Editing Guilford, Connecticut

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                    = Guilford, Connecticut
| official_name           = Town of Guilford
| settlement_type         = [[New England town|Town]]
| image_skyline           = Guilford-square.png
| image_caption           = Guilford Green
| image_seal              = GuilfordCtTownSeal.png
| motto                   = "Discover A Piece Of Connecticut History"<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.ci.guilford.ct.us/|title= The Town of Guilford Connecticut|publisher= The Town of Guilford Connecticut|access-date= September 22, 2012|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120923013737/http://www.ci.guilford.ct.us/|archive-date= September 23, 2012|url-status= dead}}</ref>
| image_map               = {{switcher|[[File:Guilford CT lg.PNG|230px|frameless|alt=Guilford's location within New Haven County and Connecticut]]|&nbsp;[[New Haven County, Connecticut|New Haven County]] and Connecticut|[[File:South Central Connecticut incorporated and unincorporated areas Guilford highlighted.svg|250px|frameless|alt=Guilford's location within the South Central Connecticut Planning Region and the state of Connecticut]]|&nbsp;[[South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut|South Central Connecticut Planning Region]] and Connecticut|default=1}}
| image_map1              = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=280|frame-height=200|frame-coord=SWITCH:{{coord|qid=Q753857}}###{{coord|qid=Q779}}###{{coord|41|17|N|72|41|W}}|zoom=SWITCH:9;6;3|type=SWITCH:shape-inverse;point;point|marker=city|stroke-width=2|stroke-color=#000000|id2=SWITCH:Q753857;Q779;Q30|type2=shape|fill2=#ffffff|fill-opacity2=SWITCH:0;0.1;0.1|stroke-width2=2|stroke-color2=#808080|stroke-opacity2=SWITCH:0;1;1|switch=Guilford;Connecticut;the United States}}
| coordinates             = {{coord|41|17|N|72|41|W|region:US-CT|display=inline,title}}
<!-- location -->
| subdivision_type        = Country
| subdivision_name        = {{US}}
| subdivision_type1       = [[U.S. state]]
| subdivision_name1       = {{flag|Connecticut}}
| subdivision_type2       = [[County (United States)|County]]
| subdivision_name2       = [[New Haven County, Connecticut|New Haven]]
| subdivision_type3       = [[Councils of governments in Connecticut|Region]]
| subdivision_name3       = [[South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut|South Central CT]]
| established_title       = Settled
| established_date        = May 19, 1639
| established_title2      = Established
| established_date2       = October 15, 1644
|named_for                = [[Guildford|Guildford, Surrey]]
| government_type         = [[Board of selectmen|Selectman-town meeting]]
| leader_title            = First selectman
| leader_name             = Matthew T. Hoey III (D)<ref>{{cite web|title=Board of Selectmen|url=http://www.ci.guilford.ct.us/boards/board-of-selectmen/|website=Town of Guilford, Connecticut|access-date=November 28, 2021}}</ref>
| leader_title1           = Selectman
| leader_name1            = Louis Federici (D)
| leader_title2           = Selectman
| leader_name2            = Sandra Ruoff (D)
| leader_title3           = Selectman
| leader_name3            = Charles Havrda (R)
| leader_title4           = Selectman
| leader_name4            = Susan Renner (R)
| unit_pref               = Imperial
| area_total_km2          = 128.7
| area_total_sq_mi        = 49.7
| area_land_km2           = 121.9
| area_land_sq_mi         = 47.1
| area_water_km2          = 6.9
| area_water_sq_mi        = 2.7
| elevation_m             = 17
| elevation_ft            = 56
| population_footnotes    = 
| population_total        = 22,073
| population_as_of        = 2020
| population_density_km2  = auto
| population_blank1_title = [[Demonym]]
| population_blank1       = Guilfordian
| timezone                = [[Eastern Standard Time Zone|Eastern]]
| utc_offset              = −5
| timezone_DST            = [[Eastern Standard Time Zone|Eastern]]
| utc_offset_DST          = −4
| postal_code_type        = [[ZIP Code]]
| postal_code             = 06437
| area_code               = [[Area codes 203 and 475|203/475]]
| blank_name              = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info              = 09-34950
| blank1_name             = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info             = 0213438
| website                 = {{URL|https://www.guilfordct.gov}}
}}

