The story
Read it all →How Sherman came to be
From Wikipedia’s history of Sherman.
The land which is now called Sherman was formerly occupied primarily by native people of Algonquian lineage.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
A−History
History · Sherman
Sherman dates to 1802, and 12% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 79% of U.S. towns · #98 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it
1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 54 buildings. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1892 on, and the census since 1810.
1802founded
1on the National Register
12%homes built before 1940
1old photo or paper
2famous people
Quick answers
How Sherman began
When was Sherman founded?
1802
Sherman dates its founding to 1802 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1810.
First census: 949 in 1810224 years
How historic is Sherman?
A−
What drives the grade ↓More historic than 79% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1818.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Sherman’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Sherman is more historic than 79% of U.S. towns, #98 of 155 in Connecticut. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Sherman’s overall grade.
Founding era1802, from Wikidata: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 194011.5% of homes (±6.7) · typical CT town 15.1% · U.S. 8.4%B−National Register1 listing, 54 historic buildings, 152 per 10,000 residents · typical CT town 73.3 · U.S. 2.4A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 79%
NewerOlder
Connecticut towns of 2,500+ (155)Ahead of 37%
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 Sherman’s 152 sits above most of its state (67% of Connecticut towns have fewer) while its 54 historic buildings outnumber those of 85% 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 is a Census survey estimate (±6.7 points). Two sources give 1802.
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 Sherman’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.Shrank, then grewLost half of its people between 1850 and 1930, then grew 9-fold.On the map since 18924 editions of the USGS map, 1892 to 1971. Watch Sherman change.A historic districtThe Sherman Historic District takes in 54 historic buildings.
★ What stands out · Help out
Start Sherman’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Sherman’s history is told.
Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.People over time
Sherman, census by census
Lost half of its people between 1850 and 1930, then grew 9-fold.
22 censuses, 1810–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Sherman’s Wikipedia page.
On the map
Sherman on the map, 1892 to 1971
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Sherman. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1892New Milford sheet · 1:62,500U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Sherman.
Timeline
Sherman, 1802 to 2000
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
- 19th century
- 1802FoundingSherman is established
- 1816
Born hereMarsh Giddings is born here - 1818Post officeThe Sherman post office opens
- 1880
In the archive1940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Connecticut - Fairfield County - Sherman - ED 1-1… - 1892
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey - 20th century
- 1989Born hereJoe Moravsky is born here
- 21st century
- 2000CensusPopulation peaks at 3,827
By decade
Sherman, decade by decade
One decade in the archive so far: the 1880s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
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 albumToday11 recent
2026Greek Revival - Center Church - Sherman, CT (1)
2024CT 55 wb, June 2024
2018Untitled photo
2018Untitled photo
2013New York Air National Guard NCO honored 130913-Z-GJ42…
2011TheOldStoreInShermanCT
2011OldTownHallShermanCT
201187-103- Sit back, get my palette wet
2010Sherman CT lg
2008US-CT-Sherman
2007Connecticut Town History SignThen & 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.
Retake this view1940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Connecticut - Fairfield County - Sherman - ED 1-139, 1880
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Sherman’s page.
Retake this view · +15On the National Register
1 listing protects 54 historic buildings
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
54
each building in a district counts
first listed
1991
Sherman Historic District
Districts
Architectural styles listings
Colonial1
Federal1
Greek Revival1
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Famous people
See all →2 famous people were born in Sherman
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
Places that used to be
Old corners and burying grounds
Sherman’s post office has been open since 1818.
Hamlets and corners on the map
Atchison CoveLakeside Woods
3cemeteries and burying grounds inside Sherman
CoburnSherman CenterSherman North
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.
Questions about Sherman’s history
What year was Sherman founded?
In 1802, according to Wikidata. Sherman’s post office opened in 1818, and the census of 1810 counted 949 people here.
How does Sherman rank for history?
Sherman is more historic than 79% of U.S. towns, #98 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 Sherman?
One place: the Sherman Historic District (listed 1991).
How old are the homes in Sherman?
12% of Sherman’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.7 points), against a typical 15% for a Connecticut town; the median home was built in 1975.
Memory lane
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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 (12), the National Register of Historic Places (1), 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.