A quintessential New England town

In May of 1639, a band of puritans, led by the Reverend Henry Whitfield, left England to seek religious freedom in the New World. They set sail for Quinnipiac (now called New Haven) and arrived there later that Summer.

After negotiating with the local Native Americans, who were represented by their squaw sachem (female chief) Shaumpishuh, the group purchased land halfway between New Haven and Saybrook. There they established the plantation of Menuncatuck, which would later be known as Guilford.

Organized around a town green

Like most 17th century New England towns, Guilford was organized around a common or green. The first houses were small huts with thatched roofs, wooden walls, and dirt floors. Guilford, unlike other villages, had no protective palisade fence surrounding the community; instead they build four large stone houses for the leaders of the plantation. These homes were strategically located and used for shelter during times of danger. Life in Guilford was extremely primitive and resembled a medieval village for several generations.

Later in the 17th century, Guilford became part of the New Haven Colony and then Connecticut Colony. Guilford's William Leete was one of the first governors of these colonies. By the 18th century, the town had become a thriving coastal community with agriculture and the sea supporting the economy.

The medieval style of houses had been replaced by the colonial style, with many of them surviving to this day. During the Revolutionary War, Guilford was attacked by British troops from New York. The local militia was able to defeat the invaders.

Growth of maritime and tourist industries

In the 19th century, with an expanding shipbuilding and maritime trade and with the coming of the railroad, industries such as foundries, canneries, shoe shops, and carriage makers evolved. Quarries opened and supplied local granite to the world including the blocks for the base of the Statue of Liberty. Guilford's own Fritz-Greene Halleck was hailed as America's first poet and was honored with a statue in New York's Central Park.

By the end of the 19th century and into the 20th century, Guilford became a summer destination for Victorian vacationers from near and far. Fine hotels, restaurants, and Summer cottages sprang up at Mulberry Point, Sachem's Head, Indian Cove, and Leete's Island. With the coming of the interstate highway system, Guilford's once small population has shifted to a year round community.

History continues to be Guilford's cornerstone. Its natural scenic beauty, its Town Green, its historic houses, and its past guide the citizens of Guilford towards a promising future.

"And most magnetic Guilford ever seems;
Its rocky ledges and its winding streams
Its hills and vallies and its rock-bound shore;
Its grand reminders of the days of yore."

- S. Ward Loper 1904

Contributor: Michael A. McBride, Curator, Henry Whitfield State Museum.