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Northville, Connecticut

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Northville, Connecticut
Unincorporated village
Northville is located in Connecticut
Northville
Northville
Location in Connecticut
Northville is located in the United States
Northville
Northville
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 41°37′45.34″N 73°23′35.43″W / 41.6292611°N 73.3931750°W / 41.6292611; -73.3931750[1]
Country United States
U.S. state Connecticut
Town New Milford
CountyLitchfield

Northville is a unincorporated area in the town of New Milford, Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States.[1] It is located approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) northeast of New Milford Town Center along U.S. Route 202.

History

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Northville Center in 1920

Northville was settled in the 1750s, after Daniel Hine established a farm here, while still residing in the village center. It was only in 1760 that Hine built a farmhouse on the land. By 1773, Abel Buckingham would begin farming on the adjacent lot and thus, a farming community began. The combined property is now known as Hine-Buckingham Farms or Hunt Hill Farm. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[2]

The Buckingham family would remain a significant presence in the Northville community for years to come.[3] Many were farmers but some members of the family would fulfill other key roles in the community.[4]: 676 

Snippet of Northville from 1850s
New Milford Map

Store and Post Office

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Sheldon Buckingham opened the original Northville store out of his home around 1816.[4]: 321–322  This would also be the location of the Nothville post office, of which he was postmaster for thirteen years.[4]: 676  After selling the store, the building became a tavern. The store & post office was moved to a building on the other side (north) of the meetinghouse.[4]: 322  The post office would eventually be discontinued however, the store would remain in operation for the better part of the next century.[5] This would be until it was destroyed by fire in 1983, under the ownership of Joel Brenner. His mother perished as a result of the fire.[6] Today, the property is occupied by the current Northville Market and Northville Liquors.

Northville Church

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Northville Baptist Meetinghouse

The Northville Baptist Church was established in 1814.[7] The meetinghouse, built in 1821, became known as the "East Meetinghouse", while the church in neighboring Merryall was called "West Meetinghouse".[8]

For decades the Church was a central fixture of the community. That was until the congregation decided to move off the main route to a nearby side road in 1956.[9] The original meetinghouse was also moved, but not to the new location of the church. Rather, it was moved to a hilltop across the road (south corner of Route 202 and Buckingham Rd).[7] The building still stands today, and for a time, it served as the headquarters for the New Milford Knights of Columbus Council No. 40.[10]

Northville School

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Northville Schoolhouse

In 1862 land was purchased for the school to be built. It would be used to educate students until the mid-twentieth century, when New Milford began a consolidation effort, phasing out the one-room schoolhouses. By the 1950s Northville students began attending school in the town center. The building was then used by the Northville Fire Dept. as a storage space for many years.[11]

Today, Northville School is one of three surviving schoolhouses in New Milford. Now owned by the Town of New Milford, the Northville Schoolhouse Committee oversees its maintenance and use.[11]

Northville would be without an educational institution until September 1972, when Schaghticoke Middle School would open its doors.[12] Ten years later Northville Elementary School would open.[13]

Parks and recreation

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  • Baldwin Park
  • Pratt Nature Center
  • Carlson's Grove Park
  • Chappuis Park

References

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  1. ^ a b "Northville". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. ^ "NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES REGISTRATION". National Park Service. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  3. ^ Chapman, Frederick William; Buckingham, William Alfred (1872). The Buckingham Family: Or, the Descendants of Thomas Buckingham, One of the First Settlers of Milford, Conn. Case, Lockwood& Brainard.
  4. ^ a b c d Orcutt, Samuel (1882). History of the towns of New Milford and Bridgewater, Connecticut, 1803–1882 (PDF). Press of the Case, Lockwood and Brainard Company. pp. 322, 676. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  5. ^ "Store Reopens in Northville". The Bridgeport Post. Bridgeport, Connecticut. August 7, 1973. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  6. ^ "Woman's Body Found in Debris After Store Fire". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. June 6, 1983. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  7. ^ a b Tuz, Susan (April 30, 2014). "Northville Baptist Church – 'people here are caring'". CT Insider. Hearst. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  8. ^ Yaple, Arlene (December 2, 1964). "Church To Mark 150th Birthday". The Bridgeport Post. Bridgeport, Connecticut. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  9. ^ Yaple, Arlene (October 17, 1961). "Gift Pays Off Church Debt". The Bridgeport Post. Bridgeport, Connecticut. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  10. ^ "CLUBS, ORGANIZATIONS AND AGENCIES". The News-Times. Danbury, Connecticut. August 1, 2005. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  11. ^ a b "One-Room Schoolhouses". New Milford Historical Society & Museum. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  12. ^ "Late School Registration Scheduled This Week". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. July 31, 1972. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  13. ^ "Timeline of New Milford's History". New Milford Historical Society & Museum. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
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