Northville, Connecticut | |
---|---|
Unincorporated village | |
Coordinates: 41°37′45.34″N 73°23′35.43″W / 41.6292611°N 73.3931750°W [1] | |
Country | United States |
U.S. state | Connecticut |
Town | New Milford |
County | Litchfield |
Northville is a neighborhood/borough in the town of New Milford, Litchfield County, Connecticut. [1] It is located about 4 miles (6.4 km) northeast of New Milford Town Center along U.S. Route 202.
Northville was settled in the 1750s, after Daniel Hine established a farm here, while still residing in the village center. It wasn't until 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
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.
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]
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]