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East Plymouth Historic DistrictEast Plymouth Historic District · Photo: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ, M.D. · CC BY-SA 4.0
AHistory
History · Plymouth

Plymouth dates to 1795, and 23% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 88% of U.S. towns · #58 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it

3 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 135 buildings between them. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1893 on, and the census since 1820.

1795founded
3on the National Register
23%homes built before 1940
1old photo or paper
3famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Plymouth’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Plymouth began

When was Plymouth founded?

1795

Plymouth dates its founding to 1795 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1820.

First census: 1,758 in 1820231 years

How historic is Plymouth?

A

More historic than 88% 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: 1812.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Plymouth’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Plymouth is more historic than 88% of U.S. towns, #58 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 Plymouth’s overall grade.
Founding era1795, from Wikidata: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 194022.6% of homes (±3.9) · typical CT town 15.1% · U.S. 8.4%B+National Register3 listings, 135 historic buildings, 115 per 10,000 residents · typical CT town 73.3 · U.S. 2.4A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 88%
NewerOlder
Connecticut towns of 2,500+ (155)Ahead of 63%

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 Plymouth’s 115 sits near the middle of its state (59% of Connecticut towns have fewer) while its 135 historic buildings outnumber those of 91% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would still be A−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.9 points). Two sources give 1795.

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 Plymouth’s past

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

A historic districtThe Plymouth Center Historic District takes in 122 historic buildings.A history waiting to be writtenOnly 1 old photo is in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.Shrank, then grewLost half of its people between 1870 and 1890, then grew 5-fold.On the map since 18934 editions of the USGS map, 1893 to 1969. Watch Plymouth change.
★ What stands out · On the National Register

3 listings protect 135 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving. Boundary changes and added documentation are counted with their listing.

places listed
3
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
135
each building in a district counts
first listed
1985
East Plymouth Historic District
East Plymouth Historic DistrictPlymouth Center Historic DistrictTerryville Waterwheel
DistrictsStructures

Architectural styles listings

Postmedieval English1
Federal1
Greek Revival1
Villa1
Italianate1
Colonial Revival1
East Plymouth Historic DistrictDistrict
Plymouth Center Historic DistrictPostmedieval English
Terryville WaterwheelHigh Breast Wheel

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

Help out

Start Plymouth’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewTerryville station postcard: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
People over time

Plymouth, census by census

02,0004,0006,0008,00010,00012,00018501900195020004,140 in 1870Low: 2,147

Lost half of its people between 1870 and 1890, then grew 5-fold.

20 censuses, 1820–2020.

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

The story

How Plymouth came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Plymouth.

Read it all →

The town was incorporated in 1795 and became known nationally for the manufacture of clocks. The town was named after Plymouth, Massachusetts. Plymouth (formerly Northbury, a section of Waterbury) was originally used as a burying ground for Waterbury. History records show that it was founded by a group of people who believed they had found a large deposit of lead. This fabled "lead mine" never actually existed (or is still yet to be discovered). The oldest home in the community is on Route 6, and dates to 1690–1700.

In the 1790s, George Washington traveled through here, both to visit relatives and to stay away from the coastline.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Plymouth, 1795 to 2010

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

  1. 18th century
  2. 1795
    FoundingPlymouth is established
  3. 1796Born hereHenry Dutton is born here
  4. 1797Born hereJudson Allen is born here
  5. 19th century
  6. 1812Post officeThe Plymouth post office opens
  7. 1831Post officeThe Terryville post office opens
  8. 1857Post officeThe Pequabuck post office opens
  9. 1866Born hereFrederick A. Scott is born here
  10. 1893On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  11. 20th century
  12. 1910In the archiveTerryville station postcard
  13. 21st century
  14. 2010CensusPopulation peaks at 12,243
By decade

Plymouth, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1910s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1910s1 item
Terryville station postcardc. 1910Terryville station postcardPostcard
1920s–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
Plymouth Green2024Plymouth GreenHancock Brook Lake in2024Hancock Brook Lake inHancock Brook Dam in2024Hancock Brook Dam inFirst Congregational Church of2024First Congregational Church ofFall Mountain Lake2024Fall Mountain LakeCT Route 2622024CT Route 262Greystone Falls2017Greystone FallsEAST PLYMOUTH HISTORIC DISTRICT, LICHFIELD COUNTY, CT2016EAST PLYMOUTH HISTORIC DISTRICT, LICHFIELD COUNTY, CTEli Terry Tower Clock2014Eli Terry Tower ClockFirstCongregationalChurchPlymouthCT2013FirstCongregationalChurchPlymouthCTPlymouth CT lg2010Plymouth CT lgCFPAWhitestoneCliffsTrailHeadSign22010CFPAWhitestoneCliffsTrailHeadSign2Waterbury Airport - Connecticut2006Waterbury Airport - ConnecticutTHOMASTON,LITCHFIELD,CONNECTICUT2003THOMASTON,LITCHFIELD,CONNECTICUT
On the map

Plymouth on the map, 1893 to 1969

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

Plymouth on the 1893 USGS mapPlymouth on the 1904 USGS mapPlymouth on the 1956 USGS mapPlymouth on the 1969 USGS map1893Waterbury 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 Plymouth.

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.

Terryville station postcard
Retake this viewTerryville station postcard, c. 1910

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

Retake this view · +15
Famous people

3 famous people were born in Plymouth

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

See all →
Henry DuttonAmerican politician · b. 1796
J
Judson AllenAmerican politician · b. 1797
Frederick A. ScottAmerican politician and attorney · b. 1866
Places that used to be

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

Plymouth’s post office has been open since 1812. Another post office, Greystone, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Plymouth
1812–today
Terryville
1831–today
Pequabuck
1857–today
Greystone
1881–1907
18101920today
Hamlets and corners on the map
AllentownEast PlymouthGreystoneHancockPequabuckTerryvilleTolles
Gone or out of use
Greystone Post Officepost office
8cemeteries and burying grounds inside Plymouth
AllentownEast ChurchOldSaint JohnsSaint MarysSaint MichaelsSaints Cyril and Methodius OrthodoxWest Side

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

Stories next door

History across the town line

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

Bristol17 historic placesA−Thomaston4 historic placesB−Harwinton3 historic placesATerryville1 historic placenot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townWolcott2 historic placesB−Waterbury25 historic placesA+

Questions about Plymouth’s history

What year was Plymouth founded?

In 1795, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Plymouth’s post office opened in 1812, and the census of 1820 counted 1,758 people here.

How does Plymouth rank for history?

Plymouth is more historic than 88% of U.S. towns, #58 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 Plymouth?

Three places: the East Plymouth Historic District (listed 1985), the Plymouth Center Historic District (1999) and the Terryville Waterwheel (2002).

How old are the homes in Plymouth?

23% of Plymouth’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.9 points), against a typical 15% for a Connecticut town; the median home was built in 1965.

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 (15), Wikidata (3), the National Register of Historic Places (3), 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.