Originally part of the town of
Hartford, the area was referred to as Hartford Mountains or Hanover, until incorporation in October 1720. On November 11, 1723,
Jonathan Edwards was installed as the pastor of Bolton. It was here that he had his "great awakening". Bolton was known for its high quality schist stone in the 18th century, and many tombstone carvers such as
Gershom Bartlett and Jonathan Loomis sourced their stone from Bolton quarries. Bolton was removed from
Hartford County when Tolland County was originally formed on October 13, 1785. The northern half of Bolton was set aside in 1808 to form the town of
Vernon. Quarries played a significant role in the area's developing economy, and Bolton Notch became the location of the small community of Quarryville. Prior to the railroad, granite was taken by oxcart to the Connecticut River where it was then shipped to major cities on the East Coast. In recent times, Bolton has purchased several sites in town in an effort to preserve the town's history and rural character. In 2000, the town purchased Rose's Farm, a 100-acre site near Bolton Center where the
Comte de Rochambeau camped with his troops in 1781 on their way to victory in
Yorktown, Virginia. This site is part of the
Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route also known as
W3R, a
National Historic Trail. It is now known as Bolton Heritage Farm and is open daily to the public. It's a popular spot for walkers and artists, but metal detectors are not allowed. For hikers and bicyclists, it is adjacent and connected to the
East Coast Greenway. Bolton has several ordinances designed to maintain its rural, picturesque character. and to restrict new construction. Ordinances also exist, such as those limiting the types and number of businesses. There is also a requirement that all new residential lots be no smaller than one acre. This was implemented in the 1960's to protect drinking water in a rapidly growing town where every home and business relies on a private well, and most have private septic systems. The town features numerous parks, open spaces and trails.
Interstate 84 was originally planned to cut through the town on its way to
Providence, going through Bolton Notch and the
Hop River valley. Due to environmental concerns in both Rhode Island and in the Hop River valley, the highway would be cancelled in 1983. The segment that was built beforehand in the northwestern section of town, from
CT 85 to
US 6/
US 44 would be redesignated at
Interstate 384. Bolton today is primarily residential with an economy made up mostly of small businesses. It is part of the
Greater Hartford metro and contains many suburban homes.
Climate Bolton, like much of
Tolland County, straddles the
humid continental climate (Dfa) and (Dfb) line. }} ==Education==