Brookfield, Fairfield Co., CT Research.

Brookfield, CT

Brookfield was formed from the three adjacent towns of New Milford, Newtown, and Danbury. It's not known exactly when Brookfield was settled, as there is no authentic record. The first town meeting was held 9 Jun 1788, and was moderated by Colonel Samuel Canfield. The first selectmen (a town officer, chosen by the Board to carry out the town's business) were: Lieut. Martain Warner, Capt. Joseph Smith, Capt. Ezra Dibble, Mr. Amos Wheeler, and Capt. Richard Smith. Mr. Elijah Starr was elected as the first town clerk.

The name of Brookfield may have been adopted as a tribute to the first pastor of the town. Brook's Field was eventually changed to Brookfield. (Rev. Thomas Brooks was hired as the town's minister and pastor of the The Congregational Church beginning 28 Sept.1757 and served for forty-two years.) Rev. Brooks left his position in 1796, and died three years later. In the 1800's, Brookfield was a thriving community with stage coach shops, 2 railroad stations and several taverns and hotels. The businesses included saw mills, grist mills, comb & button factories, shear shops, lime kilns, iron works, and harness shops. There were once 8 public school houses, a private school for boys and an internationally acclaimed music school. [1]

Vital Records

Brookfield Town Clerk
Joan Locke
100 Pocono Road
Brookfield, CT 06804
(203) 775-7313

Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Call for summer hours.

Birth: 1854-Present
Marriage: 1825- Present
Death: 1856- Present
Comments: Earlier vital records may be found in New Milford, Danbury and Newtown. Non-certified copies of birth, death, marriage certificates are available. (Check with Town Clerk for current rates.)

Connecticut State Library
CT State Records at LDS Family History Centers
Filmed Vital Records available at the LDS FHC
- Records of births, marriages and deaths, 1764-1853
- Records of births, marriages, and deaths, 1852-1906

Probate & Land Records

Brookfield Probate Office
P.O. Box 5192, Brookfield, CT 06804-5192
(203) 775-3700

Hours: Monday through Thursday, 8:30 am to 1:30 pm EST

Probate Records: June 1850 to Present
Note: Earlier records may be found in the Newtown Probate Office and at the CT State Library.

Filmed Probate Records available at the LDS Family History Centers
- Probate records, 1851-1922 from the LDS Family History Center Library.
The Connecticut State Library has received most Probate records prior to 1850. Pre-1850 records are also available on microfilm.
The ConnecticutState Library has microfilm of copies of deeds, mortgages, releases and related records to about 1900. Grantor and grantee indexes are available, but there is no statewide index.

Cemeteries

Cemeteries in Brookfield

Central Cemetery
Gallows Hill Cemetery
Lutheran Cemetery
Laurel Hill Cemetery
Northrup Cemetery
Old South Cemetery
Prince of Peace Cemetery
United Jewish Center Cemetery

Maple Grove Memorial Park. Incorporated 3510 Main St, Brookfield, CT (203) 798-7741
St Peters Cemetery Assn. Lake Avenue Ext., Danbury, CT 06810 (203) 743-9626
Danbury Cemetery Assn. 20 Ellsworth Ave, Danbury, CT 06810 (203) 748-8529
The Hale Collection of Connecticut Cemetery Inscriptions (1600's to 1930's) is available through The Connecticut State Library
The Association of Gravestone Studies 30 Elm Street, Worcester MA 01609
(508) 831-7753
Available at the LDS FHC: A handbook of cemeteries, Brookfield, Connecticut (including portions of New Milford and Newtown), 1745-1985 Whittlesey, Marilyn

Churches

Church historical records filmed and available at the LDS Family History Centers

Historical sketch of the First Congregational Church of Brookfield, Connecticut, and of the town of Brookfield : written for the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the church Hawley, Emily C. (Emily Carrie) , b. 1855
The venerable house : the story of the Congregational Church of Brookfield, Connecticut, 1757-1957 Hagedorn, Hermann
St. Paul's Church (Brookfield, Connecticut : Protestant Episcopal) 1707-1930
First Society (Brookfield, Connecticut) Church records, 1755-1830

Notes: Microfilm of originals at the Connecticut State Library in Hartford, Connecticut.
Includes minutes of meetings, withdrawals, accounts and treasurer's record and seating plan. The First Society in Brookfield began as the Newbury Society and in the later records is called the First Ecclesiastical Society or the Congregational Society.

