Released March 2012
Named for Glastonbury, England, Connecticut’s Glastonbury was first settled by the English in 1636, while evidence of Native American habitation dates back to ancient times. Situated across the Connecticut River from its mother settlement of Wethersfield, Glastonbury became
a shipbuilding center and a manufacturer of gunpowder for George Washington’s army. Later, J.B. Williams became the country’s first shaving soap manufacturers. He was followed by makers of ship anchors, cotton products, leather products, and aircraft. The largest town by
land area in Hartford County, Glastonbury’s rich soil led to the establishment of extensive orchards and a world-renown poultry business. Its quarries have furnished the granite used to build Hartford’s Wadsworth Atheneum. Today, it is a prosperous residential community, boasting over 150 pre-1800 homes. The only town in the United States with more historic homes is Marblehead, Massachusetts. The town is also known for the Glastonbury-Rocky Hill Ferry on the Connecticut River. Began in 1655, it is the oldest continually operating
ferry in the nation.
