Featured Apartment:
Connecticut- Branford - 1
bedroom - 1 bath - spacious, clean & sunny unit! - Brick Building - Hardwood
Floors - Modern Kitchen - Spacious Living Room - Large Bedroom w/ Double Sliding
Door Closet - Updated Bathroom - Off Street Parking - access to commuter rail,
bus, shops & restaurants, first and last months rent
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About Branford
Branford is a town located on Long Island Sound in New Haven County,
Connecticut, eight miles east of New Haven. The population was 28,683 at the
2000 census. It offers to New Haven County residents a relatively low tax rate
coupled with a good school system, a sizable biotech industry presence, a
traditional New England small town ambience, and a lot of recreational
facilities, including 20 miles of coastline with over 12 marinas.
An area called "Totoket" which became Branford was part of the land bought from
the Mattabesech Indians in 1638 by the first settlers of New Haven. The Dutch
set up a trading post at the mouth of the Branford River in the 1600s. That's
the source of the name "Dutch Wharf."
The town's name is said to be derived from the town of Brentford, England. Early
settlers were largely farmers, but with an accessible port there were also a
trade in lumber, livestock, brooms and produce -- all traded for molasses and
rum from the West Indies.
The town grew during the 18th and 19th centuries. In the late 18th century, the
first shoreline community was settled -- Stony Creek. Indian Neck, Pine Orchard
were also settled, but none of those settlements were permanent until the
mid-19th century.
In 1852, the railroad came to town, bringing new business, including Branford
Lockworks, Malleable Iron Fittings Company and the Atlantic Wire Company.
Branford also became a popular resort area, with 20 hotels, including Indian
Point House in Stony Creek, Montowese House in Indian neck, and Sheldon House in
Pine Orchard. In 1974, Connecticut Hospice was founded in Branford, the first
hospice in the United States.
Branford currently has six National Register of Historic Places districts,
including hundreds of buildings in Federal, Arts and Crafts, and Queen Anne
styles of architecture.