[3] In 1236, ownership of part of village went to Engelberg Abbey, in 1266 it transferred to the Monastery of St. Leonhard in Basel, and in 1274 to the Knights of Malta.

The rights to low justice remained in the hands of wealthy citizens of Gontenschwil.

After the conquest of the Aargau by Bern in 1415, Gontenschwil formed its own court within the district (German: Oberamt) of Lenzburg.

This spring flourished from the 19th century until the First World War and was used until 1990 for the production of bottled water.

These large industries meant that Gontenschwil had the second largest population in the Kulm district.

After the collapse of the mid-19th century due to a lack of hydroelectric power, tobacco processing partly replaced the cotton industry.

Of the rest of the land, 1.32 square kilometers (0.51 sq mi) or 13.6% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.05 km2 (12 acres) or 0.5% is either rivers or lakes.

24.1% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.8% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees.

It is located hinter der Egg or behind the left-hand side moraine that was left behind after the Reuss glacier retreated from the upper Wyne valley at the end of the last ice age.

The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Argent a Pine Tree issuant from a Base Vert between in chief two Hearts Gules.

[8] The age distribution, as of 2008[update], in Gontenschwil is; 196 children or 9.3% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 249 teenagers or 11.8% are between 10 and 19.

[10] About 57.4% of the total households were owner occupied, or in other words did not pay rent (though they may have a mortgage or a rent-to-own agreement).

[8] From the 2000 census[update], 327 or 15.9% were Roman Catholic, while 1,353 or 65.8% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church.