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.

More on Middlefield from the CT Digital Archive

Browse more interactive content on the CT Digital Archive website.

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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.