Europeans first settled in what would become Franklin in 1663 as part of the larger division of the town of Norwich.[2] The residents of what would become Franklin first petitioned for an ecclesiastical society in 1710, but were denied. Six years later, their petition was granted and they formed the second ecclesiastical society of Norwich, also called the West Farms .[3][4]
During the First Great Awakening the society was shaken by controversy, partly over the location of the meetinghouse, but mostly fueled by conflict between the Old and New Lights in the society. The minister, Henry Willes, retired in 1749 as a result and in 1758 permission was granted to the eastern portion of the society to be formed as the Eighth, or Pautipaug, society of Norwich. The boundaries between the two societies would not be set until 1761.[5]
The West Farms and Pautipaug societies were incorporated together as the Town of Franklin in 1786.[6][7][8] The town is named after Benjamin Franklin.[8]
Until 1861 the town's borders extended east to the Shetucket River and included the early village of Baltic. That year, the town of Sprague, was incorporated from the towns of Franklin and Lisbon, which gave Franklin its present boundaries.[9]
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 19.6 square miles (51km2), of which 19.5 square miles (51km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26km2), or 0.36%, is water.
At the 2020 census there were 1,863 people, 702 households, and 511 families living in the town. The population density was 93.47 inhabitants per square mile (36.09/km2). There were 729 housing units at an average density of 37.19 per square mile (14.36/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 85.9% White, 2.2% African American, 0.0% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 1.8% from other races, and 9.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.6%.[12]
Of the 702 households 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.2% were married couples living together. 23.1% of households were the householder living alone and 12.3% of that demographic were aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.06.
The age distribution was 23.4% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 18.9% from 25 to 44, 32.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% 65 or older. The median age was 44.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.6 males.
The median household income was $41,845 and the median family income was $91,875. The per capita income for the town was $25,477. About 3.7% of the population were below the poverty line.
Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 31, 2023[13]
Due to the size of Franklin, there is no police department. Instead, the town has a partnership with the Connecticut State Police (Troop K) to provide coverage in case of an emergency.[16]
Fire Department
Franklin's volunteer fire department is led by Chief David Wheeler. The all-volunteer department provides fire, rescue, and emergency services to the town.[17]
Notable locations
Ashbel Woodward House – built in 1835 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.
↑ Woodward, Ashbel (1870). A Historical Address Delivered in Franklin, Connecticut, October 14, 1868, on the Two Hundreth Anniversary of the Settlement of the Town and the One Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary of its Ecclesiastical Organizations. New Haven, CT. Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor. p. 15
↑ Caulkins, Frances Manwaring (1866). History of Norwich, Connecticut: From its Poessession by the Indians, to the year 1866. Hartford, CT: Case, Lockwood & Brainard. p. 429
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