Editing Branford, Connecticut (section)

==Principal communities in Branford==
[[File:James Blackstone Memorial Library exterior.jpg|thumb|right|[[James Blackstone Memorial Library]]]]
[[File:Branford, Connecticut town hall and courthouse.jpg|thumb|right|[[Branford Town Hall|Town Hall]]]]

===Branford Center===
{{Main|Branford Center}}
Branford Center is home to many small stores, restaurants, and coffee houses, which line Main Street, with the Green at the center. The Branford Green has churches as well as the [[Branford Town Hall|town hall]] and other government facilities and hosts concerts and other events, such as the annual Branford Festival.  Traditionally, the graduating class from [[Branford High School (Connecticut)|Branford High School]] graduates in front of the Town Hall, weather permitting.

===Branford Hill===

Branford Hill sits on the western end of town and centers on the heavily commercialized strip of [[U.S. Route 1]]. Fast-food and sit-down restaurants, auto dealers, grocery stores, and several strip malls are located there. The more southern section features less dense areas with woodlands and farm featuring trails that the Branford Land Trust preserves that connect the Shoreline Greenway trail from New Haven to [[Madison, Connecticut|Madison]]. The northern section also features a less dense area with woodlands that surround [[Lake Saltonstall (Connecticut)|Lake Saltonstall]] which also feature trail systems maintained by the Regional Water Authority, as the Lake is a reservoir for Branford.

Branford Hill features many [[Condominium (living space)|condominium]] and [[apartment]] complexes. The original site of Connecticut Hospice (now the Monastery of the Glorious Cross—a semi-cloistered community of [[Benedictine]] nuns) is located in this area, on Burban Drive.  Also on Burban Drive is St. Elizabeth of Hungary [[Roman Catholic]] Church, which was originally located in Short Beach.

===Indian Neck===

Indian Neck is in the south-central section of Branford, dominated by a peninsula bordering Branford Harbor. Both Foote Park and John B. Sliney Memorial Park are located within Indian Neck.

Back in the early to mid 20th century Indian Neck was a tourist destination.  Trolley service came down to Sybil and Limewood avenues, which had its own commercial area.  These included Harry's General Store, Bud's Bait Box, and on Limewood Ave the Waverly Inn, Madelyn's Restaurant, Surfside Restaurant, a news, comics, candy, variety store named Lounsberry's, and Dairy Joy Ice Cream.  Much of the area contained second homes, so the beach was an active place.  As the area became more year-round the commercial business slowly shut down.  The Montasco Inn, owned/operated for many years by the Poirot's was torn down in the 1960's. The landmark Waverly Inn burned to the ground in the early 1970s truly marking the end of an era.

Indian Neck – Pine Orchard Volunteer Fire Company 9 is located here.

In February 2015, [[Stony Creek Brewery]], named after the [[Stony Creek (Branford)|Stony Creek]] area of Branford, opened its doors here.<ref name="BrewBound">{{Cite web|title = The 'New' Stony Creek Brewery|url = http://www.brewbound.com/news/profile-the-new-stony-creek-brewery|website = brewbound.com|date = October 8, 2015|access-date = October 20, 2015}}</ref>

===Pine Orchard===
{{redirect|Pine Orchard|the Canadian community|Pine Orchard, Ontario}}
Pine Orchard is situated between Indian Neck and Stony Creek. The [[Pine Orchard Yacht and Country Club]] (P.O.Y.C.C.), the Pine Brook School (formerly Wightwood School), a private institution, and Francis Walsh Intermediate School are found here.   Notable residents include Dr. [[Nicholas Perricone]] and [[Edward M. Kennedy, Jr.|Edward M. Kennedy Jr.]]

===Stony Creek===
{{Main|Stony Creek (Branford)}}
[[File:Stony Creek Post Office.jpg|thumb|right|Stony Creek Post Office]]

Stony Creek is a shore front neighborhood in the southeastern section of Branford, centered on a harbor on Long Island Sound. An eclectic community, Stony Creek has the ambiance of a small seaside village with a blend of various architectural style buildings and a few small retail establishments, sandwich shops, galleries, and an antique shop.

