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AHistory
History · Willington

Willington dates to 1727, and 11% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 87% of U.S. towns · #61 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it

2 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 92 buildings between them. Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1892 on, and the census since 1820.

1727founded
2on the National Register
11%homes built before 1940
2old photos & papers
4famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Willington’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Willington began

When was Willington founded?

1727

Willington dates its founding to 1727 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1820.

First census: 1,246 in 1820299 years

How historic is Willington?

A

More historic than 87% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1821.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Willington’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Willington is more historic than 87% of U.S. towns, #61 of 155 in Connecticut. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Willington’s overall grade.
Founding era1727, from Wikipedia: founded before 1776, an older era than 96% of U.S. townsA+Homes built before 194010.7% of homes (±5.6) · typical CT town 15.1% · U.S. 8.4%B−National Register2 listings, 92 historic buildings, 165 per 10,000 residents · typical CT town 73.3 · U.S. 2.4A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 87%
NewerOlder
Connecticut towns of 2,500+ (155)Ahead of 61%

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 Willington’s 165 sits above most of its state (68% of Connecticut towns have fewer) while its 92 historic buildings outnumber those of 89% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikipedia alone; no second source gives 1727.
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 (±5.6 points).

Founding year: Wikipedia (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 Willington’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 2 old photos are in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.Shrank, then grewLost a third of its people between 1850 and 1900, then grew 6-fold.A historic districtThe South Willington Historic District takes in 62 historic buildings.Lost villages2 post offices opened and closed inside today’s Willington, and 4 old place names are still on the map.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Willington’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old view1940 Census Enumeration District Maps -…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
People over time

Willington, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,5004,0004,5005,0005,5006,0006,50018501900195020001,388 in 1850Low: 885

Lost a third of its people between 1850 and 1900, then grew 6-fold.

19 censuses, 1820–2020.

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

On the National Register

2 listings protect 92 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
92
each building in a district counts
first listed
1990
Willington Common Historic District
Willington Common Historic DistrictSouth Willington Historic District
Districts

Architectural styles listings

Colonial1
Postmedieval English1
Early Republic1
Federal1
Mid-19th Century1
Greek Revival1
Willington Common Historic DistrictColonial
South Willington Historic DistrictDistrict

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

The story

How Willington came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Willington.

Read it all →

In 1720 a party of eight men, originally from England, bought 16,000 acres of the region and called it Wellington. Willington was incorporated in May 1727. Named "Wellington," in May 1725, from Wellington, Somersetshire, the birthplace of Roger Wolcott's grandfather Henry Wolcott. However, when incorporated in May 1727, the town's name was written as "Willington." Willington became a part of Tolland County when it was formed from portions of eastern Hartford County and western Windham County on October 13, 1785.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Willington, 1727 to 2010

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

  1. 18th century
  2. 1727
    FoundingWillington is established
  3. 1789Born hereJared Sparks is born here
  4. 19th century
  5. 1811Born hereElias Loomis is born here
  6. 1821Post officeThe Willington post office opens
  7. 1824Born herePhilip Corbin is born here
  8. 1838Post officeThe Moose Meadow post office opens
  9. 1850Post officeThe West Willington post office opens
  10. 1880In the archive1940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Connecticut - Tolland County - Willington - ED 7-…
  11. 1892On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  12. 20th century
  13. 1905Post officeThe Willington post office closes
  14. 1905Post officeThe Moose Meadow post office closes
  15. 1983Born hereEleni Benson is born here
  16. 21st century
  17. 2010CensusPopulation peaks at 6,041
By decade

Willington, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1880s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1880s2 items
1940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Connecticut - Tolland County - Willington - ED 7-3318801940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Connecticut -…1940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Connecticut - Tolland County - Willington - ED 7-3318801940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Connecticut -…
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 album
Today10 recent
Fenton Ruby Park2024Fenton Ruby ParkFenton River at Fenton Ruby Park2024Fenton River at Fenton Ruby ParkWillington Public Library2023Willington Public LibraryWillington Common2023Willington CommonWillington, CT, USA2013Willington, CT, USAWillingtonCT Common2012WillingtonCT CommonFentonRiveralongNipmuckTrailjustnorthofCTRoute44-12011FentonRiveralongNipmuckTrailjustnorthofCTRoute44-1Willington CT lg2010Willington CT lgWillington ct highlight2007Willington ct highlightConnecticut Town History Sign2007Connecticut Town History Sign
On the map

Willington on the map, 1892 to 1921

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

Willington on the 1892 USGS mapWillington on the 1921 USGS map1892Tolland 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 Willington.

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.

1940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Connecticut - Tolland County - Willington - ED 7-33
Retake this view1940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Connecticut - Tolland County - Willington - ED 7-33, 1880

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

Retake this view · +15
Famous people

4 famous people were born in Willington

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

See all →
Elias LoomisAmerican science writer · b. 1811
Jared SparksAmerican historian, educator, and Unitarian min… · b. 1789
E
Eleni BensonGreek-American soccer player · b. 1983
Philip CorbinAmerican politician · b. 1824
Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners and burying grounds

Willington had its own post office from 1821 to 1905. Two other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.

Willington
1821–1905
Moose Meadow
1838–1905
West Willington
1850–today
East Willington
1879–1905
South Willington
1889–today
18201920today
Hamlets and corners on the map
East WillingtonSouth WillingtonWest WillingtonWillington Hill
1cemetery inside Willington
Moose Meadow

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.

Tolland3 historic placesB+Stafford2 historic placesACrystal LakeIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townEllington2 historic placesBAshford4 historic placesB+Mansfield10 historic placesAStafford Springs1 historic placenot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townUnion1 historic placenot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Willington’s history

What year was Willington founded?

In 1727, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Willington’s post office opened in 1821, and the census of 1820 counted 1,246 people here.

How does Willington rank for history?

Willington is more historic than 87% of U.S. towns, #61 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 Willington?

Two places: the Willington Common Historic District (listed 1990) and the South Willington Historic District (2017).

How old are the homes in Willington?

11% of Willington’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.6 points), against a typical 15% for a Connecticut town; the median home was built in 1976.

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 (12), 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.