'''Guilford''' is a town in [[New Haven County, Connecticut]], United States, that borders [[Madison, Connecticut|Madison]], [[Branford, Connecticut|Branford]], [[North Branford, Connecticut|North Branford]] and [[Durham, Connecticut|Durham]], and is situated on [[Interstate 95 in Connecticut|I-95]] and the Connecticut coast. The town is part of the [[South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut|South Central Connecticut Planning Region]]. The population was 22,073 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0600000US0900934950|title=Census - Geography Profile: Guilford town, New Haven County, Connecticut|access-date=December 16, 2021}}</ref>

==History==

Prior to European [[European colonization of the Americas|colonization]], the area that became Guilford was the site of '''Menunkatuck''', a [[Quinnipiac]] village.<ref name="Smith 1877 46–47">{{Cite book|title = The History of Guilford Connecticut|last = Smith|first = Ralph|publisher = J. Munsell|year = 1877|location = Albany, N.Y.|pages = 46–47}}</ref> The Quinnipiac spoke [[Quiripi language|Quiripi]], one of the [[Eastern Algonquian languages|Eastern Algonquian]] branches of the [[Algonquian languages|Algonquian language]] family.

By 1614, the Dutch had surveyed, charted, and established [[New Netherland]], a colonial province, with claimed territories from the [[Delmarva Peninsula]] to [[Cape Cod]]. This included claims over the Quinnipiac territory. However, a lack of any significant Dutch presence in the area gave English settlers an opportunity to settle in the Quinnipiac territory.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.newnetherlandinstitute.org/history-and-heritage/digital-exhibitions/a-tour-of-new-netherland/connecticut |title=A Tour of New Netherland: Connecticut |website=New Netherland Institute |access-date=14 August 2024}}</ref> Dutch claims over land that included Menunkatuck (and would later include Guilford) remained until the 1674 [[Treaty of Westminster (1674)|Treaty of Westminster]] that ended the [[Third Anglo-Dutch War]].

In June 1637 during the [[Pequot War]], a force of 100 English soldiers and [[Narragansett people|Narragansett]], [[Mohegan]], and [[Montauk people|Montauk]] allies arrived from Long Island in pursuit of the [[Pequot]] grand [[sachem]] [[Sassacus]] near Menunkatuck. At a neck of land known today as Sachems Head, they captured and executed three Pequot sachems before continuing on west in pursuit of Sassacus.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://pequotwar.org/about/ |title=The History of the Pequot War|website=Pequot War |publisher=Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center |access-date=14 August 2024}}</ref>

In 1639, after landing in the plantation of [[New Haven Colony|Quinnipiaic]] (later known as New Haven) via ship from England, a group of 24 English [[Puritan]] families led by Rev. [[Henry Whitfield (minister)|Henry Whitfield]] chose to settle almost 13 miles away near Menukatuck.<ref name="Smith 1877 46–47"/> During their voyage from England, the settlers drafted and signed the [[Plantation Covenant]] on June 1, 1639 ([[Old Style and New Style dates|O.S.]]). The text of the covenant is memorialized by an engraved pink granite slab at the corner of Old Whitfield and Whitfield streets.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ctinsider.com/news/article/Massive-Guilford-Covenant-carved-in-Stony-Creek-16959444.php |title=Massive Guilford Covenant carved in Stony Creek granite stands test of time |website=CT Insider |publisher=Hearst Connecticut Media |author=Eaton-Robb, Pat |date=28 February 2022 |access-date=14 August 2024}}</ref> On September 29, 1639 ([[Old Style and New Style dates|O.S.]]), the colonists secured a land grant for their settlement from [[Shaumpishuh]], the female sachem of Menunkatuck.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.masshist.org/object-of-the-month/objects/january-2023 |title=Object of the Month: An Indigenous Deed and Map of Lands in Connecticut (January 2023) |website=Massachusetts Historical Society |access-date=14 August 2024}}</ref>

Guilford was admitted to [[New Haven Colony]] in 1643.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://connecticuthistory.org/towns-page/guilford/ |title=Guilford - Connecticut History  |website=Connecticut History |date=September 13, 2011 |publisher=Connecticut Humanities |access-date=14 August 2024}}</ref> In 1664, New Haven Colony, including Guilford, joined [[Connecticut Colony]].

