Apple Orchard, Middlefield

Apple Orchard, Middlefield – Danielle Smith

The town of Middlefield, located in Middlesex County in south-central Connecticut, was once a part of Middletown. In 1744, the General Assembly recognized Middlefield as a separate religious society from Middletown, but it was not until 1866 that Middlefield was incorporated as a separate town—one of the last in the state. In the mid-18th century, John Lyman and his wife purchased 36 acres of land west of the Coginchaug River. From washing machine development and production to present-day fruit orchards, seven generations of Lyman descendants have played important roles in shaping Middlefield’s history. Today, the town is a small bedroom community and has managed to retain much of its rural character.

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Documents

Connecticut State Library Digital Collections. “Middlefield - WPA Architectural Survey,” 2015. Link.
“Middlefield Collection.” Connecticut Digital Archive, n.d. Link.

Books

Beers, F. W. County Atlas of Middlesex, Connecticut: From Actual Surveys. New York, NY: F.W. Beers & Company, 1874. Link.
Atkins, Thomas. History of Middlefield and Long Hill. Hartford, CT: Case,  Lockwood & Brainard Company, 1883. Link.
Beers, J.B., & Company, and Henry Whittemore. History of Middlesex County, Connecticut, with Biographical Sketches of Its Prominent Men. New York, NY: J.B. Beers & Company, 1884. Link.
Greater Middletown Preservation Trust, and Julia Perkins. Long Ago, Not Far Away: An Illustrated History of Six Middlesex County Towns. Virginia Beach,  VA: Donning Company Publishers, 1996.
Greater Middletown Preservation Trust, and Janice Cunningham. The History and Architecture of Middlefield. Middletown,  CT: Greater Middletown Preservation Trust, 1981.
Hall, Catherine. The Leading Business Men of Middletown, Portland, Durham and Middlefield. Boston, MA: Mercantile Publishing Company, 1890. Link.