Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 54% of U.S. towns · #146 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it
Most of Wolcott was built recently: 6% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1976. 2 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 19 buildings. Below: maps from 1892 on and the census since 1800.
Wolcott dates its founding to 1796 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1800.
More historic than 54% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Wolcott is more historic than 54% of U.S. towns, #146 of 155 in Connecticut. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
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 Wolcott’s 12.9 sits below most of its state (15% of Connecticut towns have fewer) while its 21 historic buildings outnumber those of 80% of U.S. towns.
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 →
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Wolcott’s history is told.
Lost half of its people between 1810 and 1870, then grew more than tenfold.
23 censuses, 1800–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Wolcott’s Wikipedia page.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Wolcott. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Wolcott.
From Wikipedia’s history of Wolcott.
The early towns of Waterbury and Farmington occupied a great deal of west-central Connecticut in the Naugatuck River Valley and Farmington River Valley at the end of the 17th century. At that time, the borderlands between these two towns were known as Farmingbury, a term derived from the two town names.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Wolcott, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Know all men by these presents, that whereas the General Assembly, at their session in May last, incorporated the parish of Farmingbury into a distinct town from a part of the towns of Southington and Waterbury, by the name of Wolcott, said Wolcott to support their proportion of the town poor, and the town of Southington having appointed Asa Barnes, Ashbel Cowles, Elizur Andrews, Samuel Hart, and Daniel Langton, jr.. and the said town of Wolcott having appointed Jacob Carter, Nathaniel
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
about to erect a house of public worship in said Wolcott, and being desirous to set the same somewhere near the Congregational Meeting house in said Wolcott, or as near as a suitable spot of ground can be obtained for that purpose, we, therefore, whose names are underwritten, petition the inhabitants of said Wolcott, in legal town meeting this day assembled, for leave to erect said house on the most eligible spot of ground belonging to said town of Wolcott on the south part of the public green.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Born hereSeth Thomas is born here
Born hereWilliam Alcott is born here
Born hereAmos Bronson Alcott is born here
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
Born hereAnthony Fantano is born here
2024Peterson Park
2024Cornelis Pond, Woodtick CT
20249-11 Memorial, Woodtick CT
2023Woodtick Recreation Area Beach, Woodtick CT
2023Little Free Library, Woodtick CT
2023Charles Rietdyke Senior Center, Woodtick CT
2018WolcottCT SouthwestDistrictSchool
2013Mad River
2011TownHallWolcottCT
2011TownGreenWolcottCT
2011SouthwestDistrictSchoolWolcottCT
2010Wolcott CT lg
2010AldenS
2008Blue bird all american A3 re
2006US-CT-WolcottThe country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
Wolcott had its own post office from 1827 to 1909.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
In 1796, according to Wikidata. Wolcott’s post office opened in 1827, and the census of 1800 counted 948 people here.
Wolcott is more historic than 54% of U.S. towns, #146 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.
Two places: the Southwest District School (listed 1982) and the Wolcott Green Historic District (2000).
6% of Wolcott’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.1 points), against a typical 15% for a Connecticut town; the median home was built in 1976.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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 (1), 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), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
