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B+History
History · Woodbridge

Woodbridge dates to 1784, and 12% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 65% of U.S. towns · #124 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it

6 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 8 buildings. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1889 on, and the census since 1820.

1784founded
6on the National Register
12%homes built before 1940
1old photo or paper
6famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Woodbridge’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Woodbridge began

When was Woodbridge founded?

1784

Woodbridge dates its founding to 1784 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1820.

First census: 1,988 in 1820242 years

How historic is Woodbridge?

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; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1873.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Woodbridge’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Woodbridge is more historic than 65% of U.S. towns, #124 of 155 in Connecticut. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.

B+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Woodbridge’s overall grade.
Founding era1784, from Wikidata: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 194011.5% of homes (±3.6) · typical CT town 15.1% · U.S. 8.4%B−National Register6 listings, 17 historic buildings, 18.7 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 20%

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 Woodbridge’s 18.7 sits below most of its state (22% of Connecticut towns have fewer) while its 17 historic buildings outnumber those of 79% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to B+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.6 points). Two sources give 1784.

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 Woodbridge’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 1820 and 1870, then grew more than tenfold.On the map since 18896 editions of the USGS map, 1889 to 1984. Watch Woodbridge change.Landmarks on the Register6 places on the National Register.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Woodbridge’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Date a photo1 archive item has no date. Guess the decade.+2Retake an old viewElioenai Clark Tavern, Old Litchfield T…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
People over time

Woodbridge, census by census

02,0004,0006,0008,00010,00018501900195020001,988 in 1820Low: 829

Lost half of its people between 1820 and 1870, then grew more than tenfold.

19 censuses, 1820–2020.

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

On the map

Woodbridge on the map, 1889 to 1984

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

Woodbridge on the 1889 USGS mapWoodbridge on the 1891 USGS mapWoodbridge on the 1953 USGS mapWoodbridge on the 1964 USGS mapWoodbridge on the 1972 USGS mapWoodbridge on the 1984 USGS map1889Derby 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 Woodbridge.

The story

How Woodbridge came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Woodbridge.

Read it all →

Woodbridge was originally called "Amity", having been carved out of land originally belonging to New Haven and Milford as an independent parish in 1739. In 1742, the Rev. Benjamin Woodbridge was ordained in Amity, and it is after him that the modern town was named. Woodbridge was incorporated in 1784.

In 1661, the town was the location of one of the hideouts of the "Regicides"—three of the judges who signed the death warrant for King Charles I of England. The ruins of their hideout can be found on the nearby West Rock ridge, which runs along the town's eastern border.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Woodbridge, 1784 to 2020

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

  1. 18th century
  2. 1784
    FoundingWoodbridge is established
  3. 19th century
  4. 1827Born hereNehemiah D. Sperry is born here
  5. 1838BuiltDr. Andrew Castle House is built
  6. 1842BuiltJames Alexis Darling House is built
  7. 1873Post officeThe Amity post office opens
  8. 1889Born hereCharles Edward Clark is born here
  9. 1889On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  10. 20th century
  11. 1900Post officeThe Amity post office closes
  12. 1945Born herePeter Ecklund is born here
  13. 1961Born hereJonathan Mostow is born here
  14. 21st century
  15. 2020CensusPopulation peaks at 9,087
By decade

