Settlement of this area had begun by the 1660s and was aided by land grants for public service. In 1720, the north religious society of Stonington was formed to erect a meetinghouse convenient for local worship. It was named North Stonington in 1724 and incorporated as a town by the General Assembly in 1807.
During the 1700s, agriculture was the principal business, together with fulling mills, grist mills, and sawmills. The increasing population in the early 1800s and habits of industry and economy brought tanneries, iron works, cabinetmaking shops, dye houses, dry goods and grocery stores, and cottage weaving.
The town became a prosperous and renowned mercantile center during this period. Changing times left dairy farming the principal industry by the turn of the century.
Gradually thereafter, the town took on the residential character seen today. North Stonington includes the settlements of Clarks Falls, Laurel Glen, Pendleton Hill, Ashwillet, and the village of North Stonington, formerly known by the descriptive name Milltown.
Text courtesy of the North Stonington Historical Society and the Connecticut Historical Commission.
NS Bicentennial Walking Tour >>
NS Bicentennial Letterboxing >>
The NSHS has a vast collection of local information in its A. Morgan Stewart Memorial Library at the Stephen Main Homestead on Wyassup Road in North Stonington. The Historical Society's Library is open from 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. on Tuesday afternoons. They may be reached by phone at 535-9448. The collection at the Stewart Library includes the following materials:
Histories - The library has an extensive collection of local histories as well as genealogies. Some have been privately compiled with only a few copies extant.
Collections - The library has copies of the Connecticut Nutmegger since its beginning, Mayflower Families and Quarterlies, the DAR Catalog 1 & 2 and Supplement, as well as some copies of the New England Historic Genealogical Society Register.
Index Collections - The library has Passenger and Immigration Lists and Index edited by P. Wm. Filby with Dorothy Lower, as well as Supplements 1 and 2.
Military Records - Records are available from the French and Indian War, Civil War, and Veterans Index in North Stonington Cemeteries.
Cemetery and Church Records - The library has numerous local church histories and records as well as Hale Collections for Stonington and North Stonington and other towns in the area.
Unpublished Material - We have many folders of genealogical information privately compiled, some with maps, in addition to some antique documents pertinent to the area.
Local Journals and Account Books - The library contains transcriptions of local account books and journals as well as papers on various subjects concerning local people, places and things including Trade and Industry, General Storekeeping, and Cottage Weaving.
Vital Records - Records in our collection include the Marriage Records of Reverend Lucian Drury 1904-1927, School Registers, and Marriage Records of Dr. Joshua Babcock.
Land Records of Stonington and North Stonington - The library is privileged to have a unique collection of Land Records researched by genealogist Dorothy K. Stewart and her late husband, A. Morgan Stewart. The collection contains much information not generally contained in such records. Please be aware that North Stonington has its own records beginning in 1807. Prior to that, it was a part of the town of Stonington.
Before your visit: Please have your homework done before your visit. Vital statistics, including birth, death, and marriage data for family members is important. General knowledge of your research area is helpful.
Directions:
Take Exit 92 from Route 95 northbound, turn left onto Route 2, and proceed to and through the rotary, then 2 miles into the village of North Stonington.
From Route 95 Southbound take Exit 93, left onto Route 184, follow to rotary, right onto Route 2, then follow 2 miles to North Stonington Village.
Visit our Website: www.nostoningtonhistsoc.homestead.com
To Contact NSHS: e-mail
Note: Wheeler Library houses a small collection of general genealogical and local history sources. In addition, we have many materials dating from the building's long history as the town's secondary school. These materials are available for use in the library. Local history and genealogical inquiries should be sent to the Historical Society (www.nostoningtonhistsoc.homestead.com). Wheeler Library does not have the resources or staff to provide this service.