Franklin is a
town
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin and use
The word "town" shares an ori ...
in
New London County
New London County is in the southeastern corner of Connecticut and comprises the Norwich-New London, Connecticut Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Hartford-East Hartford, Connecticut Combined Statistical Area. There i ...
,
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. The population was 1,863 at the
2020 census. The town includes the village of North Franklin.
History
Franklin incorporated as a town in 1786.
The town is named after
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher. Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the leading inte ...
.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.36%, is water.
Demographics
At the
2000 census there were 1,835 people, 687 households, and 528 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 711 housing units at an average density of . The
racial makeup
A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...
of the town was 97.98% White, 0.71% African American, 0.05% Native American, 0.05% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.05% from other races, and 1.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.20%.
Of the 687 households 33.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.7% were married couples living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.1% were non-families. 18.9% of households were one person and 8.7% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.04.
The age distribution was 24.1% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 27.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% 65 or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.3 males.
The median household income was $62,083 and the median family income was $68,478. Males had a median income of $45,197 versus $31,492 for females. The per capita income for the town was $25,477. About 1.1% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 2.3% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.
Emergency services
Police
Due to the size of Franklin, there is no police department. Instead, the town has a partnership with the
Connecticut State Police
The Connecticut State Police (CSP) is a division of the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection responsible for traffic regulation and law enforcement across the state of Connecticut, especially in areas not served by ...
(Troop K) to provide coverage in case of an emergency.
Fire Department
Franklin's volunteer fire department is led by Chief Mark Nall. The all-volunteer department provides fire, rescue, and emergency services to the town.
Notable locations
*
Ashbel Woodward House – built in 1835 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.
Notable people
*
Lafayette S. Foster
Lafayette Sabine Foster (November 22, 1806 – September 19, 1880) was a nineteenth-century American politician and lawyer from Connecticut. He served in the United States Senate from 1855 to 1867 and was a judge on the Connecticut Supreme C ...
(1806–1880),
United States senator
The United States Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives being the Lower house, lower chamber. Together they compose the national Bica ...
and
Connecticut Supreme Court
The Connecticut Supreme Court, formerly known as the Connecticut Supreme Court of Errors, is the highest court in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It consists of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices. The seven justices sit in Hartford, ac ...
judge; born in Franklin
*
Orsamus H. Marshall
Orsamus Holmes Marshall (1813–1884) was an American lawyer, educator and historian.
Biography
Orsamus H. Marshall was born in Franklin, Connecticut on February 1, 1813. In 1831 he graduated from Union College. He then studied for the bar, to ...
(1813–1884), former Chancellor of
University of Buffalo
The State University of New York at Buffalo, commonly called the University at Buffalo (UB) and sometimes called SUNY Buffalo, is a public research university with campuses in Buffalo and Amherst, New York. The university was founded in 18 ...
*
Uriah Tracy
Uriah Tracy (February 2, 1755July 19, 1807) was an American lawyer and politician from Connecticut. He served in the US House of Representatives (1793 to 1796) and the US Senate (1796 to 1807). From May to November 1800, Tracy served as Preside ...
(1755–1807), patriot,
congressman,
U.S. senator
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and powe ...
, and first person interred in the
Congressional Cemetery
The Congressional Cemetery, officially Washington Parish Burial Ground, is a historic and active cemetery located at 1801 E Street, SE, in Washington, D.C., on the west bank of the Anacostia River. It is the only American "cemetery of national m ...
; born in town
References
External links
Town of Franklin official website
{{authority control
Towns in New London County, Connecticut
Towns in Connecticut