Its Register listings are the Hartford Baptist Church and Cemetery, the Elisha Straight House and the Brown's Tavern. Below: maps from 1893 on and the census since 1820.
The Hartford post office opened in 1805, the earliest record of the town by name. Two smaller post offices, South Hartford (1827) and East Hartford (1887), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
First census: 2,493 in 18202020 census: 2,193221 years
How historic is Hartford?
A
More historic than 88% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first Hartford post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Hartford’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Hartford is more historic than 88% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Hartford’s overall grade.
New York towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical New York town has 12.3 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Hartford’s 31.7 sits near the middle of its state (63% of New York towns have fewer) while its 6 historic buildings outnumber those of 72% 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 (±8.2 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date.
Founding year: the first post office (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 Hartford’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The Provincial Patent (1766) was granted to officer veterans of the French and Indian War. The patent included, within the "Town of Westfield," the present towns of Putnam, Fort Ann, Dresden part of Kingsbury, and Hartford. The Town of Hartford was set off from Westfield in 1793. The Town of Westfield represents the Vermont claim for part of this region, which was eventually settled by the eastern part of Charlotte County being transferred from New York.
Many of the early settlers came from parts of New England. The land granted by the original patent was often sold to the new settlers.
The Hartford Baptist Church and Cemetery and Elisha Straight House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Passages that mention Hartford, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Hartford, Vermont, July 4, 1761-April 4, 1889. The first town on the New Hampshire grants chartered after the close of the French war1889 · page 276Read the page →
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"This indented lease made this 19th day of Sept. 1792, by and between Joshua Hazen, David Wright and Amos Robinson, all of Hartford, in the county of Windsor, and State of Vermont, a committee appointed by s'd Town of Hartford to take care of and to lease the school lands in said Town of Hartford, on the one part, and Jonas Bruce of s'd Hartford on the other part, Witnesseth : that we the said Joshua Hazen, David Wright, and Amos Robinson, for the consideration hereafter mentioned, and by virtue of the power in us vested by s'd
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Hartford, Vermont, July 4, 1761-April 4, 1889. The first town on the New Hampshire grants chartered after the close of the French war1889 · page 301Read the page →
Read the text
except public rights and college lands. The form of collecting said fax is shown by the following copy of the warrant issued to Asa Emerson, constable of Hartford : — " To the constable of the Town of Hartford. Greeting: — Whereas the General Assembly at their session in Windsor in April, 1781, did grant a tax of ten shillings on each hundred acres of laud iu the Town of Hartford, excepting Public Rights and College lands. This is therefore to command you to collect of the several persons owning lands in the Town of Hartford, Ten shillings on eacli
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The Risley family history, including records of some of the early English Risleys' a geneaology of the descendants of Richard Risley, of Newtown (Cambridge), Massachusetts (1633), and of Hartford, Connecticut (1636)1909 · page 34Read the page →
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ness, on foot to the locality now occupied by the city of Hartford, reaching their destination in about a month. A treaty was consummated with the Indians for a tract of land embraced in the present city of Hartford and the adjoining towns of East Manchester and East and West Hartford. The title of this land was taken by Mr. Samuel Stone and Mr. Wm.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The Risley family history, including records of some of the early English Risleys' a geneaology of the descendants of Richard Risley, of Newtown (Cambridge), Massachusetts (1633), and of Hartford, Connecticut (1636)1909 · page 54Read the page →
Read the text
" At a Court of Probate held at Hartford for the district of Hartford, January 21, 1763, on account of the administration of the estate of Jonathan Risley late of Hartford, deceased, was now exhibited in Court, Moses Risley administrator by which account he had paid in debts and charges the sum of £8, 18s. which amount the Court allows Also that said Administrator now moves this Court for an order of distribution whereupon this Court appointed Sam'l Wells, David
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.
Timeline
Hartford, 1792 to 1965
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
The Hartford post office opened in 1805, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
How does Hartford rank for history?
Hartford is more historic than 88% of U.S. towns. 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 Hartford?
Three places: the Hartford Baptist Church and Cemetery (listed 2004), the Elisha Straight House (2004) and the Brown's Tavern (2000).
How old are the homes in Hartford?
29% of Hartford’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±8.2 points), against a typical 27% for a New York town; the median home was built in 1977.
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 (5), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (3), 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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