People were living within the Farmingbury territory as early as the 1730s, but they possessed no official identity apart from the parent towns of either Waterbury or Farmington.

Thus, the parish society had to deal with several matters that would ordinarily have been municipal duties, such as managing taxes and local education.

Farmingbury petitioned the Connecticut General Assembly in 1796, requesting that it be incorporated as an independent town, distinct from Waterbury and Farmington.

In honor of the Lieutenant Governor's deciding vote, the residents of Farmingbury renamed their newly incorporated town as "Wolcott".

Numerous buildings, homes, businesses, and vehicles were damaged or destroyed, trees were blown down, and a refrigeration truck was thrown into a utility pole, cutting power to the area.

Although there are no natural lakes of significant size in Wolcott, several man-made reservoirs have been created from the damming of small rivers and brooks.

The highest point in New Haven County is found in Wolcott atop Lindsley Hill, which has an elevation of approximately 1,046 feet above sea level.

Residential developments occupy roughly 33% of the town and encompass 6,148 housing units (of which 89.5% are single-family homes).

The Wolcott Police Department (WPD) occupies a single facility located on Nichols Road.

[21] The department includes an Honor Guard, Emergency Response Team, Detective Division, Accident Investigative Team, Patrol Division, School Resource Officer, Motorcycle Unit, Neighborhood Watch, The D.A.R.E program; Wolcott Police Explorers, for teens who are interested in a future career as an officer; and the Animal Control Unit.