Litchfield County, Connecticut Records

Litchfield County, Connecticut (Map It) was created on October 14, 1751 and was formed from Fairfield County and Hartford County. The county was named after Lichfield, England.

Litchfield County is bordered by Litchfield County, Massachusetts (north), Hampden County, Massachusetts (northeast),Hartford County, Connecticut (east), New Haven County, Connecticut (southeast), Fairfield County, Connecticut (south), Dutchess County, New York (west),Columbia County, New York (northwest).

Litchfield County Cities and Towns include Barkhamsted, Bethlehem, Bridgewater, Canaan, Colebrook, Cornwall, Goshen, Harwinton, Kent, Litchfield, Morris, New Hartford, New Milford, Norfolk, North Canaan, Plymouth, Roxbury, Salisbury, Sharon, Thomaston, Torrington (consolidated city-town), Warren, Washington, Watertown, Winchester and Woodbury. A Map of Connecticut Towns by County contains detailed information about county and town boundaries.

Litchfield County, Connecticut Courthouse Records

The Litchfield County Courthouse was located in Litchfield, Connecticut (1751-1960). Counties were abolished officially in 1959 though their purpose had been chiefly to define county court districts. For genealogical research purposes, counties become necessary when using the federal census returns, since they are all cataloged by county. Learn More About State of Connecticut Court, Tax, Land and Probate Records.

Please contact the each town clerk's department to confirm mailing address, hours, fees and other information before visiting or requesting information because contact information sometimes changes.  The Town Clerk's Office DOES NOT DO RESEARCH. Most staff will assist people in finding the materials, but it is up to the individual to do the research.

All deeds, vital records, and probate records for all Connecticut towns are available to 1900 on microfilm at the Connecticut State Library or through the FHL. See also Connecticut Towns and Their Establishment

Taxes were levied for personal property and land through most of Connecticut's history. The town assessor (or lister) made annual lists or rates of all taxables. This generated a considerable number of tax lists across time, but the Connecticut State Library has a list of various tax records still at the town clerk's offices. The Connecticut Historical Society and the genealogical collections throughout the state have some records.

Those matters not in the realm of the superior court were heard by the county courts (initially called prerogative or common pleas). The county court, begun in 1666, was abolished in 1955, and its functions were divided between justice courts and superior courts. Most of the county records, to its abolition date, are at the Connecticut State Library.

• The Town of Barkhamsted was formed in 1779 from unorganized land
• The Town of Bethlehem was formed in 1787 from Woodbury
• The Town of Beacon Falls was formed in 1871 from Bethany/Oxford/Seymour/Naugatuck
• The Town of Bridgewater was formed in 1856 from New Milford
• The Town of Canaan was formed in 1739 from unorganized land
• The Town of Colebrook was formed in 1779 from unorganized land
• The Town of Cornwall was formed in 1740 from unorganized land
• The Town of Harwinton was formed in 1737 from Litchfield
• The Town of Goshen was formed in 1739 from unorganized land
• The Town of Kent was formed in 1739 from unorganized land
• The Town of Litchfield was formed in 1719 from unorganized land
• The Town of Morris was formed in 1859 from Litchfield
• The Town of New Hartford was formed in 1738 from unorganized land
• The Town of New Milford was formed in 1712 from unorganized land
• The Town of Norfolk was formed in 1758 from unorganized land
• The Town of North Canaan was formed in 1858 from Canaan
• The Town of Plymouth was formed in 1795 from Watertown
• The Town of Roxbury was formed in 1796 from Woodbury
• The Town of Salisbury was formed in 1741 from unorganized land
• The Town of Sharon was formed in 1739 from unorganized land
• The Town of Torrington was formed in 1740 from unorganized land
• The Town of Thomaston was formed in 1875 from Plymouth
• The Town of Watertown was formed in 1780 from Waterbury
• The Town of Warren was formed in 1786 from Kent
• The Town of Winchester was formed in 1771 from unorganized land
• The Town of Washington was formed in 1779 from Woodbury/Litchfield/Kent/New Milford
• The Town of Woodbury was formed in 1673 from unorganized land

Litchfield County, Connecticut Census Records

• Learn More: State of Connecticut Census Records
• U.S. Federal Population Schedules: 1790, 1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880 (free index), 1890 (fragmented), 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940
• State Population Schedules: None
• U.S. Federal Census Slave Schedules: 1850 and 1860
• U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules: 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880
• Selected U.S. Federal Census Agriculture Schedules: 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880
• Selected U.S. Federal Census Industry Schedules: 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880
• Union Veterans Schedules: 1890

Litchfield County, Connecticut Vital Records

• Learn More: State of Connecticut Vital Records
• State Birth, Marriages & Deaths Records: from July 1, 1897, For vital records prior to July 1, 1897, contact the town where the vital event occurred.
• Town Birth, Marriages & Deaths Records: Vital Records offices are located in each of the 169 towns in Connecticut, see the Connecticut Town Vital Records Directory for the address and telephone contact information for the vital records office in each town. 
• Locations: Connecticut State Vital Records Office, Town Vital Records Directory
• Vital Records Online: USAVital or Social Security Death Index
• Vital Records by Mail: You can download an application online for Connecticut Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate, Death Certificate Application or Town or City Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate, Death Certificate Applications

Litchfield County, Connecticut Resources

• State of Connecticut Archives and Societies
• Barkhamsted Historicall Society
• Bethlehem Historicall Society
• Colebrook Historicall Society
• Cornwall Historicall Society
• Falls Village-Canaan Historical Society, Inc., 44 Railroad St., P.O. Box 206, Falls Village, CT.; (860) 824-8226
• Gaylordsville Historicall Society
• Goshen Historicall Society
• Gunn Library and Historical Museum
• Litchfield County, Connecticut Message Boards
• RAOGK Volunteers for Connecticut
• Kent Historicall Society
• Litchfield Historicall Society
• New Milford Historicall Society
• Norfolk Historicall Society
• Sharon Historicall Society
• Torrington Historicall Society
• Watertown Historicall Society

Litchfield County, Connecticut External Links

• connecticut Historical Newspapers - Newspapers.com
• Litchfield County, Connecticut Books - Amazon
• Litchfield Co., Connecticut - FindaGrave
• Litchfield County, Connecticut Links - Cyndi's List
• Litchfield Co. CTGenweb
• Litchfield County, Connecticut Ancestry Database Collections
• Litchfield County, Connecticut Military Records
• Historical Newspapers from Connecticut (1755–1972)
• Sharon, Connecticut and Northeast New York, Cemetery Index, 1750-1903
• Burying grounds of Sharon, Connecticut, Amenia and North East, New York
• Norfolk, Litchfield County, Connecticut, 1744-1900
• History of the towns of New Milford and Bridgewater, Connecticut, 1803-1882
• History of Torrington, Connecticut : from its first settlement in 1737, with biographies and genealogies
• History of Norfolk, Litchfield County, Connecticut
• Annals and family records of Winchester, Conn. : with exercises of the centennial celebration, on the 16th and 17th days of Aug
• Winsted, Connecticut Directories, 1889-94