Town file
Bantam, Connecticut
Bantam, Connecticut (Litchfield County, Connecticut) is the town in one episode of Small Town Murder, the comedy true-crime podcast: episode 261, "Scrap Metal & Sexual Urges" (3 February 2022). Bantam is a small borough inside the town of Litchfield, in Litchfield County, north-western Connecticut.
- Town
- Bantam
- County
- Litchfield County
- State
- Connecticut
- Country
- USA
- Episodes
- 261
- Approximate location
- 41.725, -73.242
Episode 261 / 3 February 2022 / 163 min / full
Scrap Metal & Sexual Urges
"This is Bantam, Connecticut, BANTAM... it's in Litchfield is the town that this town is in; it's in Litchfield County." about 0:05:50
The case: Murder of Barbara Gibbons (September 28, 1973); Murder of Barbara McKittis (May 9, 1979). Read the case file.
The figures, as told in 2022
- Population
- 725
- Median household income
- $56,964
- Median home value
- $306,900
- Two-bedroom rent
- $1,186
- Cost of living
- 100.6
- Property crime
- ▼ about half
- Violent crime
- ▼ about one third
History, in brief
- Several American Revolutionary figures were held prisoner in the town, including Benjamin Franklin's son. about 0:07:44
- David Matthews, the mayor of New York City at the time, was among the prisoners held there. about 0:07:54
- In 1784 the first law school in the United States, the Litchfield Law School, was established there by Tapping Reeve. about 0:08:51
- On July 10th, 1989, many buildings in Bantam were heavily damaged by a tornado. about 0:10:27
- Bantam is the least populous borough in Connecticut. about 0:07:34
- It is one of the best preserved early 19th-century towns in New England, with modern development deliberately kept out. about 0:25:13
The reviews read out
5 stars
"A wonderful small town full of farms and non-chain stores, with hiking trails and outdoor activities; the green is full of people and activities for children on holidays; winters are much colder than elsewhere in the state; other seasons are pleasant, neighbours are friendly, there is a sense of community, it feels safe and it is a wonderful place to raise a family."about 0:11:04
4 stars
"The quintessential New England town with historical buildings, great outdoors, thousands of acres of preservation areas, year-round hiking, summer beaches and winter skiing, snowshoeing and ice skating; the community is generous and kind, the public schools are excellent and it is great for raising a family or retirement."about 0:13:46
Nearest Small Town Murder towns
- Barkhamsted, Connecticut20 miles
- Newtown, Connecticut22 miles
- Simsbury, Connecticut24 miles
- New Britain, Connecticut24 miles
- Redding, Connecticut30 miles
- Middletown, Connecticut33 miles
Everything here is as told in the episode, on the date it went out; figures and places may have changed since. Endings are covered: open an episode and use the spoiler switch to read them.