City of New Britain

The Beginning

New Britain was part of Farmington until 1785 and then Berlin until 1850. At this point New Britain was incorporated into a town. But, it was almost two hundred years before this that people began settling in the area that we now live in, the City of New Britain.

Great Swamp

In the 1660’s, the first settlement in New Britain was on Christian Lane (this street is still there, it is behind Dattco Bus Company). This area was known as the “Great Swamp” because of the landscape.

1st meeting house

Colonel Isaac Lee in 1754 named the budding town “New Briton”. At this point there were three great settlements:

Hart quarter, East side, andStanley Quarter

Martha Hart Park

Hart Quarter (Hart Family Grist Mill)

1st tavern

Stanley Quarter (Noah Stanley ran the village’s first tavern)

Oldest House in New Britain- 1746

East Street (most populated in 1700’s)

Ezra Belden house- built without nails!!

New Britain Starts to Grow

In 1799, Seth J. North (considered the father of New Britain) sent his youngest son, James Jr., and friends Joseph Shipman, and Joseph Booth for training in Massachusetts. Seth had heard about the successful tin ware business in Berlin and wanted to get a piece of the action.

North and Shipman came back from Massachusetts and went into business.

“The joint effort of North and Shipman is believed by city historians to be the beginning of New Britain’s industrial development.”

Now money slowly began to roll into New Britain.

Location of the old Landers, Frary and Clark- one of the biggest companies– the makers of the Universal brand.

Stanley Work’s begins

Others soon followed Seth North’s entrepreneurship. The first production of hardware began in 1812 when

Seth J. and Alvin North produced small brass goods. In 1842 F.T. Stanley’s company began to make plate

locks. The town grew more as new buildings went up and new

immigrants from Germany and Ireland came to town to find work.

It was now time for New Britain to become its own city.

New Britain is a town

In 1850 New Britain was incorporated into a town.

Hillside Place

So as a result, we became the town of New Britain in 1850

New Britain High School was also established this same year.

Originally CCSU building- Hillside place

First high school classes held here

New Britain High School-18962nd building- South Main Street

The 3rd and Final Location (For now) Mill Street

New Britain Water Works

Water works established- 1857 project complete on Shuttle Meadow

First building at the NB Institute

1853- New Britain Institute was founded and charged fees for loaning books.

This became the New Britain Public Library

NB as a City

1871- New Britain becomes a city by one vote. We wanted a mayor/town council government and a city charter. F.T. Stanley becomes our first mayor.

Current Mayor: Tim O’Brien

Along with the election of the first common council. The mayor runs the town with the Town Council.

A new City Charter was written

City of New Britain

The Seal of the City of New Britain, with its distinctive beehive, was adopted in 1873. The seal's Latin motto: "Industry fills the hives and enjoys the honey."

NB Today (2011)

City population of about 73,261

about 13.39 square miles Median Household

income: $39,838. % White: 63.6 % Black: 13.0 % Hispanic/Latino: 36.8 High School Graduate:

76.1% Bachelor's Degree or

higher: 17.5%

Our most famous New Britainite

1810- Elihu Burrit is born in NB- “learned Blacksmith” World renowned lecturer, linguistical specialist (he knew 30 languages), Self taught, Anti-war,Ocean penny postage, wrote 16 books,

Other famous people…

1912- Willaim T. Sloper survived the sinking of the Titanic- was rumored by a NY times article to have dressed as a women- but it was actually a hysterical actress by the name of Dorthy Gibson who made Sloper get on the lifeboat with 19 others (the lifeboat fit 66)

Corbin Ave. named after this family…

This is the second tallest cemetery monument in the United States!!!

1st Flight in New England!!

1910- Charles K. Hamilton- a New Britainite, was the first person to fly a plane in New England, in Walnut Hill Park

Walnut Hill

Walnut Hill park designed by the same guy who designed NYC central park!!

Fredrick Law Olmstead