Discover 15 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Branford (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Branford Point Historic District, James Blackstone Memorial Library, and Stony Creek Puppet House. Also, be sure to include Pine Orchard Union Chapel in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Branford (Connecticut).
Table of Contents
Branford Point Historic District
Park in Branford, Connecticut. The Branford Point Historic District is a historic district in Branford, Connecticut. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. It includes a significant portion of the Branford Point neighborhood, generally considered to be the area along the west side of the Branford Harbor to the Amtrak railroad tracks. It is bounded on the west by the Short Beach neighborhood, on the north by Branford Center, and on the east by the Branford River. Harbor Street, Maple Avenue, and Stannard Avenue are the main thoroughfares of the neighborhood. In the 2000 Census, Branford Point was included by the U.S. Census Bureau in the Branford Center census-designated place.
The historic district is a roughly T-shaped area within the neighborhood, extending along Harbor Street from Curve Street in the north to Parker Memorial Park and the tip of the eponymous Branford Point in the south. The crossbar of the T is formed by a portion of Maple Street, and the district also includes properties on Curve Street and Bryan Road. At the time of NRHP listing in 1988, there were 207 buildings in the district, of which 158 were buildings that were deemed to contribute to the historic character of the district.
This area is historically notable for housing Branford's highest concentration of late 19th and early 20th century residential architecture. Up to the mid-19th century, this area was mainly farmland and difficult to reach from Branford Center. Harbor Street, with its bridge over Mill Brook, and Maple Avenue were both laid out in 1819, providing improved access. Beginning in the mid-19th century George Parker developed the area around Branford Point as a day resort, with a beach and wharf. His heirs eventually donated the property to the town to form Parker Memorial Park. The northern portion of the district developed as a residential area for workers at the nearby iron foundry (located just north of the district). The result of this development pattern was an assemblage of residences including late 18th-century farmhouses, Greek Revival houses of the mid-19th century, late 19th-century Victorians, and Colonial Revival houses of the early 20th century.[1]
James Blackstone Memorial Library
Public library. James Blackstone Memorial Library is a public library located in Branford, Connecticut. It is commonly referred to as the Blackstone Library or the Branford Library. The library was commissioned by Timothy Blackstone as a memorial to his father, James Blackstone. It was designed by Chicago architect Solon Spencer Beman. Construction on the building began in 1893 and was completed in 1896. The building was dedicated on June 17, 1896.
There is also a Blackstone Library in Chicago, which is part of the Chicago Public Library System, and was named after Timothy Blackstone. This library was also designed by Solon Spencer Beman.[2]
Address: 758 Main St, 06405 Branford (Branford)
Stony Creek Puppet House
Theater in Branford, Connecticut. The Stony Creek Puppet House was a theater in the Stony Creek section of Branford, Connecticut, near New Haven and the famed Thimble Islands. Built in 1903 as a movie theater, it became the home for community theater and summer stock productions. Orson Welles staged his short-lived stage production, Too Much Johnson, at The Stony Creek Theatre in 1938. After operating as a parachute factory during World War II, it became a puppet theater. The building is a Connecticut Historical Landmark that has been renovated as a live theater venue, the Legacy Theatre, which held its grand opening on April 23, 2021.[3]
Pine Orchard Union Chapel
Chapel in Branford, Connecticut. Pine Orchard Union Chapel is a historic nondenominational chapel at 25 Chapel Drive in Branford, Connecticut. Built in 1897, it is one of a modest number of seasonal resort chapels built along the Connecticut coastline, and a particularly fine example of one with Queen Anne styling. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.[4]
Isaac Palmer House
The Isaac Palmer House is a historic house at 736–756 Main Street in Branford, Connecticut, USA. Built about 1810, it is a good local example Federal period architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.[5]
Blackstone House
The Blackstone House is a historic house at 37 First Avenue in Branford, Connecticut. Built in the second quarter of the 18th century, it is one of Branford's modest number of surviving 18th-century houses, and a well-preserved example of the Second Period of colonial construction. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.[6]
Edward Frisbie House
The Edward Frisbie House is a historic house at 699 East Main Street in Branford, Connecticut. Probably built about 1750, it is a fine local example of Georgian residential architecture, historically attributed to one of the area's early settlers. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.[7]
Zaccheus Baldwin House
The Zaccheus Baldwin House is a historic house at 154 Damascus Road in Branford, Connecticut. Built in the last quarter of the 18th century, it is one of Branford's small number of surviving and well-preserved houses of that period. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.[8]
Edward Frisbie Homestead
The Edward Frisbie Homestead is a historic house at 240 Stony Creek Road in Branford, Connecticut, United States. Built about 1790 by the grandson of one of Branford's first settlers, it is a little-altered and well-preserved example of Federal period architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.[9]
Eliphalet Howd House
The Eliphalet Howd House is a historic house at 675 East Main Street in Branford, Connecticut. Probably built about 1730, it is one of the town's few surviving 18th-century houses, and a good example of a two-story Georgian colonial house. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.[10]
John Hoadley House
The John Hoadley House is a historic house at 213 Leete's Island Road in Branford, Connecticut. Built about 1810, it is a well-preserved example of late colonial architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.[11]
Timothy Bradley House
The Timothy Bradley House is a historic house at 12 Bradley Street in Branford, Connecticut. Probably built c. 1730, it is one of Branford's handful of surviving 18th-century houses. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.[12]
House at 161 Damascus Road
161 Damascus Road is a historic house in Branford, Connecticut. Built about 1750, it is a well-preserved example of mid-18th century colonial residential architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.[13]
House at 29 Flat Rock Road
29 Flat Rock Road is a historic house in Branford, Connecticut. Probably built in the second half of the 18th century, it is a well-preserved example of a modest period farmhouse, a type of which relatively few now survive in the town. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.[14]
Samuel Beach House
The Samuel Beach House is a historic house at 94 East Main Street in Branford, Connecticut. Built about 1790, it is one of the town's modest number of surviving 18th-century houses. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.[15]