Books About Ridgefield

Images of America: Ridgefield
127 pages of finely reproduced pictures of Ridgefield past, published in 1999. People, houses, businesses, scenes of town life, etc. from 1890s to 1950s. Order from Ridgefield Historical Society, 4 Sunset Lane, Ridgefield CT 06877. $18.99 plus $3.95 postage.

Ridgefield 1900-1950
More than 215 views of what Ridgefield looked like during the first half of the 20th Century. Postcard images of homes, estates, inns, street scenes, stores, churches, and more. Over 20,000 words of accompanying history and lore about the locales pictured. Bibliography and index. 126 pages. Written by Jack Sanders. Published spring 2003.  For more information, click here.

Farmers against the Crown
Keith Jones wrote this comprehensive account of the Battle of Ridgefield during the Revolutionary War, revealing much new information and correcting many old mistakes. "This telling will remain the standard account of the battle for a long, long time," said Christopher Collier, Connecticut state historian.162 pages, paperback, extensively illustrated. Published 2002. For more information, click here.

The Farms of Farmingville
While Keith Marshall Jones calls his book "a two-century history of 23 Ridgefield, Connecticut farmhouses and the people who gave them life," it is really a history of a good part of the town. He has extensively researched a section of Ridgefield that contained a significant cross-section of the community from the 1700s into the 20th Century, and has given us a picture of what life here was like during that period. Published 2001. Hardcover. 509 pages. Many maps, house plans, photos. Indexed.. For more information, click here.

Ridgefield Answer Book
Answers to more than 500 questions about the town, complete with two-page map showing points of interest. Fully indexed and updated annually. Free at Ridgefield Press office or may be ordered by mail. Click here for online version and information on ordering by mail.

Five Village Walks
Guided tours of Ridgefield village history, with more than 50 pictures from the past. 56 pages. Indexed. Map. $5. Click here for more information.

Ridgefield in Review
The most modern complete history of the town, published in 1958, with many illustrations, written by Smithsonian Institution historian Silvio A. Bedini. Out of print, but used copies often available locally (click to check for availability) or at www.abe.com.

History of Ridgefield
George L. Rockwell's 583-page classic has been long out of print, but copies become available. Particularly strong on 19th and early 20th Century history, and containing many early birth, marriage and death records. The book has many photos taken by Joseph Hartmann. Cloth and leather editions were printed. Also, in the 1970s, a reprinted edition was published. Used copies often available at www.abe.com.

Barbour Collection: Vol. 36
The Barbour Collection of Connecticut Town Records, Volume 36 in a statewide collection, reproduces the famous Barbour index to Ridgefield births, marriages and deaths from 1709 to 1850. A must for any serious Ridgefield researcher. $30. Published in 2000 by Genealogical Publishing Company. Go to the Website, to Connecticut and look down the list for Barbour's volume 36  (Portland, Prospect, Redding, Ridgefield)

History of Ridgefield, Connecticut, The
In 1878, the Rev. Daniel Teller of the First Congregational Church published this 251-page history of the town. While almost all of the content is covered in later histories, the engravings of various Ridgefield buildings and scenes, all based on very early photographs, are both wonderful and valuable. Not indexed. Published in cloth and leather versions. Used copies often available at www.abe.com.

Proprietors of Ridgefield, The
Glenna M. Welsh's history tells of the early settlement of the town, with particular focus on those who lived on Main Street. Not indexed. Many illustrations. Published in 1976 in paper and cloth covered editions, the clothbound version is still available at the Keeler Tavern or from the Ridgefield Archives Committee (above).

St. Stephen's Church, 1725 to 1975
Written by Robert S. Haight, Saint Stephen's Church: It's History for 250 Years 1725 to 1975 tells the story of the church and its place in the community. 220 pages, indexed and illustrated. A supplement by Dirk Bollenback, Saint Stephen's Church Reaches the Millennium, 114 pages, indexed and illustrated, covers 1975 to 2000. Sold by the church, 351 Main Street, Ridgefield CT 06877. Email for information.

Notable Ridgefielders
An 88-page, tabloid-newspaper-sized collection of biographies of more than 400 people who made news in Ridgefield during the 20th Century. Also contains extensive timeline. Illustrated, indexed. Click here for more information.

Last updated September 15, 2005
Information Courtesy of www.sandersbooks.com