Woodbridge, decade by decade

Date unknown1 to date
Elioenai Clark Tavern, Old Litchfield TurnpikeDate?Elioenai Clark Tavern, Old Litchfield Turnpike
Today17 recent
Amity Regional High School in Winter2026Amity Regional High School in WinterWilbur Cross Parkway sb at exit 59 (1), April 20222022Wilbur Cross Parkway sb at exit 59 (1), April 2022Wilbur Cross Parkway sb approaching exit 59, April 20222022Wilbur Cross Parkway sb approaching exit 59, April 20…WoodbridgeCT JamesAlexisDarlingHouse2020WoodbridgeCT JamesAlexisDarlingHouseWoodbridgeCT ThomasDarlingHouse2017WoodbridgeCT ThomasDarlingHouseWoodbridgeCT NewEnglandCementCompanyQuarry2017WoodbridgeCT NewEnglandCementCompanyQuarryWoodbridgeCT DrAndrewCastleHouse2017WoodbridgeCT DrAndrewCastleHouseWoodbridgeCT ChatfieldFarmstead House2017WoodbridgeCT ChatfieldFarmstead HouseWoodbridgeCT ChatfieldFarmstead Barn2017WoodbridgeCT ChatfieldFarmstead BarnWoodbridge CT lg2010Woodbridge CT lgFinchsock2009FinchsockWoodbridge-ct-1st-church-of-christ2008Woodbridge-ct-1st-church-of-christAlice-newton-park-woodbridge-ct2008Alice-newton-park-woodbridge-ctWoodbridgeCtLocatorMap2007WoodbridgeCtLocatorMapLake Watrous10-28-072007Lake Watrous10-28-07ThomasDarlingHouseWoodbridgeCT2006ThomasDarlingHouseWoodbridgeCTDrAndrewCastleHouseWoodbridgeCT2006DrAndrewCastleHouseWoodbridgeCT
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.

Elioenai Clark Tavern, Old Litchfield Turnpike
Retake this viewElioenai Clark Tavern, Old Litchfield Turnpike

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

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

6 historic places in Woodbridge

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

places listed
6
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
17
each building in a district counts
first listed
1979
Darling Family Farmstead and Tavern
Darling Family Farmstead and TavernDr. Andrew Castle House, built 1838Woodbridge Green Historic DistrictChatfield FarmsteadJames Alexis Darling House, built 1842Vincent J. and Susannah K. Scully House
BuildingsDistricts

Architectural styles listings

Greek Revival2
Victorian1
Colonial Revival1
Neo-Classical Revival1
Gothic Revival1
Late Victorian1
Darling Family Farmstead and TavernVictorian
Dr. Andrew Castle HouseGreek Revival · Built 1838
Woodbridge Green Historic DistrictGreek Revival
Chatfield FarmsteadGothic Revival
James Alexis Darling HouseBuilt 1842
All 6 listings
Vincent J. and Susannah K. Scully HouseBuilding · listed 2025

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

Famous people

6 famous people were born in Woodbridge

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

See all →
J
Jonathan MostowAmerican film director, writer and producer · b. 1961
Peter EcklundAmerican musician · b. 1945
Charles Edward ClarkUnited States federal judge · b. 1889
Nehemiah D. SperryAmerican politician · b. 1827
Tarek SalehAmerican football player · b. 1974
Walter BoothAmerican politician · b. 1791
Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners and burying grounds

Another post office, Amity, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Hamlets and corners on the map
Paynes Corners
4cemeteries and burying grounds inside Woodbridge
EastsideMilford SideNorthwestStreet Memorial Park

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.

Bethany1 historic placeCNew Haven69 historic placesA+Hamden17 historic placesB+Orange4 historic placesBAnsonia5 historic placesA−Seymour3 historic placesB−Derby6 historic placesB

Questions about Woodbridge’s history

What year was Woodbridge founded?

In 1784, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Woodbridge’s post office opened in 1873, and the census of 1820 counted 1,988 people here.

How does Woodbridge rank for history?

Woodbridge is more historic than 65% of U.S. towns, #124 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 Woodbridge?

6 listings: 5 buildings, among them the Darling Family Farmstead and Tavern (listed 1979, the first), and 1 historic district, the Woodbridge Green Historic District, with 8 contributing buildings. 17 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Woodbridge?

12% of Woodbridge’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.6 points), against a typical 15% for a Connecticut town; the median home was built in 1967.

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 (17), the Library of Congress (1), Wikidata (4), the National Register of Historic Places (6), 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.