North Branford, Connecticut

North Branford, Connecticut
—  Town  —
Seal
Location in New Haven County, Connecticut
Coordinates: 41°21′25″N 72°46′05″W / 41.35694°N 72.76806°W / 41.35694; -72.76806Coordinates: 41°21′25″N 72°46′05″W / 41.35694°N 72.76806°W / 41.35694; -72.76806
Country	United States
State	Connecticut
Region	South Central Region
Incorporated	1831
Government
– Type	Council-manager
– Town manager	Richard V. Branigan
– Town council	Michael J. Doody, Mayor Joanne S. Wentworth, Deputy Mayor Andrew M. Bozzuto Paul Calamita Vincent Caprio Andrew Esposito III Joseph Faughnan Ashley Clow Joiner Alfred Rose
Area
– Total	26.7 sq mi (69.2 km2)
– Land	24.9 sq mi (64.5 km2)
– Water	1.7 sq mi (4.5 km2)
Elevation	207 ft (63 m)
Population (2005)[1]
– Total	14,398
– Density	578/sq mi (223/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (UTC-5)
– Summer (DST)	Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code	06471, 06472
Area code(s)	203
FIPS code	09-53890
GNIS feature ID	0213477
Website	North Branford

North Branford is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 13,906 at the 2000 census.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 26.6 square miles (69.0 km²), of which 24.9 square miles (64.5 km²) is land and 1.7 square miles (4.5 km²) (6.49%) is water. Neighboring towns are Wallingford and Durham to the north, Guilford to the east, Branford to the south, and North Haven and East Haven to the west.

Much of the town's acreage is dominated by Totoket Mountain, part of the Metacomet Ridge, a mountainous trap rock ridgeline that stretches from Long Island Sound almost to the Vermont border. The north side of Saltonstall Mountain is also located in North Branford. Totoket Mountain contains Lake Gaillard, a reservoir managed by the South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority (SCCRWA). The SCCRWA maintains a network of hiking trails on Totoket Mountain in the Big Gulph area of Northford.

Principal communities

• North Branford center
• Northford
• Totoket

Demographics

As of the census^[2] of 2000, there were 13,906 people (6,303 of which reside in the village of Northford), 5,132 households, and 3,869 families residing in the town. The population density was 558.0 people per square mile (215.5/km²). There were 5,246 housing units at an average density of 210.5/sq. mi. (81.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.50% White, 1.19% African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.92% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.47% from other races, and 0.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.80% of the population.

There were 5,132 households, of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.2% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.6% were nonfamilies. 20.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70, and the average family size was 3.15.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.6% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 25.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.2 males; for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $64,438, and the median income for a family was $71,813. Males had a median income of $46,852 versus $33,469 for females. The per capita income for the town was $28,542. About 1.2% of families and 1.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.9% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.

The Totoket, an Algonkian speaking native tribe lived in the Branford and North Branford area.

Education

The High School in town is North Branford High School; they are known as the North Branford Thunderbirds. The middle school is North Branford Intermediate School; it has just recently undergone a new construction project which renovated an existing structure and added approximately 35,000 square feet (3,300 m²) to the school. They are known as the North Branford Hawks. There are two elementary schools, Jerome Harrison(JHS) and Totoket Valley(TVES). In mid- 2010, the decision was made to rearrange grades and close the Stanley T. Williams elementary school in Northford.

Notable people, past and present

• John Denison Baldwin (1809–1883). a politician, Congregationalist minister, newspaper editor, and popular anthropological writer.
• Chris Hetherington (born 1972), a former fullback in the NFL, was born in town.
• Ellsworth Foote, politician, born in North Branford.
• John Leslie Hotson, author and scholar, died in town.

• Paul F. Zukunft (born c. 1955), Coast Guard rear admiral

Historical Preservation

Headquartered in town is the Totoket Historical Society, Inc. Founded in the mid-20th century, the Society runs four historic buildings in town: The Reynolds Beers House (The main museum and office), the Miller Barn, the "Little White Gas Station", and the Little Red Schoolhouse. Boasting approximately one hundred members, the THS has a collection of local historical artifacts. Their website is www.totokethistoricalsociety.org.

Notable locations

• The Branford Steam Railroad is a formerly steam-powered freight railroad in town.
• Connecticut Sportsplex
• Northford Ice Pavilion

On the National Register of Historic Places

• Northford Center Historic District - added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.

Commerce

North Branford contains many commercial offices, such as Blue Bird Corperation Bus Sales, Fire-Lite Alarms, and many more businesses located on major roads in North Branford and Northford.

References

1. ^ U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates
2. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 

External links

• Town of North Branford