[[File:1838 View from the Green of Guilford, Connecticut.png|thumb|left|1838 view of Guilford from the Green showing (left to right) the Academy, the Congregational Church, and the Town House]]The English settlement originally shared the name Menunkatuck with the Quinnipiac village. On July 6, 1643  (O.S.), records of the General Court session held at New Haven note that Menunkatuck changed its name to “Guilforde,” although no reason for the change was recorded.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/embed/recordsofcolonyp00newh |title=Records of the Colony and Plantation of New Haven from 1638 to 1649 |author=Hoadly, Charles J. |year=1857 |access-date=15 August 2024 |pages=96, 199 |location=Hartford, Conn. |publisher=Case, Tiffany and Company}}</ref> It is assumed that Guilford was named after the town of [[Guildford]], England,<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ | title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States | publisher=Govt. Print. Off. | author=Gannett, Henry | year=1905 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n145 146]}}</ref> the native home of a share of its first English settlers.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Connecticut Magazine: An Illustrated Monthly|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qoEyAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA332|year=1903|publisher=Connecticut Magazine Company|page=332}}</ref> In early maps of the [[Connecticut Colony]], the town is seen on several maps as "Gilford."

[[File:View of Guilford, Connecticut (2675164389).jpg|thumb|left|1881 bird's eye view of Guilford]]

Guilford is considered by some to have the third largest collection of historic homes in [[New England]], with important buildings from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries.<ref>''The Connecticut Nutmegger,'' Connecticut Society of Genealogists (Connecticut Society of Genealogists, 1981).</ref> There are five [[historic house museum]]s, including [[Dudley Farm (Guilford, Connecticut)|Dudley Farm]] and the [[Henry Whitfield House]] (1639), the oldest dwelling house in Connecticut and the oldest stone house built by English settlers in North America. The [[Comfort Starr House]] (1695) is one of the oldest wooden framed private dwellings in Connecticut, and one of the few houses remaining of the original signers who settled Guilford.<ref>{{cite book|isbn=978-1-60354-007-0|title= Connecticut|author=Federal Writers' Project|publisher=Houghton Mifflin Company|year=1938}}</ref>

In June 1781, during the American Revolution, a skirmish was fought on Leete's Island between the Associated Loyalists and local militia under Captain Peter Vail.

[[File:Gilford, Conn. ca. 1900.png|thumb|Guilford, {{circa|1900}}]]

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|49.7|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|47.0|sqmi|km2}} is land and 2.7&nbsp;square miles (6.9&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> or 5.39%) is water.

The primary settlement in Guilford, known as Guilford Center, is located in the southern part of town around the intersection of [[U.S. Route 1 in Connecticut|U.S. Route 1]] and [[Connecticut Route 77]]. It is served by three exits of [[Interstate 95 in Connecticut|Interstate 95]], which passes just north of the town center. The Guilford Center [[census-designated place]] had a population of 2,597 at the 2010 census.<ref>{{Cite web| url=https://www.census.gov| title=Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Guilford Center CDP, Connecticut| publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]| access-date=October 15, 2012}}</ref>

The northwest side of Guilford is flanked by the [[Metacomet Ridge]], a mountainous [[trap rock]] ridgeline that stretches from [[Long Island Sound]] to nearly the [[Vermont]] border. Important features of the Metacomet ridge in Guilford include [[Totoket Mountain]]; its most notable peak, Bluff Head; and two eastern high points on the Totoket Mountain ridge named East Sugarloaf and West Sugarloaf. The {{convert|50|mi|adj=on}} [[Mattabesett Trail]] traverses Bluff Head; a shorter network of trails criss-cross the Sugarloaves. Guilford also contains the Westwoods Trail System which covers {{convert|39|mi|km}} of trails on {{convert|1200|acre|km2}} of land.

==Transportation==
[[File:Guilford station at sunset, December 2013.JPG|thumb|[[Guilford station|Guilford train station]] is served by [[Shore Line East]]]]
The [[Shore Line East]] train stops at [[Guilford (Shore Line East station)|Guilford station]] with service to [[Union Station (New Haven, Connecticut)|Branford, East Haven, New Haven]] and [[New London Union Station|New London]], and the [[Connecticut Transit]] S bus travels between Guilford and [[New Haven, Connecticut|New Haven]] several times each day.

=== Roads ===
Source:<ref>{{cite web |title=Guilford · Connecticut |url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/Guilford,+CT,+USA/@41.3387136,-72.7729051,12z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x89e62cdcb42e44ef:0xe84723be04b2d639!8m2!3d41.287943!4d-72.6839226!16zL20vMHJmZGg?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDEyOS4xIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D |website=Google Maps |access-date=4 February 2025 |language=en}}</ref>

{{jct|country=USA|I|95}} runs through downtown Guilford where it has three interchanges. Exit 57 onto [[Boston Post Road]] ([[US Route 1|US 1]]), exit 58 onto Church Street ([[Connecticut Route 77|Route 77]]), and exit 59 onto Goose Lane (connecting to US 1 and [[Connecticut Route 146|Route 146]]). Northbound it leads to [[Old Saybrook, Connecticut|Old Saybrook]], [[New London, Connecticut|New London]], [[Providence, Rhode Island|Providence]], and [[Boston]]. Southbound it leads to [[New Haven, Connecticut|New Haven]], [[Bridgeport, Connecticut|Bridgeport]], [[Stamford, Connecticut|Stamford]], and [[New York City]].

