Watertown in Naugatuck Valley Region, Connecticut — The American Northeast (New England)
Watertown
Photographed by Michael Herrick, May 11, 2009
1. Watertown Marker
Inscription.
Watertown. . The local Paugasuck Indians sold this area of land to Thomas Judd and thirty-five other proprietors in 1684. The First Ecclesiastical Society of Westbury was formed in 1738 and in 1780 Westbury separated from Waterbury, was named Watertown, and soon became the crossroads of a number of early highways. John Trumbull, poet of the Revolutionary War, lawyer, and judge, was born here in 1750. Products that were first manufactured in Watertown include: Merritt Heminways spooled silk thread in 1847, Wheeler and Wilsons lock-stitch sewing machine in 1850, and the Watertown Manufacturing Companys plastic shatterproof dinnerware in the 1940s. In 1852 the Oakville Pin Company was one of the first pin factories in this country. A council-manager form of government in 1961 replaced more than one hundred and eighty years of the town meeting-selectman type. Watertown has been the home of the Taft School, a college-preparatory institution, since 1893.
The local Paugasuck Indians sold this area of land to Thomas Judd and thirty-five other proprietors in 1684. The First Ecclesiastical Society of Westbury was formed in 1738 and in 1780 Westbury separated from Waterbury, was named Watertown, and soon became the crossroads of a number of early highways. John Trumbull, poet of the Revolutionary War, lawyer, and judge, was born here in 1750. Products that were first manufactured in Watertown include: Merritt Heminways spooled silk thread in 1847, Wheeler and Wilsons lock-stitch sewing machine in 1850, and the Watertown Manufacturing Companys plastic shatterproof dinnerware in the 1940s. In 1852 the Oakville Pin Company was one of the first pin factories in this country. A council-manager form of government in 1961 replaced more than one hundred and eighty years of the town meeting-selectman type. Watertown has been the home of the Taft School, a college-preparatory institution, since 1893.
Erected 1979 by Town of Watertown, Watertown Historical Society, Connecticut Historical Commission.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1684.
Location. 41° 36.31′ N, 73° 7.132′ W. Marker is in Watertown
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in Naugatuck Valley Region, Connecticut. It is on DeForest Street (U.S. 6) 0.1 miles south of Veterans Hill, on the right when traveling south. Located in front of Watertown Town Hall. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 37 DeForest Street, Watertown CT 06795, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the American Northeast and in New England. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Marker is now located in the town green just north and across the street from the old city hall.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 19, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 13, 2009, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut. This page has been viewed 1,945 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on May 13, 2009, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut. 5. submitted on October 7, 2025, by Jimmy Emerson of Dalton, Georgia. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.
