Branford
Town Green
The history of the
Branford Green began more than three centuries ago when John Taintor willed
his home lot to the town to erect a new meeting house. The meeting house
served several purposes: as the town's meeting place for governmental
and civic activities; and as the place of worship for the church, now
the First Congregational Church of Branford. Taintor's will dated August
15, 1699 states "I do give to ye town of Brandford that part of my homelottÉwhich
I give to said Towne to build a publick meeting house upon, and to continue
for that use so long as they shall maintain a meeting house there unless[s]
ye town See cause to build elsewhere and then that land to by to ye common
or what other use ye town see meet." He also bequeathed "to ye Church
of Christ in Brandford five pounds to be paid out of my moveable estate."
The unnamed roadway running between South Main Street and Main Street,
east of the First Congregational Church, was named Taintor Drive in 1958
to honor the name of the donor "whose very generous gift of the Branford
Green has preserved for the residents of Branford, a Green in the best
New England tradition."
The plots of land now known as New England Greens differ in appearance
when compared to the colonial period. They were then referred to as the
commons and had a variety of uses among them common pasture land, drill
grounds for the local militia or train band and like today as a place
for the townspeople to congregate. The Branford Green differed from its
present appearance "being more rugged with steep little hollows and hillocks".
The transformation of the commons into the well known New England Green
began about 1790 with the planting of trees and the beautification of
the land. After the Civil War there was a movement toward providing green
spaces in cities and towns and as a way to celebrate national and civic
pride. That transformation included the planting of grass, shade trees
and other landscaping and the erection of monuments. Dozens of trees on
the green in Branford were lost during the 20th century due to Dutch elm
disease and to several major hurricanes.
The Branford Green is considered one of the finest in Connecticut with
its three churches and town hall facing Main Street. The buildings and
important monuments standing on the Green are listed in chronological
order by date of construction:
The Academy - Built in 1820 by private subscription.
It has been moved twice, lastly in 1971 to its present location after
it was deeded to the town by the Masons.
The First Baptist Church - Built in 1840. The back was
enlarged in 1908 and the educational wing added in 1957.
The First Congregational Church - This is the fourth
edifice and was built in 1843 with a new facade and steeple added in 1878.
The educational wing was added in 1955 and another addition in 1999.
Trinity Episcopal Church - This is the second edifice
built in 1851. The Parish Hall was added in 1916 and the Parish House
in 1957.
The Town Hall - Built in 1857, the front pillars and
stucco were added in 1917. There have been additions in 1969 and 2001.
Grand Army of the Republic Monument (GAR) - Erected in
1885 to honor the Branford veterans of the Civil War. It stands between
the Town Hall and Congregational Church
Yale Memorial Tablet - Erected in 1900 by the DAR celebrating
the 200th anniversary of Yale College and Branford's role in its founding.
It stands in front of the Academy.
The Cenotaph - Dedicated in 1923 to honor the veterans
of World War I. It was designed by nationally known Branford artist J.
Andre Smith.
Veteran's Memorial - Built in 1956 of Stony Creek granite
around the flag pole to honor all Branford veterans. The flag pole was
cast by the Malleable Iron Fittings Company (MIF).
The greatest change to the New England Green came in the 20th century
with the rise of the automobile and a number of Connecticut greens were
bisected and nearly eliminated to provide roadways and parking. There
were narrow roadways leading to the buildings on the Branford Green by
the late 19th century that were widened in the early 20th century. The
Branford Green has been reduced in size for the widening of Main, Montowese
and South Main Streets and for the expansion of the churches and Town
Hall.
The Branford Green has been placed on the State's Historic Resource Inventory
which identifies historic, architectural and cultural resources. Further,
the Branford Green and its buildings are part of the Branford Center National
Register Historic District which is a federal program through the Department
of the Interior and National Park Service. The Connecticut Environmental
Protection Act (Public Act 820-362) permits legal recourse for the unreasonable
destruction of the state's natural, architectural and cultural resources
as listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Route 146 through Branford and Guilford, of which South Main Street is
the starting point, has received Scenic Road Designation which protects
Connecticut's notable landscapes from alterations that would alter or
diminish their appearance including widening and the removal of mature
trees.
Indeed, when asked, most people identify the Branford Green as one of
the town's most important assets, a place of beauty and history. "The
Branford Green is an historic plot of ground that embodies more than three
centuries of our history. It predates the Nation by almost a century and
a half, and is the one, single landmark which identifies the town and
makes it unique from all others."
-- Jane Peterson Bouley, Town Historian
A History of the First Church and Society of Branford 1644-1919, J.
Rupert Simonds, Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Co., New Haven, 1919, page
49; New Haven Register, December 24, 1959, Rupert, pages 49 & 50; www.chc.state.ct.us;
1988 Branford Festival Booklet, by Dave Driessens, archivist, First Congregational
Church