Woodbury dates to 1673, and 13% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 93% of U.S. towns · #30 of 155 in Connecticut. What drives it
8 places in town are on the National Register, among them three historic districts with 349 buildings between them. Below: 7 old photos and papers, maps from 1893 on, and the census since 1820.
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1797.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Woodbury’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Woodbury is more historic than 93% of U.S. towns, #30 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 Woodbury’s overall grade.
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 Woodbury’s 361 sits above most of its state (86% of Connecticut towns have fewer) while its 355 historic buildings outnumber those of 96% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.8 points). Two sources give 1673.
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 Woodbury’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The founders of Woodbury came from Stratford, Connecticut, in the early 1670s. Ancient Woodbury consisted of the present towns of Woodbury, Southbury, Roxbury, Bethlehem, most of Washington and parts of Middlebury and Oxford.
Two groups of settlers came from Stratford. The first, religious dissidents unhappy with the church in Stratford, was led by Woodbury's first minister, the Reverend Zachariah Walker. The second, led by Deacon Samuel Sherman, had been given approval by the general court to purchase land from local Native Americans in order to establish a new settlement. Together, fifteen families (about fifty people), arrived in ancient Woodbury, known as "Pomperaug Plantation", early in 1673.
Passages that mention Woodbury, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of ancient Woodbury, Connecticut, from the first Indian deed in 1659 including the present towns of Washington, Southbury, Bethlem, Roxbury, and a part of Oxford and Middlebury1871 · page 188Read the page →
Read the text
To Doctr Benjn Hawely of Woodbury in Litchfield County these are to notifie you to appear before the Com" of Observation for the Town of Woodbury at the Dwelling house of Gideon Walker Esqr in sd Woodbury on the third monday of Instant augt at Ten of the Clock in the fore noon (if you see cause) then and there to answer unto the foregoing Information and Shew Reasons if any you Can why you should not be proceeded against and dealt with according to the advio of the Continantal Congress Dated at Woodbury the 14"' Day of Augt A. D. 1775. ,
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of ancient Woodbury, Connecticut, from the first Indian deed in 1659 including the present towns of Washington, Southbury, Bethlem, Roxbury, and a part of Oxford and Middlebury1871 · page 71Read the page →
Read the text
" Woodbury, July S"", 1681. In answer toy' desires of our neighbors and good friends of y' town of Woodbury aforesaid to refer y^ answer and resolution where there procedure were regular in and about y= casting a lot for y" place of ye setting a Meeting House unto us Robert Treat and Nathan Gold, which after we had heard and considered what was on both hands said pro and con in the matter, we returned our answer in ye negative, and whereas ye whple settlement and determination of ye place of ye setting of ye meeting house was also then refered to us ye s'' Robert Treat and Nathan Gold with liberty of new
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of ancient Woodbury, Connecticut, from the first Indian deed in 1659 ... including the present towns of Washington, Southbury, Bethlem, Roxbury, and a part of Oxford and Middlebury1854Read the page →
Read the text
He studied law under the direction of Col. Walker, of Stratford, and soon commenced the practice of his profession at Woodbury, although he passed a portion of the year 1757, in the army, as paymaster to a regiment, and went to the relief of Fort William Henry, near Lake George, during the French War. In 1760, he built a large house in the south part of the village of Woodbury, which is still in the possession of one of his descendants, a cut of which appears on the opposite page.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Second centennial celebration of the exploration of ancient Woodbury, and the reception of the first Indian deed, held at Woodbury, Conn., July 4 and 5, 18591859 · page 190Read the page →
Read the text
I am a native of the present town of Woodbury, and trace my paternal and maternal ancestry, all residents of Ancient Woodbury nearly back to its first settlement.
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.
By decade
Woodbury, decade by decade
5 decades in the archive, from the 1870s to the 1980s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
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.
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.
In 1673, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Woodbury’s post office opened in 1797, and the census of 1820 counted 1,885 people here.
How does Woodbury rank for history?
Woodbury is more historic than 93% of U.S. towns, #30 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 Woodbury?
8 listings: 4 buildings, among them the Glebe House (listed 1971, the first), 3 historic districts, the Woodbury Historic District No. 1, the Woodbury Historic District No. 2 and the Hotchkissville Historic District, with 349 contributing buildings, and 1 structure. 355 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Woodbury?
13% of Woodbury’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.8 points), against a typical 15% for a Connecticut town; the median home was built in 1979.
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 (9), the Library of Congress (1), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (8), 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.
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