Connecticut Facts and Figures

1876 artwork by Henry Mitchell, via Wikipedia Commons

 Connecticut ranks 26th among states and provinces with markers in this database. Connecticut is a state in the United States of America located in the American Northeast. It is also in the New England region. Connecticut is some 6 thousand square miles in size with a population of around 3.6 million people. The state is divided into eight counties and all of them have entries in this database. In Connecticut we have discovered historical markers in 202 cities and towns lying in 226 different ZIP Codes.

There are at least 1,558 historical markers in Connecticut, by our count. We have cataloged 1,556 historical markers and 389 war memorials—each individually presented on 1,927 illustrated, annotated, and searchable pages of the Historical Marker Database. Pages for historical markers from this state make up 1.1% of our total. In addition, we are reasonably certain of another two historical markers in Connecticut that we don’t yet have, and instead show on our Want List. Our correspondents have been finding and adding hundreds of markers a month to the database from all over the world, so next time you visit this page you will probably find that the numbers here have changed.

The first Connecticut marker in the database, Pomfret, was added July 11, 2007. It was photographed in Pomfret in Windham County and was erected in 1979. The last one added was submitted on December 3, 2020, and titled The Merritt Parkway. It is in Fairfield in Fairfield County. Keeping in mind that the erection date of many markers in the database is not known, the earliest historical marker we know of in Connecticut was erected in 1830. It was this one: Groton Battle Monument, and one of our correspondents found it in Groton in New London County on April 18, 2009.

Connecticuters don’t want to forget their Colonial Era history. How do we know? Because there are more historical markers in the database from Connecticut about Colonial Era—355 of them—than about any other historical topic. It is followed by Settlements and Settlers with 302 markers.

The first marker added to the database with the Colonial Era topic was Old Greenwich Yacht Club, added August 12, 2007. It had been erected in 1976 in Greenwich in Fairfield County. The last one submitted was submitted on June 25, 2020, and titled The Hartford Courant. It had been erected in 1964 in Hartford in Hartford County. The earliest marker erected with the Colonial Era topic that we have listed was erected in 1857. It is Lyman Hall, found in Wallingford in New Haven County on February 15, 2010.

What is the most interesting historical marker in Connecticut? What we know is that Wallingford Vietnam Veterans Monument is the most viewed entry in the database from Connecticut since it was added in 2010. It is located in Wallingford in New Haven County. This year so far, the most viewed Connecticuter entry is located in Farmington in Hartford County. It is The Legend of Will Warren’s Den.

The Connecticut county with the most historical markers listed in this database is Hartford County, with 431 of them. It is followed by Fairfield County with 372 markers. The Hartford area of Hartford County has the highest number of markers within its limits, 100. In Fairfield County the area with the most markers, 58, is Danbury.

Checking the database for the city or town in Connecticut with the most markers we again find Hartford at the top of the list with 100 markers in or near it. It is followed closely by New Haven in New Haven County with 96 markers. For the ZIP Code with the most markers it’s 06103 at the top of the list with 65 markers in its delivery area. (ZIP Code 06103 is assigned to Hartford CT including the Central delivery area.) It is followed closely by ZIP Code 06511 with 59 markers. (06511 is assigned to New Haven CT including the Hamden delivery area.)

Getting back to Hartford County, the first marker added to the database from there, Marquis De La Fayette, was added November 30, 2007. It was erected in 1957 in Hartford. The last one submitted was uploaded on November 28, 2020, and is titled Lake Compounce and was erected in 1997, in Southington. The earliest marker erected in Hartford County that we have listed was erected in 1863. It was First Civil War Monument, found in Berlin on August 12, 2011.

By TeamOHE, July 4, 2018

Latest Entry from Connecticut
“The Merritt Parkway”

And finally the first, last, and oldest markers from New Haven. The first: Defenders' Monument, was added March 23, 2009. It had been erected in 1910. The last: Winged Migration added on August 22, 2017. The earliest marker erected was erected in 1870: Knight Hospital Monument, added on April 3, 2009.

The Connecticut Historical Commission is currently in charge of the familiar blue and white official historical markers found all over the state. We have 127 of their markers in the database. Also, a number of counties have erected historical markers on their streets and roads and within their public areas, as have some cities and towns.

By Michael Herrick, March 3, 2017

A Connecticut Historical Commission Historical Marker

Then there are federal government agencies that put up historical markers, especially in national parks and other areas under their jurisdiction. And finally, there are the numerous public and private organizations and individuals that erect markers. Some do this as a continual endeavor, and others once in a while, to mark something, someone, or someplace they find important or interesting. When one of our correspondents comes across one that satisfies our criteria, we add it to the database.

Connecticut offers both and there is plenty of history to check out. If you live in or are visiting Connecticut, hit the road and check out places where something of interest once occured, or where famous or infamous people once stood. Our database can help you find some of these places. And perhaps you’ll find some we don’t know about and will take the time to photograph them and add them to the database. Happy Hunting!