Resources Overview

Welcome to Colebrook, Connecticut

Colebrook Town Hall

The last town in colonial Connecticut to be settled,Colebrook was named after a town in Devonshire, England. The reason is presently unknown. The year 1765 saw Benjamin Horton, leader of a trickle of settlers, arrive amid virgin forests. Samuel Rockwell, among those who shortly followed two years afterward, built one of the outpost’s first houses. Here before long was born Colebrook’s first child, a boy fittingly named Alpha Rockwell.

Iron forges soon developed, ore being drawn by oxen from Salisbury for smelting with the plentiful local hardwood. Cannon for use in the Revolution were made and lugged where needed. A story connects one of those with the piece on exhibit in Quebec whose label states “Taken by the British at Bunker Hill.”

 

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 85.3 km (32.9 mi). 81.5 km² (31.5 mi) of it is land and 3.8 km (1.5 mi) of it (4.40%) is water. The Algonquin State Forest is located within the town.

Principal Communities

►  Colebrook Center

►  North Colebrook

►  Robertsville

 

  

Demographics

  • Married couples living together, 5.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.8% were non-families.
  • 19.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
  • The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.01.
  • In the town the population was spread out with 24.5% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 27.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older.
  • The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 102.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.5 males.
  • The median income for a household in the town was $58,684, and the median income for a family was $64,286.
  • Males had a median income of $42,647 versus $35,987 for females.
  • The per capita income for the town was $29,789.
  • About 1.4% of families and 2.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.

Algonquin State Forest

Sandy Brook Road | Colebrook, CT | Sept. 2011

Prepared For: Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Author: Harry White, Ecologist ~ Colebrook, Connecticut
Funded by the Grant Program of the Farmington River Coordinating Committee

The Sandy Brook Natural Area Preserve, lying astride the Northwest Highlands and the Northwest Uplands Ecoregions, consists of those portions of Sandy Brook and the adjacent uplands of the Algonquin State Forest and the Kitchel Wilderness lying within 100 feet of Sandy Brook in the town of Colebrook, Connecticut. The uplands, encompassing 43 acres, protect the adjacent salmon and native brook trout fishery, create a scenic corridor, and provide habitat and a migration corridor for upland wildlife. Sandy Brook is considered the highest-ranking Atlantic salmon restoration stream in the Farmington River Basin.

Section 23-5a of the Connecticut General Statutes (CGS) establishes a state system of Natural Area Preserves to preserve the natural attributes of scenic, high-value wilderness areas. To become part of the Natural Area Preserve System, a site must include land or water containing or potentially containing plant or animal life or features of outstanding biological, scientific, educational, geological, paleontological, or scenic value worthy of preservation in their natural condition. In 2002, Governor John Rowland designated the Sandy Brook Natural Area Preserve (NAP). The NAP designation requires a detailed management plan to protect the preserve’s unique species, communities, and other attributes.

 

View/Download/Print the Entire Document >>

Colebrook’s Notable Trees

Legendary frontiersman Johnny “Appleseed” Chapman probably said it best:  

“Nothing gives more yet asks less in return than a tree.”

In Colebrook, trees contribute to our town’s rural beauty. They offer places for relaxation and recreation. They provide food and shelter for wildlife. They improve our air and water quality, save on energy costs, and help reduce global warming.

With the goal of bringing attention to the importance of trees to our everyday life, the Colebrook Land Conservancy set out, with your help, to identify our town’s special trees. We thank those who participated in our survey and the State of Connecticut’s Department of Environmental Protection that helped make this project possible with an America the Beautiful grant.

Here’s the report of our findings >>

List of trees, shrubs & plants found at the Rock School yard 

The Rock Schoolhouse was continuously used from 1779 until 1911.

Throughout this paper, compass points are used as references. Colebrook Road (Route 183) is on the west side; Sandy Brook Road is on the south side; the long stone wall defines the east side and the chimney of the school is on the north.

Here’s the list >>

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Hale Trail Map

About a mile long, the Hale Trail provides an opportunity to explore a wooded area which was a part of a farm dating back to the 1700’s. Over the centuries, this land was extensively grazed, farmed, and logged. Few native shrubs, ferns, or wildflowers grow beneath the shade of the hemlocks and large white pines.

The trail has been created by, and the property preserved by, the Colebrook Land Conservancy. Refer to the printed trail guides provided at the trailhead for more information and enjoy a walk through a bit of New England history. 

That walk might also reward you with sightings of some of New England’s more secluded inhabitants; from pileated woodpeckers to porcupines; from red-tail hawks to red efts! 

(Average Terrain, Flat Contour, Good for Kids, Medium Difficulty, Rural Area, Scenic Surroundings).

See More >>

The Colebrook Land Conservancy
Post Office Box 90
Colebrook, Connecticut 06021
info@colebrooklandconservancy.org

Our Mission

Preserve and conserve the special and unique characteristics of Colebrook—rural, historic and scenic—using accepted land conservation techniques and education in cooperation with the Town, the community and other groups.