{{jct|country=USA|US|1}}, known locally as [[Boston Post Road]], also runs through downtown Guilford, serving as the town's main commercial area. It connects to [[I-95]], [[Connecticut Route 77|Route 77]], and [[Connecticut Route 146|Route 146]]. It follows a similar route to I-95, connecting to Boston to the North and New York City to the South.

{{jct|state=CT|CT|77}} is the main route between downtown Guilford and the neighboring town of [[Durham, Connecticut|Durham]]. It begins at the [[Guilford Historic Town Center|town green]] at a junction with [[Connecticut Route 146|Route 146]]. From there it heads North through the town crossing [[US Route 1|US 1]], [[I-95]], and [[Connecticut Route 80|Route 80]]. From there it passes through North Guilford and into Durham, ending just South of the Durham town center at a junction with [[Connecticut Route 17|Route 17]].

{{jct|state=CT|CT|146}} is a scenic coastal road connecting downtown Guilford to the neighboring town of [[Branford, Connecticut|Branford]]. It begins on the East side of town at a junction with [[US Route 1|Route 1]]. From there it passes along the South side of the [[Guilford Historic Town Center|town green]] where it connects to the Southern terminus of [[Connecticut Route 77|Route 77]]. It continues along the coast, through the neighborhood of Sachem's Head and into Branford.

{{jct|state=CT|CT|80}} cuts across the town, forming the dividing line between North and South Guilford. To the West it connects to [[New Haven, Connecticut|New Haven]], [[Foxon]], and [[North Branford, Connecticut|North Branford]]. In Guilford it has a junction with [[Connecticut Route 77|Route 77]]. To the East it passes through [[Madison, Connecticut|Madison]], connecting to [[Killingworth, Connecticut|Killingworth]] and [[Deep River, Connecticut|Deep River]].

==Principal communities==
* Guilford Center (Guilford Green)
* Leete's Island
* North Guilford
* Nut Plains
* Shell Beach
* Sachem's Head

Other minor communities and geographic features in Guilford are Guilford Lakes, Indian Cove, and Old Quarry.

==Demographics==

{{See also|List of Connecticut locations by per capita income}}
{{US Census population
|1820= 4131
|1850= 2653
|1860= 2624
|1870= 2576
|1880= 2782
|1890= 2780
|1900= 2785
|1910= 3001
|1920= 2803
|1930= 3117
|1940= 3544
|1950= 5092
|1960= 7913
|1970= 12033
|1980= 17375
|1990= 19848
|2000= 21398
|2010= 22375
|2020= 22073
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> of 2000, there were 21,398 people, 8,151 households, and 6,039 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|454.8|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 8,724 housing units at an average density of {{convert|185.4|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the town was 96.04% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.93% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.05% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 1.65% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.41% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.93% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 2.13% of the population.

There were 8,151 households, out of which 35.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.4% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.9% were non-families. Of all households 21.6% were made up of individuals, and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.4% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 31.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $76,843, and the median income for a family was $87,045 (these figures had risen to $90,026 and $104,852 respectively as of a 2007 estimate<ref>{{cite web |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ACSSAFFFacts?_event=Search&geo_id=06000US0900331240&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US09%7C05000US09003%7C06000US0900331240&_street=&_county=guilford&_cityTown=guilford&_state=04000US09&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=060&_submenuId=factsheet_1&ds_name=ACS_2007_3YR_SAFF&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null&reg=null:null&_keyword=&_industry= |title=American FactFinder - Community Facts |website=factfinder.census.gov |access-date=February 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200211181144/http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ACSSAFFFacts?_event=Search&geo_id=06000US0900331240&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US09%7C05000US09003%7C06000US0900331240&_street=&_county=guilford&_cityTown=guilford&_state=04000US09&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=060&_submenuId=factsheet_1&ds_name=ACS_2007_3YR_SAFF&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null&reg=null:null&_keyword=&_industry= |archive-date=February 11, 2020 |url-status=dead}}</ref>). Males had a median income of $60,623 versus $40,307 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $37,161. About 2.3% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.

