The 1662 Royal Charter from King Charles II gave the control of government in Connecticut to the Congregational churches. This form of government remained in effect for over 150 years. In August 1818, Connecticut's towns sent 201 delegates to Hartford (at what is now the Old State House) to adopt a new State Constitution. Their work would result in forming a system with executive and legislative branches and an independent judiciary. Representing Farmington, and the parish of Northington (now Avon) were Rev. Timothy Pitkin and former Governor John Treadwell.

By coincidence there was also a radical change in Northington that year. The parish's one church, after years of discontent, divided into two separate churches: The West Avon Congregational Church's meetinghouse built in 1818, and The Avon Congregational Church's meetinghouse built in 1819.

Connecticut in 1818 was at a pivotal time. The United States was still a new country, and the U.S. Constitution was only 29 years old. The Constitutional Convention of Connecticut was the result of growing concerns about religion, the environment, the economy, and changing demographics. The citizens of the state, through their representatives to the Convention, made transformative decisions in a challenging time. In Northington, and throughout Connecticut, it was no longer the law to follow church doctrines, and one did not have to be a member of the Congregational church to hold political office.

The civil government they designed - the supreme law of the state with separation of powers - helped to modernize Connecticut. The Constitution of 1818 remained in effect until 1965 when an updated version was written that still remains in effect today.