Southington was first settled in 1698. Samuel
Woodruff, son of one of the founders of the town of Farmington,
led a group of hunters to the south. He became the area's first
tax collector. Originally called the village of Panthorn, the
town began to develop in the first decade of the 1700's. In 1724
, the villagers formed the Farmington Southwest Society. In 1779,
the Town was incorporated as Southington. Other places found in
Southington (Zipcode 06489) include Plantsville (06479), Marion
(06444), and Milldale (06467).
As with many towns in Connecticut, Southington has a proud and
inventive manufacturing heritage. Micah Rugg of Marion developed
the first carriage bolt machine, and his partner, Martin Barns,
built the first cutting machine for the bolts. Other innovations
attributed to Southington citizens include the first cement that
could harden under water, advances in tinware processing, and the
first breakneck rat trap.
The most
fascinating historical site in Southington is the Bradley Barnes
Museum at 85 Main Street. Formerly known as the "Bradley
Homestead", the house was built in 1836 by Amon Bradley when
he married Sylvia Barnes. The family remodeled the house in 1909.
The house remained in the family until 1973, when Bradley Barnes,
Amon's grandson, donated the house and its contents to the Town
of Southington. The museum is open to the public. For more information, check out the Attractions section of this website, http://www.Southington.com/Attractions.
The Sylvia Bradley Memorial, next to
the Bradley Memorial Hospital, was formerly the town library. Today, it is the
Southington Historical Center, home to the Southington Historical
Society. It
was Sylvia Bradley's daughter-in-law, Mrs. Julia Bradley, who was the founder and main benefactor for the Hospital, which first opened in 1938.
Located adjacent to the exit of Recreation Park, the South End Schoolhouse stands as a landmark to its neighbors and a place of fond memories for those who
remember attending class there when it was known as "the little red schoolhouse."
The one-room school, one of two that remain in Southington, was built in the 1860s and served boys and girls of various grades until the modern-day South End School opened nearby in 1955.
The building, formerly maintained by the South End Assocation, is operated by the Southington Historical Society. The organization renovated the building in the 1980s. It is open by appointment by calling the society at (860) 621-4811 or by emailing a request to SouthingtonHeritage@yahoo.com.
Other historical sites in Southington include the Rochambeau
Monument on Marion Avenue, marking the site of Count Rochambeau's
encampment in 1781 during the Revolutionary War and the West Street one-room schoolhouse..
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Last Changed: 3/5/03