== Government ==
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="7" | Voter registration and party enrollment as of October 31, 2024<ref>https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/sots/electionservices/2024/2024-registration-and-enrollment-statistics/2024_november_reg-party_enrollments.pdf?rev=6ea82a0b09e84203a63f918ff7741019&hash=CBA24E0CAAF8D5CB4062E3DE0BE6B6DA</ref>
|-
! colspan="2" | Party
! Active voters
! Inactive voters
! Total voters
! Percentage
!Change from 2014
|-
| {{party color cell|Democratic Party (United States)}}
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| align="center" | 6,383
| align="center" | 410
| align="center" | 6,793
| align="center" | 37.67%
| +4.8%
|-
| {{party color cell|Republican Party (United States)}}
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| align="center" | 3,501
| align="center" | 219
| align="center" | 3,720
| align="center" | 20.63%
| -1.32%
|-
| {{party color cell|Independent Party (United States)}}
| [[Minor parties in the United States|Minor parties]]
| align="center" | 397
| align="center" | 26
| align="center" | 423
| align="center" | 2.35%
| +1.73%
|-
| {{party color cell|Independent Party (United States)}}
| [[Independent voter|Unaffiliated]]
| align="center" | 6,580
| align="center" | 516
| align="center" | 7,096
| align="center" | 39.35%
| -5.03%
|-
! colspan="2" | Total
! align="center" | 16,861
! align="center" | 1,171
! align="center" | 18,032
! align="center" | 100%
!
|}

In the [[2008 United States presidential election|2008 presidential election]], [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] [[Barack Obama]] received 61.02% of the town vote, against 38.06% for [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[John McCain]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://magic.lib.uconn.edu/election_2008/presidential_marg_of_vic.pdf|title=Connecticut Election 2008 - Presidential Results Margin of Victory|website=magic.lib.uconn.edu|access-date=May 25, 2020}}</ref> In [[2016 United States presidential election|2016]], Democrat [[Hillary Clinton]] carried the town with 59.2% over Republican [[Donald Trump]] with 37.1%.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/elections/2016/results/connecticut|title = Connecticut Election Results 2016|newspaper = The New York Times|date = August 2017}}</ref> [[Joe Biden]] won the town with 64.68% of the vote in [[2020 United States presidential election|2020]] and [[Kamala Harris]] won with 64.40% in [[2024 United States presidential election|2024]].<ref name="Public Reporting">{{Cite web |title=Public Reporting |url=https://ctemspublic.tgstg.net/#/selectTown |access-date=2025-01-04 |website=ctemspublic.tgstg.net}}</ref> [[George H. W. Bush]] was the last Republican to win Guilford, receiving 55.87% of the vote in [[1988 United States presidential election|1988]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=State of Connecticut Elections Database » 1988 Nov 8 :: General Election :: President :: State of Connecticut |url=https://electionhistory.ct.gov/eng/contests/view/11127/ |access-date=2025-01-04 |website=State of Connecticut Elections Database |language=en}}</ref>

==Economy==
[[American Cruise Lines]] has its headquarters in Guilford.<ref>[http://www.americancruiselines.com/geninfo.php "General Information"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120121044546/http://www.americancruiselines.com/geninfo.php |date=January 21, 2012 }}. American Cruise Lines. Retrieved on January 15, 2012. "American Cruise Lines, Inc. operates from headquarters in Guilford, Connecticut[...]"</ref><ref>"[http://www.americancruiselines.com/admin/includes/uploadpdf/MississippiBoatName_1.pdf Cruise News]". ([https://web.archive.org/web/20111123185616/http://www.americancruiselines.com/admin/includes/uploadpdf/MississippiBoatName_1.pdf Archive]) American Cruise Lines. Retrieved on January 15, 2012. "741 Boston Post Road  ٠  Suite 200  ٠  Guilford, CT"</ref> There are many small businesses throughout the town, including the shops on the [[Guilford Green]].

== Education ==

=== Public Schools ===
Guilford is served by the Guilford Public Schools district, which provides comprehensive education from kindergarten through high school. The district comprises four elementary schools, two middle schools, and a high school, offering a range of academic and extracurricular programs.