Current Churches in Brookfield

St Marguerite Bourgeoys Church
138 Candlewood Lake Rd, Brookfield, CT
(203) 775-5117
St Joseph's Church
163 Whisconier Rd, Brookfield, CT
(203) 775-1035
Congregational Church
160 Whisconier Rd, Brookfield, CT
(203) 775-1259
First Assembly of God Church
133 Junction Rd, Brookfield, CT -
(203) 775-5191
Valley Presbyterian Church
21 W Whisconier Rd, Brookfield, CT -
(203) 775-2624
St Paul's Episcopal
174 Whisconier Rd, Brookfield, CT
(203) 775-9587
Congregational Church
2 Junction Rd, Brookfield, CT
(203) 740-2763
Danbury Chinese Alliance Church
160 Whisconier Rd, Brookfield, CT
(203) 775-0110
Universal Church
48 High Ridge Rd # B,
Brookfield, CT
(203) 775-1970

Libraries

Brookfield Library
182 Whisconier Road, Brookfield, CT 06804
(203) 775-6241

Hours: Monday: 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday: 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday: 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Thursday: 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Friday: 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

BOOKS

"A Handbook of Cemeteries, Brookfield, Connecticut (including portions of New Milford and Newtown), 1745-1985," compiled by Marilyn Whittlesey and Jack Scully. Published: [Connecticut?] : Old South Cemetery Association, 1986. LC Call No.: F104.B85W44 1986(Closed Sundays--June through September.)

Available at the LDS Family History Center Library (or try ordering through your local Public Library, via an Inter-library loan):

Hawley, Emily C. (Emily Carrie) , b. 1855.
- Annals of Brookfield County, Connecticut.
- Historical sketch of the First Congregational Church of Brookfield, Connecticut, and of the town of Brookfield : written for the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the church.
Whittlesey, Marilyn.A look back, Brookfield, Connecticut
Todd, Barbara P. Newbury to Brookfield, 1700 to 1789.

Historical Societies

Brookfield Historical Society
165 Whisconier Road, P.O. Box 5231, Brookfield, CT 06804
Marilyn Whittlesey, Historian

Hours: Saturday, 12 noon to 4 pm.

Connecticut Society of Genealogists PO Box 435, Glastonbury, CT 06033-0435
(860) 569-0002

Newspapers

The Connecticut Post 410 State Street, Bridgeport, CT 06604
(203) 330-6456
Other CT Newspapers

Military Records

Military Records available through the LDS Family History Centers

During the Revolutionary War, there was a militia in the area which served under Major General Wooster. During the War of 1812, a draft was served upon the residents and Lt. Ruggles enlisted a company of volunteers. [1]

ENLISTED CIVIL WAR SOLDIERS OF BROOKFIELD

Recorded upon books in the State archives.
Soldiers killed while in the service are indicated with a *


Charles S. Smith	Leonard D. Wilkinson	Gilbert H. Campbell	Zenas L. Dibble	Timothy T. Turrell
Charles B. Steward	Frank J. Benson	James W. Hamilton	Daniel Briggs	Albert Clark
William Turrell	Charles T. Delevan *	Frederic A. Bennett	James H. Case	John Triel
Edwin Wheeler *	Joseph Maddocks	McAllister Craig	Edward H. Northrup	Joseph G. Goldsmith
Samuel Magee	Charles Hayes	Charles H. Clark	Marcellus R.Pishon	William Hamilton
Rockwell H. Smith *	Lemuel Peck *	Thomas Sherman *	Allen Rogers	Thomas Hoye *
Harmon Edgett	Hanford N. Bassett	Tallman Simons	Clarence Smith	William D. Hoyt
Theodore Jackson	William R. Hamlin*	William F. Banks	George Squires	William H. Hawley
Abner H. Johnson *	George W. Anthony	Edwin H. Nearing	Jonathan T. Salmons	Booth Lattin
Patrick Sullivan*	Lewis J. Ives	William Stebbins	Joseph H.Canfield	John S. Prentice
Benjamin Stebbins	Henry W. Seeley	Frederic A. Osborn	Daniel McKinnon	Thomas Prentice *
Sources: [1] Hurd, D. Hamilton. History of Fairfield County, Connecticut. Philadelphia: J.W. Lewis & Co. (1881) [2] Morrison, Betty Jean. Connecting to Connecticut. East Hartford: CT Society of Genealogists (1995) [3] Lindberg, Marcia Wiswall. Genealogist's Handbook for New England Research. 3rd Ed. Boston: NEHGS (1993)

If you have questions, comments or contributions to this collective effort,
please E-mail Town Coordinator, Hope Kenney
© 1996 to 2010. Created 27 Mar 2002. Updated 4 Feb 2010.