Harwinton ( ) is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

Litchfield County, Connecticut Litchfield County is a County (United States), county in northwestern Connecticut, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 185,186. The county was named after Lichfield, in England. Litchfield Count ...

, United States. The population was 5,484 at the 2020 census. The town is part of the Northwest Hills Planning Region. The town is served by Regional School District 10.

History

Prior to settlement by colonists, Harwinton sat at the confluence of various tribal territories, notably that of the Tunxis tribe. The

Connecticut Colony The Connecticut Colony, originally known as the Connecticut River Colony, was an English colony in New England which later became the state of Connecticut. It was organized on March 3, 1636, as a settlement for a Puritans, Puritan congregation o ...

granted and split the area of modern-day Harwinton to the townships of

Hartford Hartford is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The city, located in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County, had a population of 121,054 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ce ...

and Windsor in May 1729. The area was first settled in January 1730 by Daniel Messenger. Townships were formally established in the following years in the Hartford and Windsor allotments. Harwinton was incorporated as an independent town in October 1737. The name of the town alludes to Hartford and Windsor, Connecticut (HAR + WIN) followed by the suffix -ton, meaning town.

Geography

Harwinton is in eastern Litchfield County; it is bordered to the northwest by the city of Torrington and to the east by Burlington in Hartford County.

, the state capital, is to the east, and

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

is to the southeast. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town of Harwinton has a total area of , of which are land and of it, or 1.12%, are water. The town is bordered to the west by the

Naugatuck River The Naugatuck River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 river in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Its waters carve out the Naugatuck River Valley in the w ...

. The southeastern portion of the town contains the Roraback Wildlife Area and several reservoirs.

Principal communities

*Campville *Harwinton Center (part of Northwest Harwinton CDP)

Demographics

Per the 2020 United States census, there were 5,484 people and 1,641 family households living in the town. The population density was 178 inhabitants per square mile (68.7/km²). There were 2,313 housing units at an average density of 74.1 per square mile (28.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 93.0%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.67%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.16% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.46% from other races, and 5.42% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 3.14% of the population. There were 2,179 occupied households, out of which 25.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.6% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.7% were non-families. 20.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 people. In the town, the population distribution was 20.3% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 18.7% from 25 to 44, 31.4% from 45 to 64, and 23.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48.7 years. The population was 50.3% male and 49.7% female. According the

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

5-year estimates for 2018 to 2022, the median household income in the town was $102,078 and

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

was $53,705. An estimated 3.2% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

Transportation

Connecticut Route 4 connects the town to Torrington in the northwest and to

in the east. Route 118 connects the town westward to Litchfield center, with a junction for the Route 8 expressway in the western part of Harwinton. Route 222 runs south from Harwinton to Thomaston center. Route 72 leads south then east to the city of

Notable people

* Harry C. Bentley (1877–1967), founder of

Bentley University Bentley University is a private university in Waltham, Massachusetts, United States. It was founded in 1917 as a school of accounting and finance in Boston's Back Bay, Boston, Back Bay neighborhood. Bentley has one undergraduate school which off ...

* Jonathan Brace (1754–1837), judge and U.S. congressman * George S. Catlin (1808–1851), U.S. congressman *

Collis Potter Huntington Collis Potter Huntington (October 22, 1821 – August 13, 1900) was an American industrialist and railway magnate. He was one of the Big Four of western railroading (along with Leland Stanford, Mark Hopkins, and Charles Crocker) who invested ...

(1821–1900), one of four men who formed the Central Pacific Railroad * Elam Luddington (1806–1893), Mormon pioneer to Utah and the first

Mormon missionary Missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church)—often referred to as Mormon missionaries—are volunteer representatives of the church who engage variously in proselytizing, church service, humanitarian aid, and ...

to preach in Thailand * Luman Watson (1790–1834), clockmaker * Abner Wilcox (1808–1869), missionary teacher to the Kingdom of Hawaii

Notable locations

* Burlington-Harmony Hills Roads Historic District * Jason Skinner House * Litchfield–South Roads Historic District

References

External links

*
Military service in early Harwinton

from ''The Connecticut Guide'', 1935 {{authority control Towns in Litchfield County, Connecticut Towns in the New York metropolitan area Towns in Connecticut Towns in Northwest Hills Planning Region, Connecticut