* '''Elementary Schools''': Guilford has four elementary schools: Calvin Leete Elementary School,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.guilfordps.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=231258&type=d&termREC_ID=&pREC_ID=448343 | title=Schools Overview }}</ref> A.W. Cox Elementary School,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.guilfordps.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=231258&type=d&termREC_ID=&pREC_ID=448342 | title=Schools Overview }}</ref> Melissa Jones Elementary School,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.guilfordps.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=231258&type=d&termREC_ID=&pREC_ID=448345 | title=Schools Overview }}</ref> and Guilford Lakes Elementary School.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.guilfordps.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=231258&type=d&termREC_ID=&pREC_ID=448344 | title=Schools Overview }}</ref>
* '''Middle Schools''': Baldwin Middle School serves students in grades five through six.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.guilfordps.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=231258&type=d&pREC_ID=448338 | title=Schools Overview }}</ref> Adams Middle School serves students in grades seven through eight.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.guilfordps.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=231258&type=d&termREC_ID=&pREC_ID=448337 | title=Schools Overview }}</ref>
* '''High School''': [[Guilford High School (Connecticut)|Guilford High School]], serving grades nine through twelve, offers a wide array of academic courses, including Advanced Placement (AP) classes and college preparatory programs.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.guilfordps.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=231258&type=d&termREC_ID=&pREC_ID=448335 | title=Schools Overview }}</ref>

=== Public Library ===
The Guilford Free Library is a resource for the community, providing access to a vast collection of books, digital media, historical materials about Guilford’s history and genealogy, and educational programs for all ages.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://guilfordfreelibrary.org/atl/ | title=About the Library – Guilford Free Library }}</ref> The library hosts numerous events, workshops, and activities aimed at promoting literacy and lifelong learning.

==List of town parks==
The town government operates these parks:<ref name="hc">http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-ot-guilford,0,3814997.story {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060513151917/http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-ot-guilford,0,3814997.story |date=May 13, 2006 }} Web page titled "Guilford" at ''[[Hartford Courant]]'' Web site, dated August 16, 2006, accessed January 14, 2007</ref>

* Bittner Park: {{convert|123|acre|km2}} of woodlands and {{convert|15|acre|m2}} of playground, a lighted softball field (Cash Mitchell Field), baseball and soccer fields, jogging/walking path; trout trail; roller sports complex with a skate park, roller hockey and roller blading. Ice skating available in winter.<ref name=hc/>
* Chaffinch Island: Picnic areas, short walking trails, salt marsh.<ref name=hc/>
* Chittenden Park: Softball and soccer fields, bocce courts, picnicking, unsupervised beach area<ref name=hc/>
* Jacobs Beach: Public swimming (salt water), playground, volleyball courts, picnicking; nonresidents may use the beach, but are charged a daily fee at the gate.<ref name=hc/>
* Lake Quonnipaug: Public swimming (fresh water), picnic area, small craft launch.<ref name=hc/>
* Long Hill: {{convert|8|acre|m2|adj=on}} park with playing fields for baseball, football, soccer/lacrosse and field hockey<ref name=hc/>
* Mill Pond: Lighted, supervised ice skating in winter; fishing<ref name=hc/>
* Nut Plains: Lacrosse/soccer field<ref name=hc/>
* Town Green: available for special events<ref name=hc/>

==Notable locations==
Guilford, Connecticut is noted for its rolling farmland, its avoidance of the density and sprawl that has occurred from land use regulations of its neighboring communities, and its numerous historic homes and sites.<ref>Hughes, C. J., ''[https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/25/realestate/guilford-conn-proud-of-its-place-in-new-england.html Guilford, Conn.: Proud of Its Place in New England]'', the New York Times, September 29, 2019</ref> 
* [[Bishop's Orchards]]
* Guilford Green <ref>[https://www.facebook.com/GuilfordGreenDistrict/ Guilford Green]</ref>
* [[Rothberg Institute For Childhood Diseases]]
* [[Westwoods Trails]]: conservation area managed by the Guilford Land Conservation Trust <ref>[http://guilfordlandtrust.org/wordpress/trail-maps Guilford Land Conservation Trust]</ref>

===Historic Structures and Districts===
The town is home to one of the most well-preserved and intact central villages in the region. Its historical significance is further underscored by the presence of over 450 historical houses dating from the 17th to the 19th centuries.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://guilfordpreservation.org/illustrated-survey/ | title=Illustrated Historic Survey &#124; Guilford Preservation Alliance | date=October 2, 2012 }}</ref>

Among its notable designations, Guilford includes a National Historic Landmark, four designated areas, and 11 individual structures listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]]. Additionally, the town features two local historic districts encompassing a total of 226 buildings within the downtown area, highlighting its rich historical and architectural legacy.

