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Harwinton, Connecticut: A Portmanteau Town Since 1737

Harwinton, Connecticut

Pictures from Harwinton

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Harwinton Congregational Church Harwinton town green, 1783 colonial Harwinton town green streetscape

Harwinton was first settled around 1730 and incorporated in October 1737, its first town meeting held that December 20 at Jacob Benton's house when the town counted roughly 161 residents and 25 to 30 scattered houses. The name is a portmanteau — HAR from Hartford, WIN from Windsor, and the Old English -ton for town — reflecting that Hartford and Windsor proprietors had jointly held the land since the 1680s. A 1726 arbitration split the disputed tract between the colony and the two towns, with Hartford taking the eastern half and Windsor the western half along a ten-rod-wide highway, before the halves were rejoined in 1732, five years before incorporation. Harwinton's craft economy produced pitchforks, clocks, bricks, tinware, hats and cutlery; railroad builder Collis P. Huntington was born here, and publisher Theodore A. Hungerford's trust funded the town's first library. The Harwinton Fair traces to an 1853 record book, making 2026 its 169th year.

  1. A volunteer-run agricultural fair tracing to an 1853 record book.

  2. A relocated 1840 one-room schoolhouse and a replica barn museum.

  3. 71 acres with a boardwalk over a beaver marsh.

  4. 14 acres with ledge-top views, peak with June mountain laurel.

  5. Town-run trails, a fishing pond and playground near Bentley Drive.

  6. A working farm growing berries, pumpkins and Christmas trees.

  7. Breakfast through dinner with a full bar.

  8. Public dining overlooking an 18-hole course, in golf season.

Two halves reunited

Hartford and Windsor's proprietors held Harwinton jointly through the colonial era, splitting it along a straight north-south highway before rejoining East and West Harwinton in 1732. The town's craft economy diversified beyond farming into pitchforks, clocks — the firm of Edward Hopkins and Augustus Alfred among its makers — bricks, tinware, hats and cutlery. Railroad builder Collis P. Huntington, later a founder of the Central Pacific Railroad, was born in Harwinton, and Chicago publisher Theodore A. Hungerford's trust funded the Carnegie-style building that is now the T. A. Hungerford Memorial Museum.

Getting there

Harwinton is a drive-to town in eastern Litchfield County with no passenger rail station of its own. CT Route 4 is the main east-west route through the town center, with Route 8 running along the western edge toward Torrington and Waterbury, and Routes 72, 118 and 222 feeding in from Bristol, Litchfield and Torrington. Rail travelers connect at Hartford Union Station on the CTrail Hartford Line and finish the trip by car.

A fairground and two land trust preserves

The Harwinton Fair, run by the volunteer Harwinton Agricultural Society, traces its first written record to an 1853 "Harwinton Cattle Show and Fair" and marks its 169th year in 2026. The Harwinton Historical Society restored a one-room 1840 schoolhouse the Lions Club relocated in 1972, alongside a replica 1800s barn museum. The Harwinton Land Trust maintains Bull Pond Preserve, with an 80-foot boardwalk over a beaver marsh, and the smaller Forever Forest Preserve off Whetstone Road.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get to Harwinton?
By car — CT Route 4 runs through the town center, with Route 8 along the western edge and Routes 72, 118 and 222 feeding in from Bristol, Litchfield and Torrington. There's no passenger rail station in Harwinton; the nearest CTrail Hartford Line stop is Hartford Union Station.
Where does the name Harwinton come from?
It's a portmanteau of HAR (Hartford) and WIN (Windsor), plus the Old English -ton for town, reflecting that the land was held by proprietors of both towns before Harwinton incorporated separately in 1737.
What is the Harwinton Fair?
A volunteer-run agricultural fair whose first written record dates to 1853; 2026 marks its 169th annual edition, held Friday through Sunday, October 2-4, at the Locust Road fairgrounds.
What is Bull Pond Preserve?
A 71-acre Harwinton Land Trust preserve including the 20-acre Bull Pond, with four color-blazed loop trails totaling roughly two miles, an 80-foot boardwalk over a beaver marsh, and wildlife-viewing decks. Trailhead is across from the Harwinton Fairgrounds on Locust Road.
Where can I eat and stay in Harwinton?
The Edison Grill serves breakfast through dinner with a full bar, and Fairview Farm Golf Course Restaurant & Bar is open to the public during golf season. No lodging could be verified inside Harwinton; the nearest option is the Litchfield Inn, roughly ten miles west.

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