Hartford dates to 1761, and 16% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 95% of U.S. towns · #24 of 71 in Vermont. What drives it
19 places in town are on the National Register, among them ten historic districts with 574 buildings between them. Below: 12 old photos and papers, maps from 1906 on, and the census since 1790.
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1806.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 95% of U.S. towns, #24 of 71 in Vermont. 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 Hartford’s overall grade.
Vermont towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Vermont town has 147 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Hartford’s 544 sits above most of its state (87% of Vermont towns have fewer) while its 584 historic buildings outnumber those of 98% 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 1761.
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 Hartford’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The community was chartered by Governor Benning Wentworth of New Hampshire in 1761, and is named for Hartford, Connecticut.
On February 5, 1887, Hartford became the site of what remains Vermont's worst railway disaster when a Vermont Central Railroad train struck a broken rail on a bridge west of town. The ensuing derailment threw the train into the frozen river below, killing 37 and injuring 50.
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 208Read the page →
Read the text
sonages, etc. Below is given the petition for a meeting of the inhabitants ; the warning issued by the town clerk for said meeting, and the proceedings of the meeting, as found in the town records : — " We the subscribers, inliabitants of the town of Hartford, in the County of Windsor, and State of Vermont, being sensible of the broken situation of the inhabitants of said town in respect to religious order, and being desirous that some method may be agreed upon by said inhabitants whereby a preaclied gospel may be regulary administered and supported among us: — do hereby, as the law di-
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 63Read the page →
Read the text
Mr. Apthorpe j Mr. Morris ****** The Petition of Oliver Willard, in behalf of the Proprietors and Inhabitants of the Township of Hartford, was presented to the board and read, setting forth, that there is a certain Tract of Land lying in this Province, lately called by the name of Hartford : Beginning on the Bank of Connecticut River and at the Northeast Corner of the Township of Hertford, and from thence extends up the River to the South-
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, 1761 to 1940
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born 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 1761, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Hartford’s post office opened in 1806, and the first U.S. census counted 988 people here in 1790.
How does Hartford rank for history?
Hartford is more historic than 95% of U.S. towns, #24 of 71 in Vermont. 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?
19 listings: 5 buildings, 11 historic districts with 574 contributing buildings, and 3 structures. 584 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Hartford?
16% of Hartford’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.8 points), against a typical 22% for a Vermont 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 (17), the Library of Congress (4), Wikidata (3), the National Register of Historic Places (19), 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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