{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Building
! class="unsortable" scope="col"|Image
! First built
! National Register of Historic Places listed
! Current use
! class="unsortable" scope="col"|Notes

|-
|[[Henry Whitfield House]]
|[[File:Henry-whitfield-house-ct.png|100x100px]]
|1639
|Yes
|House museum
|Oldest house in Connecticut and the oldest stone house in New England.

|-
|[[Acadian House (Guilford, Connecticut)|Acadian House]]
|[[File:Acadian_House_Northwest_View_HABS_1936.jpg|100x100px]]
|1670
|Yes
|Residential
|One of Connecticut's oldest surviving houses. Notable for its later occupation by refugee&nbsp;[[Acadians]]&nbsp;following&nbsp;their 1755 deportation&nbsp;from&nbsp;[[Nova Scotia]].

|-
|[[Elisha Pitkin House]]
|[[File:GuilfordCT_ElishaPitkinHouse1.jpg|100x100px]]
|1690
|Yes
|Residential
|Moved to Guilford from [[East Hartford]] in 1955

|-
|[[Comfort Starr House]]
|[[File:Comfort_Starr_House.jpg|100x100px]]
|1695
|No
|Residential
|Classic New England saltbox home.

|-
|[[Pelatiah Leete House]]
|[[File:GuilfordCT_PelatiahLeeteHouse.jpg|100x100px]]
|1710
|Yes
|Residential
|Oldest surviving house associated with the locally prominent Leete family, who were among the founders of&nbsp;[[New Haven Colony]].&nbsp;

|-
|[[Hyland House Museum|Hyland House]]
|[[File:Hylandhouse_guilfordct.jpg|100x100px]]
|1713
|Yes
|House museum
|Open to the public as a museum since 1918.

|-
|[[Jared Eliot House]]
|[[File:GuilfordCT_JaredEliotHouse.jpg|100x100px]]
|1723
|Yes
|Residential
|Well-preserved example of period residential architecture

|-
|[[Thomas Burgis II House]]
|[[File:thomasburgishouse_guilfordct.jpg|100x100px]]
|1735
|Yes
|Residential
|One of Guilford's finest and best-documented colonial-era houses

|-
|[[Sabbathday House (Guilford, Connecticut)|Sabbathday House]]
|[[File:Sabbathdayhouse_guilfordct.jpg|100x100px]]
|1735
|Yes
|Residential
|One of two Sabbathday houses to survive in the town. Built for the purpose of sheltering church-going families between morning and afternoon services.&nbsp;

|-
|[[Griswold House (Guilford, Connecticut)|Griswold House]]
|[[File:Griswoldhouse_guilfordct.jpg|100x100px]]
|1764
|Yes
|House museum
|Museum includes the saltbox&nbsp;house, a historic blacksmith shop, a barn with farm tools and implements, two corn cribs and a&nbsp;Victorian era&nbsp;three seat&nbsp;outhouse.&nbsp;

|-
|[[Falkner Island Light]]
|[[File:Faulkners_IslandLight_(New_Haven_County,_Connecticut).jpg|100x100px]]
|1802
|Yes
|Lighthouse
|Second-oldest extant lighthouse in Connecticut. Commissioned by Thomas Jefferson.

|-
|[[Medad Stone Tavern]]
|[[File:GuilfordCT_MedadStoneTavern.jpg|100x100px]]
|1803
|Yes
|House museum
|Example of early 19th-century Federal period architecture. Never used as a tavern.
|-

|[[First Congregational Church of Guilford|First Congregational Church]]
|[[File:GuilfordCT FirstCongregationalChurch.jpg|100x100px]]
|1830
|No
|Church
|Third church building for a congregation founded in 1643.

|}

Historic districts include:

* [[Guilford Historic Town Center]]
* [[Dudleytown Historic District]]
* [[Meeting House Hill Historic District]] (North Guilford)
* [[Route 146 Historic District]] (Branford and Guilford)

===Other Notable Structures===
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Building
! class="unsortable" scope="col"|Image
! Built
! Current use
! class="unsortable" scope="col"|Notes

|-
|Junior Olsen House
|
|1951
|Residential
|Modernist home by sculptor and architectural designer [[Tony Smith (sculptor)|Tony Smith]].<ref>https://guilfordpreservation.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Guilford_OldQuarryRd_179_HRI.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=August 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.tonysmithestate.com/artworks/architecture/fred-olsen-jr-house-1951 | title=FRED OLSEN JR., HOUSE, 1951 - ARCHITECTURE - Artworks - Tony Smith }}</ref> Old Quarry neighborhood.

