About
Located in the northern portion of Windham County, the town of Eastford encompasses a significant portion of Natchaug State Forest. Settled in the early 1700s, this eastern portion of Ashford separated from its parent town in 1847. Prior to this, light industry, such as the production of cotton batting, twine, and wooden handles, complemented what would remain a predominantly rural agricultural community well into the 20th century. Markers of Eastford’s past include a monument to hometown hero Nathaniel Lyon, the first Union general killed in the Civil War, and a hiking trail along remnants of the Boston Post Road, a route that facilitated commerce and communication in the colonial era.
Town Profile
- Eastford- Windham County
- Form of Government: Selectmen, Town Meeting
- Date of Incorporation: May 30, 1847; taken from Ashford
- Area: 28.6 sq. miles; 33.12 miles improved road; .31 miles unimproved road
- Population: est. 1,751
- Voting Districts: 1
- Principal industries: aerospace manufacturing, metal fabrication, horticulture, and trucking
- Transportation: Freight: served by numerous motor common carriers
- Post Office: Eastford; also rural delivery from Chaplin and Pomfret Center
Town Features:
- Boston Turnpike Trail
- Crystal Pond Park
- Frog Rock
- Grove Cemetery
- Natchaug State Forest
- Union Society Building
- Veteran’s Memorial
- Yale Forest
- The Last Green Valley
