North Branford, Connecticut
Encyclopedia
North Branford is a town
in New Haven County
, Connecticut
, United States
. The population was 13,906 at the 2000 census.
, 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.
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.
; 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 35000 square feet (3,251.6 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.
New England town
The New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. Without a direct counterpart in most other U.S. states, New England towns are conceptually similar to civil townships in other states, but are incorporated, possessing powers like cities in other...
in New Haven County
New Haven County, Connecticut
New Haven County is a county located in the south central part of the U.S. state of Connecticut. As of the 2010 Census, the county population is 862,477 making it the third most populated county in Connecticut. There are 1,340 people per square mile...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 13,906 at the 2000 census.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, 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
Wallingford, Connecticut
Wallingford is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 43,026 at the 2000 census.- History :Wallingford was established on October 10, 1667, when the Connecticut General Assembly authorized the "making of a village on the east river" to 38 planters and freemen...
and Durham
Durham, Connecticut
Durham is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. Durham is a former farming village on the Coginchaug River in central Connecticut. The population was 6,627 at the 2000 census. Every autumn, the town hosts the Durham Fair, the largest volunteer agricultural fair in New...
to the north, Guilford
Guilford, Connecticut
Guilford is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, that borders Madison, Branford, North Branford and Durham, and is situated on I-95 and the coast. The population was 21,398 at the 2000 census...
to the east, Branford
Branford, Connecticut
-Landmarks and attractions:Branford has six historic districts that are listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places . These include buildings in Federal, Arts and Crafts, and Queen Anne styles of architecture...
to the south, and North Haven
North Haven, Connecticut
North Haven is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut on the outskirts of New Haven, Connecticut.North Haven is less than ten miles from downtown New Haven and Yale University. It is near Sleeping Giant State Park and home the Quinnipiac University School of Health Sciences, the School of Nursing,...
and East Haven
East Haven, Connecticut
East Haven is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 28,189. The town is just 3 minutes from downtown New Haven...
to the west.
Much of the town's acreage is dominated by Totoket Mountain
Totoket Mountain
Totoket Mountain, with a high point of above sea level, is a traprock massif with several distinct summits, located northeast of New Haven, Connecticut. It is part of the Metacomet Ridge that extends from Long Island Sound near New Haven, north through the Connecticut River Valley of...
, part of the Metacomet Ridge
Metacomet Ridge
The Metacomet Ridge, Metacomet Ridge Mountains, or Metacomet Range of southern New England, United States, is a narrow and steep fault-block mountain ridge known for its extensive cliff faces, scenic vistas, microclimate ecosystems, and communities of plants considered rare or endangered...
, a mountainous trap rock
Trap rock
Trap rock is a form of igneous rock that tends to form polygonal vertical fractures, most typically hexagonal, but also four to eight sided. The fracture pattern forms when magma of suitable chemical composition intrudes as a sill or extrudes as a thick lava flow, and slowly cools.Because of the...
ridgeline that stretches from Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
almost to the Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
border. The north side of Saltonstall Mountain
Saltonstall Mountain
Saltonstall Mountain, also known as Saltonstall Ridge, with a high point of above sea level, is a traprock mountain ridge located east of New Haven, Connecticut and north of Long Island Sound. It is part of the Metacomet Ridge that extends from Long Island Sound near New Haven, Connecticut,...
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.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
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
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
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
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 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
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
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
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
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
Totoket
The Totoket were a Native American people who spoke one of the Algonquian languages. The tribe lived in the area of South Central Connecticut, in the area between the towns of Branford and North Branford....
, an Algonkian speaking native tribe lived in the Branford and North Branford area.
Education
The High School in town is North Branford High SchoolNorth Branford High School
North Branford High School is a public high school in Branford, Connecticut. In 2010, North Branford High School had 12 students for every full-time equivalent teacher.-External links:*...
; 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 35000 square feet (3,251.6 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 BaldwinJohn Denison BaldwinJohn Denison Baldwin was an American politician, Congregationalist minister, newspaper editor, and popular anthropological writer. He was a member of the Connecticut State House of Representatives and later a member of the U.S...
(1809–1883). a politician, Congregationalist minister, newspaper editor, and popular anthropological writer. - Chris HetheringtonChris HetheringtonChris Ray Hetherington is a former American football fullback in the NFL who last played for the San Francisco 49ers. He went to Yale University. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Cincinnati Bengals in 1996. He then played for the Indianapolis Colts from 1996 to 1998...
(born 1972), a former fullback in the NFL, was born in town. - Ellsworth FooteEllsworth FooteEllsworth Bishop Foote was a U.S. Representative from Connecticut.Born in North Branford, Connecticut, Foote attended the public schools....
, politician, born in North Branford. - John Leslie HotsonJohn Leslie HotsonJohn Leslie Hotson, also known as J. Leslie Hotson or Leslie Hotson was a scholar of Elizabethan literary puzzles.-Biography:...
, author and scholar, died in town.
- Paul F. ZukunftPaul F. ZukunftPaul F. Zukunft is a rear admiral in the United States Coast Guard and, since May 2010, has been the U.S. Coast Guard's Response Policy Director...
(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 RailroadBranford Steam RailroadBranford Steam Railroad is an industrial railroadserving the Tilcon Connecticut stone quarry inNorth Branford, Connecticut in the United States.It exchanges freight with the Providence and Worcester Railroad and withthe Buchanon Marine Company....
is a formerly steam-powered freight railroad in town. - Connecticut Sportsplex
- Northford Ice PavilionNorthford Ice PavilionNorthford Ice Pavilion is a 2,000-seat multi-purpose arena opened in 1998 on Connecticut Route 22 in the Northford section of North Branford, Connecticut, just past the North Haven town line...
On the National Register of Historic Places
- Northford Center Historic DistrictNorthford Center Historic DistrictNorthford Center Historic District, also known as Northford Center, is a historic district that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002....
- added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.