homes in North Haven?

10% of North Haven’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.9 points), against a typical 15% for a Connecticut town; the median home was built in 1964.

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 (16), the Library of Congress (8), 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.