Just offshore from Stony Creek is an intriguing archipelago of islands known as the [[Thimble Islands]]. The Thimbles are a jumble of glacial rocks, ranging from {{convert|17|acre}} down to stepping-stone size, at the mouth of the harbor. Despite their small size, they possess a wealth of history and local lore, as well as providing pleasant scenery for a summer cruise.

Stony Creek is home to the all-male Stony Creek Fife & Drum Corps, and the only all-female fife and drum corps, Totoket Ancient Fife & Drum Corps. A large quarry is still working and supplied the distinctive pink/orange Stony Creek granite for the [[Brooklyn Bridge]] (Although this contradicts linked page "The granite blocks were quarried and shaped on Vinalhaven Island, Maine, under a contract with the Bodwell Granite Company, and delivered from Maine to New York by schooner.<ref>McLane, Charles B.; McLane, Carol Evarts (1997). Islands of the Mid-Maine Coast. I. Tilbury House & Island Institute. p. 134. {{ISBN|978-0884481850}}.</ref> ), the base of the Statue of Liberty, and the newest House Office Building in [[Washington, D.C.]] Granite from Stony Creek was chosen to be used in New York City's Statue of Liberty museum, which opened in May 2019.

Stony Creek Fire and Rescue Company 5 is located here.

===Short Beach===
{{Main|Short Beach}}

Short Beach is a beach neighborhood in the western end of town, south of Branford Hills. It is home to many small private islands, the largest being Kelsey Island, which has a handful of small cabins used as summer homes. There is no public access (except for public tidal zones) to Kelsey Island and trespassing is not allowed. Short Beach is home to half of the famous [[Shore Line Trolley Museum]], which is also in neighboring East Haven. Also in Short Beach are the [[Yale Corinthian Yacht Club]] (YCYC), Short Beach Union Church and three parks, the largest being Pardee Park. Short Beach's population is about 1,500 and features a three-day festival at the end of summer called Short Beach Days. Short Beach is known for the population of [[monk parakeet]]s that live there (referred to as the "Short Beach Parrots"), a non-native bird.

Short Beach Hose, Hook and Ladder Company 4, founded in 1911, is located here.

===Hotchkiss Grove===

Hotchkiss Grove of Branford is located between Indian Neck and Pine Orchard and consists of First through Ninth avenues, as well as parts of Hotchkiss Grove Road, Seaview Avenue, and Dudley Avenue. It has a small beach used for swimming and mooring boats and features a raft to swim out to. Bay Point Park (The Point) is a grassy peninsula going out into the water where there used to be a small pier. Occasionally residents of Hotchkiss Grove can rent the Point to host parties. Every first Saturday of August, Hotchkiss Grove Day is held, with the day starting with a costume parade, games, and prizes. In the afternoon there are beach games in which kids compete with one another on the beach, a clam bar, and live music. Dinner, a raffle, auction, and dancing close out the evening. Historically Hotchkiss Grove was a summer community with beach cottages and dirt roads; over the past two decades most of the cottages have been converted into permanent, year round residences.

===Other communities===
Other minor communities and geographic features in the town are [[Branford Point]], Brocketts Point, Brushy Plain, Cherry Hill, Clam Island, Double Beach, Goodsell Point, Granite Bay, Haycock Point, High Island, Jepson Island, Johnson's Point, Kidd's Island, Killam's Point, Lanphier Cove, Little Pumpkin, [[Money Island (Branford, Connecticut)|Money Island]], Pawson Park, Potato Island, Rockland Park, Sagamore Cove, Scotch Cap, Sumac Island, Summer Island, Sunset Beach, [[Thimble Islands]], Todd's Hill, Vedder's Point, and Wheeler Island.