Books and Reports
History of Ridgefield (Teller)
The Rev. Daniel Teller wrote the very first complete town history, valued today especially for its many engraved views of the community and its buildings in the 1870s.
History of Ridgefield (Rockwell)
George L. Rockwell’s classic history, published in 1927, includes many early vital records and a few genealogies of prominent families. Many period pictures of the town.
Ridgefield in Review (Bedini)
Silvio Bedini’s 1958 survey was the last extensive history of the town to be published, and includes many illustrations and maps. The occasion was Ridgefield’s 250th birthday.
Recollections of A Lifetime (Goodrich)
Samuel G. Goodrich’s autobiography, published in 1856, includes more than 200 pages describing life in the village of Ridgefield in the late 1700s and early 1800s, a rare picture of a small town at the turn of the 19th Century. (Vol 1 of a two-volume book.)
Ridgefield, Connecticut, Bi-Centennial Celebration
96-page hardbound book of history, recollections, speeches, and many photographs in connection with the town’s 200th birthday celebration, published in 1908.
Uncle Ned’s Mountain (Sanders) Updated January 2022
A history of African Americans in Ridgefield from the town’s founding until 1900. It covers slavery, Blacks who served in the Revolution and Civil War, a Black couple who ran a station on the Underground Railroad, attitudes about slavery and Blacks before and after the Civil War. Illustrated, indexed. By Jack Sanders.
Diary of Jared Nash (Sanders)
An extensively annotated diary of a Ridgefield subsistence farmer for the years 1865 and 1866 provides a look at the daily life of many 19th Century residents. Edited by Jack Sanders.
Books About Ridgefield (Sanders)
An annotated list by Jack Sanders of print books with historical, political and natural history information about the town, all of which are available for reading at the Ridgefield Historical Society, and some of which are available for reading or downloading from this web page.
Cellars of Ridgebury District, The (Bedini)
Consists of random notes by historian George L. Rockwell about old houses and families in the Ridgebury section of Ridgefield, made after publication of his 1927 History of Ridgefield and until 1943. They were collected and compiled by historian Silvio Bedini around 1958 from Rockwell’s papers.
Crime in 18th Century Ridgefield (Bedini)
A circa 1959 lecture by historian Silvio Bedini, touches on early colonial life and crime, and the gangs of counterfeiters operating here in the 1750s.
Historical Sketch of Ridgefield (Nevins)
A young Allan Nevins, who went on to win two Pulitzer Prizes for historical biography, wrote this booklet in 1921 while living at The Elms Inn (which financed its publication). The book includes a nice profile of the town in the early 1920s.
Historical Sketch and Manual of the First Congregational Church
A 1904 edition of the church’s manual, with history, many pictures inside and outside, list of members, etc. One page missing.
Ridgefield’s Seven Historic Districts
A report describing each and listing the properties within them.
History of Georgetown (Baldwin)
Unpublished history by Irene Baldwin and others of the community bordering the southeast corner of Ridgefield. Indexed.
Weir Farm Cultural Landscapes Inventory
A 90-page book produced by the National Park Service in 2003, detailing the history, geography, cultural importance, and more, related to Weir Farm National Historic Park. Includes many photographs, maps.
History of Fairfield County (Hurd)
Hamilton Hurd’s huge book from 1888, includes a long profile on Ridgefield, as well as every town in the county.
Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County (Beers)
Beers’s collection of profiles of hundreds of notable people, including many Ridgefielders.
Connecticut Town and City Atlas (Hurd)
Hamilton Hurd’s 1893 atlas includes detailed map of Borough of Ridgefield (see under Maps), as well as general map of town with schoolhouses and post offices, plus other data.
Connecticut Historical Collections (Barber)
John Warner Barber’s 1836 history of every town then existing in Connecticut, with 200 illustrations (digitized by Google Books).
Civil War Soldiers from Connecticut
as of July 1, 1864, compiled by the state.
Connecticut Men in the Revolution
Lists and Returns of, 1775-1783. Compiled by the Connecticut Historical Society and published in 1909. Many Ridgefield men listed.
Social Register, Summer 1911
A valuable resource for determining which New York City families were summering in Ridgefield and where. It is also a valuable source of the names of the estates in town.
1933 Telephone Directory for Ridgefield
Names, numbers, and often addresses of people with telephones in 1933. This PDF is not searchable.
1940 Telephone Directory for Ridgefield
Names, numbers, and often addresses of people with telephones in 1940. This PDF is not searchable.
Connecticut Barns (Corbin) NEW 1-10-22
A history of the kinds of barns found in Ridgefield, with a description of their construction, by architectural historian Madeline Corbin. It includes a half dozen barns and carriage houses that were on a 1987 tour, sponsored by the Ridgefield Discovery Center. This PDF is not searchable.
In This Section
- History of Ridgefield (Teller)
- History of Ridgefield (Rockwell)
- Ridgefield in Review
- Recollections of A Lifetime
- Ridgefield Bi-Centennial
- Uncle Ned’s Mountain (Sanders)
- Diary of Jared Nash (Sanders)
- Books About Ridgefield (Sanders)
- Cellars of Ridgebury District
- Crime in 18th Century Ridgefield
- Historical Sketch of Ridgefield
- First Congregational Church
- Ridgefield’s Historic Districts
- History of Georgetown
- Weir Farm Landscapes
- History of Fairfield County
- Biographical Record of Fairfield
- Connecticut Town and City Atlas
- Connecticut Historical Collections
- Civil War Soldiers from Connecticut
- Connecticut Men in the Revolution
- Social Register, Summer 1911
- 1933 Telephone Directory
- 1940 Telephone Directory
- Connecticut Barns
