More Facts and Figures about Bloomfield, Connecticut

Traditionally an agricultural community, Bloomfield began to diversify its economic base after it was incorporated. Tobacco was added to the list of agricultural products, and numerous cider mills and a brandy distillery were built. The Prosser Inn on Simsbury Road housed the headquarters of the Hartford to Westfield stage line, and the Hartford to Tariffville stage line passed through the Town Center. Within thirty years of its incorporation, Bloomfield’s new rail service included eight trains that traveled daily to and from Hartford, and was serviced by four stations in Town. In 1891, the Hartford Electric Light Company brought Bloomfield into a bright twentieth century. By 1920, the Town’s population had grown to more than 2,000.

  Click the image for a larger view of the Bloomfield map.

Bloomfield Expands in the 1950s
Until the advent of the automobile, growth in Bloomfield was restricted to those areas near rail, trolley, or bus lines. In the 1950s, the suburban exodus from Hartford began, adding to Bloomfield’s population growth. It was accelerated by the construction of interstate highway Route 91, which gave Bloomfield easy highway access via Windsor to downtown Hartford. Between 1950 and 1970, Hartford’s population declined, while the populations of six suburbs contiguous to Hartford rose. Bloomfield’s 220% growth rate topped all the others suburban towns by a wide margin. The expanding population spurred housing development and a fast-growing local economy brought industrial growth to the Town.

This expansion continued through the 1970s, when Bloomfield’s population neared 20,000. In 1973, the Town of Bloomfield was named an All-American City, an award that recognized Bloomfield’s success as an ethnically and culturally diverse community.

Visit the Wintonbury Historical Society website for more information on Bloomfield's history.