The Borough of Newtown is one of few recognized boroughs remaining in the state. It was established in 1824 through the efforts of Judge William Edmond and other residents who petitioned the General Assembly for the right to become incorporated as the Borough of Newtown.

Ahead of its 200th anniversary next month — and a gala celebration in the heart of the Borough last week — Reporter Sam Cross spent time delving into some of the history of the 1,252 acres in the center of town.

In May 1824, the General Assembly of Connecticut officially incorporated the Borough of Newtown. Monday, June 14, 1824, at Czar Keeler’s tavern at 1 pm, the first board of burgesses and warden were selected. Among those elected were Warden Asa Chapman, Clerk Charles Chapman (Asa’s eldest son), and Senior Burgess Benjamin F. Shelton.

The Borough was a densely populated area of Newtown residing mostly on Town Street, or what is now known as Main Street, that required additional resources the rural areas did not need, such as fire coverage, sidewalks, and streetlights.

For 200 years, the Borough has stayed strong as its own municipality operating on a small budget collected from taxes. The size of the Borough has stayed relatively the same over the years, nesting from Borough Lane northerly to the head of Main Street, westerly to Sugar Lane and Taunton Pond, and easterly to the train tracks.

Officers And Other Officials

Every May, an election is held to vote in new officers, such as warden, burgess, tax collector, tax assessor, and zoning officials. The Borough, as it stands, is dedicated to preserving the historic look, charm, and feel of a “quintessential New England village,” current Senior Burgess Chris Gardner said.

Though the Borough remains, from the years 1885-1905, the board of burgesses did not meet, which was a direct violation of their original charter. Section two of the charter states “there shall be a meeting of said borough holden annually in the month of May.” A report from The Newtown Bee, March 24, 1905, says, “Meetings of the officials of the borough were held regularly for 15 years or so…. The meetings of the burgesses began to grow very irregular, and the interval between two meetings was at one time 10 years.” The board planned to meet for the first time in 20 years, though not much was expected to be done.

The May 5, 1905 The Bee reported that “A committee composed of WJ Beecher, OH Northrop and MJ Houliban were elected to draft an ordinance prohibiting the riding of bicycles on the sidewalks and to govern the speed limit of automobiles through the borough and to report at an adjourned meeting on May 16. There was much merriment throughout the meeting and many declinations of the high honors proposed.”

This merriment continued throughout the rest of the Borough’s history. The Borough has been dedicated to creating a thriving epicenter of downtown, complete with new sidewalks, streetlights, and fire hydrants. Two of the Borough’s biggest accomplishments were in 1876 to pass a vote to erect the Liberty Pole and in 1883, two years before the hiatus, they allocated $850 to buy the first hook and ladder truck. Newtown Hook & Ladder is still in operation today, 141 years later.

The Liberty Pole still stands in the center of Main Street today, under the tender care and watchful eyes of Senior Burgess Gardner, who proudly carries the mantle Keeper of the Flagpole. The Newtown Lion’s Club donates a summer flag every year, and Mike Sorrentino, owner of Newtown Hardware, donates two winter flags every year. Newtown Hook & Ladder assists in replacing the flags each season. A 20- by 30-foot summer flag is raised annually ahead of Memorial Day. An 18- by 24-foot flag is then raised after Labor Day, for each winter season.

The local firefighters are also called on any time the flag needs to be lowered and raised.

“I can’t thank Mike and the Lions Club enough for their generosity because it’s a big financial commitment. They do it because they love Newtown and they love the flag,” Gardner said.

Most terms in the Borough’s government last a year or two, and usually officials run unopposed in May when it is time for the elections. In 1991, however, a group of anti-borough residents ran in opposition in hopes of dissolving the Borough. In an article published by The Bee in 2004 (“The Borough: Newtown’s Town Within A Town”) states, “While 35 to 50 borough residents usually turn out to vote, in 1991 approximately 500 voters cast ballots, with the majority backing the nominated slate.” It was clear then the residents wanted to retain the Borough, and it’s ever clearer now that the Borough of Newtown is here to stay.

Borough Warden Jay Maher wrote a letter to the editor two years ago titled, “The Borough Is Vibrant And Relevant.” In the letter he explains that the Borough was gifted American Relief Plan Act funds during the COVID-19 pandemic. If the Borough was not a municipality, it would not have received that money. Maher, along with the burgesses, have given that money back to the community in various ways, “recipients include the Edmond Town Hall, Newtown Hook and Ladder, Cyrenius Booth library, the Meeting House and the dam restoration project at Hawley Pond. We seek to assist others with these funds.”

Maher continues to be a “cheerleader for the borough,” advocating for the community’s safety and the preservation of the Borough of Newtown’s 200-year-old living history.

Read more here: The Borough: Newtown's Town Within A Town

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Reporter Sam Cross can be reached at sam@thebee.com.