"West Society," as some called it, was an area rich in timber that was used for pipe staves, barrel-sized containers used for colonial trade.

In 1721, the "western" farmers requested that the General Assembly of the Connecticut Colony give their land the name "Newington" to denote "the new town in the meadow."

Newington's motto inscribed on its town seal is "growth and progress," which it began putting into effect at the end of the eighteenth century.

In 1798, the precursor to the Berlin Turnpike was authorized and it changed the complexion of the land by dividing the vast farmlands from the commercial center.

Veteran of the War of 1812 Levi Lusk established one of the first businesses on the Turnpike, a tavern that stood as a precursor to the many motels, bars, stores, and restaurants that would come later.

One centered on Wethersfield's inner village still closely tied to the Connecticut River; the other in Newington had developed its own identity distinct from its mother town.

An 1869 map[4] of Newington shows that the town was divided into four districts—the North, the Middle, the South, and the South-east—that ran from east to west.

[5] In 1871, Newington had a population of 871 people with 132 dwellings, and roughly 130 farms, a substantial increase from the start of the nineteenth century.

Not only did residents marvel at the invention, but took note of its revolutionizing force; it was now possible to live in Newington and to work in surrounding cities.

At first, Anglos moved to the town from Hartford and New Britain as foreign-born Poles, Italians, and Irish settled in those cities.

In the 1930s, Newington's political leaders facilitated this change by paving dirt roads, despite the Great Depression which ground much business activity to a halt.

Using government as an instrument of social improvement, in the spirit of the Progressives, reflected advancement in the early decades of the twentieth century.

Three other hospitals were built in town in the early twentieth century contemporaneous with the rise of Progressivism, including the 1911 establishment of Connecticut's first tuberculosis sanitarium on Cedar Mountain.

But the lifeblood of the community by mid century had shifted away from the area and toward the Turnpike, now known as "gasoline alley" because of the vast number of gas stations there.

Newington became the victim of the dwindling defense industry, while at the same time its own businesses such as the Torrington Company, a manufacturer of automobile parts, solvents, and surgical staplers and Loctite, a specialty adhesives maker, left town in the mid-1990s.

The building of Interstate 91 and Interstate 84 earlier in the century had affected Newington businesses adversely by making other cities and towns more attractive to industry and but for the success of shopping centers, condominium development, and the continued commercial activity of the Berlin Turnpike, Newington might have seen a sharper economic decline as the twentieth century came to an end.

The town remained mostly residential with the exception of the Berlin Turnpike, which witnessed a renewed proliferation of commercial enterprises.

Reflecting the conspicuous nature of technological advancement, the Turnpike, by the start of the new century, saw the replacement of small businesses with new and larger chain stores.

The 16-foot (4.9 m) high falls, located in central Newington at Mill Pond Park, is the smallest natural waterfall in the country.

The park is popular with local residents as a place to walk dogs, ice skate, jog, and picnic; it also hosts the occasional wedding party and festivals.

[17] Newington received its Charter from the State of Connecticut in 1871 and is currently governed under the Council-Manager form of government, a system that combines the policy leadership of elected officials in the form of a Town Council, with the professional, managerial, and leadership expertise of an appointed Town Manager.

[23] The names of the elementary schools are Elizabeth Green, Anna Reynolds, John Paterson, and Ruth Chaffee.

Private schools in Newington include Emmanuel Christian Academy (Connecticut), which teaches Kindergarten through Grade 6.

Additionally, Newington is a planned stop along the Hartford Line, a proposed commuter rail service from New Haven to Springfield that will use existing tracks, with a possible shuttle bus connection in Windsor Locks for Bradley International Airport.

[30] In March 2015, CTfastrak, Connecticut's first bus rapid transit corridor opened, providing a separated right-of-way between Hartford and New Britain with a stop at Newington Junction.

The municipal police department consists of 52 full-time sworn officers, who also act as the town's first responders for medical emergencies.

During the 2008 round of Charter Revision, both the immediate past mayor (Mortenson)[38] and current town manager (Salomone)[39] brought up the topic of the fire services organizational structure.