Windsor, town, United States

Windsor wĭnˈzər [key], town (1990 pop. 27,817), Hartford co., N Conn., at the confluence of the Farmington and Connecticut rivers, just N of Hartford. Settled by Plymouth Colony in 1633, the town was named Dorchester in 1635 and renamed Windsor in 1637. Windsor was the first English settlement in Connecticut and is the state's oldest town. Although primarily residential, the town has a variety of industries including insurance and the manufacture of iron and paper products, computer components, tools, machinery, and electronics. It was once renowned for its tobacco production and still produces some shade-grown tobacco; the town was long a brick-manufacturing center. The American statesman Oliver Ellsworth was born there; his home is a museum. Colonial buildings in Windsor include Fyler House (1640) and the Joseph Loomis House.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

See more Encyclopedia articles on: U.S. Political Geography