At Branchville Station, 5 miles southeast of Ridgefield Center, the highway from Norwalk to Danbury has a "branch" northwest to Ridgefield (Route 102). Earlier, the railway had a similar branch, which gave the settlement its name (in 1870). But even earlier, horses and carts followed the same route up Cooper Pond Brook to the Great Swamp and into Ridgefield. Another small tributary, Branchville Brook, comes down from the eastern hills and joins the Norwalk River at this spot.

Branchville is known among mineralogists for some rare silicates and phosphates that have been discovered at the Branchville Quarry, including "Reddingite", named for the town of Redding.



Fishing in the Norwalk River above Branchville.




Norwalk River approaches Branchville Station.




The Branchville railway station's hotel of 1853,
later a meat shop, and now a fine art gallery.




Antique shop spans the river below Branchville.


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