|-
|Fred Olsen, Sr. House
|
|1953
|Residential
|Modernist residential compound by sculptor and architectural designer [[Tony Smith (sculptor)|Tony Smith]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.tonysmithestate.com/artworks/architecture/fred-olsen-sr-house-1951-53 | title=FRED OLSEN SR., HOUSE, 1951-53 - ARCHITECTURE - Artworks - Tony Smith }}</ref> Old Quarry neighborhood.

|-
|"The spaceship"
|[[File:Wilfred J. O. Armster designed building in Guilford, Connecticut.jpg|100x100px]]
|1987
|Condos
|Uniqiue condo building designed by architect [[Wilfred Armster|Wilfred J. O. Armster]].

|}

== Notable people ==
* [[Wilfred Armster|Wilfred J. O. Armster.]] (1938–2019), architect
* [[Humbert Allen Astredo]] (1929–2016), American stage, film, and television actor best known for the numerous roles he performed on the daytime Gothic horror soap opera ''[[Dark Shadows]]'', most notably that of the warlock Nicholas Blair 
* [[Abraham Baldwin]] (1754–1807), minister, [[Patriot (American Revolution)|patriot]], politician, and [[Founding Fathers of the United States|founding father]]<ref name="gaenc">[http://www.newgeorgiaencyclopedia.com/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-2710 "Abraham Baldwin (1754–1807)"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120318064622/http://www.newgeorgiaencyclopedia.com/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-2710 |date=March 18, 2012 }}, ''New Georgia Encyclopedia'' (January 6, 2009), Retrieved on July 21, 2013</ref>
* [[Robert E. De Forest|Robert Elliott De Forest]] (1845–1924), [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] member of the [[United States House of Representatives]], mayor of [[Bridgeport, Connecticut]], member of the [[Connecticut Senate]] and [[Connecticut House of Representatives]], born in Guilford
* [[Ronald Duman]] (1954–2020), neuroscientist died in Guilford
* [[Moses Gunn]] (1929–1993), American actor, resided in Guilford since the 1970s
* [[Fitz-Greene Halleck]] (1790–1867), American poet and author
* [[Samuel Johnson (American educator)|Samuel Johnson]] (1696-1772), American colonial intellectual and educator; first president of King's College (now [[Columbia University]])  
* [[Samuel Johnson Jr.|Samuel Johnson Jun'r]] (1757–1836), schoolmaster and teacher of Fitz-Greene Halleck; as the compiler of ''A School Dictionary'' (1798), the first American lexicographer
* [[Edward Ruggles Landon]] (1813–1883), Connecticut politician
* [[William Leete]] ({{circa|1612}}–1683), Guilford town clerk, justice of the peace, Governor of the [[New Haven Colony]] (1661-1665), and Governor of the [[Colony of Connecticut]] (1676-1683)
* [[Leonard C. Lewin]] (1916–1999), author of ''[[The Report from Iron Mountain]]''
* [[Frank Modell]] (1917–2016), cartoonist, died in Guilford<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/30/business/media/frank-modell-longtime-new-yorker-cartoonist-dies-at-98.html?_r=0|title=Frank Modell, Longtime New Yorker Cartoonist, Dies at 98|newspaper=The New York Times|date=May 29, 2016|last1=Roberts|first1=Sam}}</ref>
* [[Aldo Parisot]] (1918–2018), Brazilian-born American cellist and cello teacher 
* [[Lavinia Stoddard]] (1787–1820), poet, school founder
* [[Shaumpishuh]] (d. 1686), sachem of Menunkatuck
* [[Henry Whitfield (minister)|Henry Whitfield]] (c.1590-c.1657), Guilford founder and Puritan minister

===Living===
* [[Peter Halley]] (b. 1953), American artist
* [[Jeffrey Ambroziak]], cartographer, inventor, and attorney
* [[Jamie Arentzen]] (b. 1970), American guitarist, musician; member of various rock bands including Sky Heroes, American Hi-Fi, Dream Club
* [[Thom Brooks]], political and legal philosopher
* [[Benjamin Chan]], American scientist at [[Yale University]]
* [[Mickey Curry]], Drummer for Bryan Adams
* [[David DeMille]], physicist and Professor of [[Physics]] at [[University of Chicago]].
* [[Joe Flood (musician)|Joe Flood]], musician and songwriter
* [[Nick Fradiani]] (b. 1985), ''[[American Idol]]'' season 14 winner, born in Guilford
* [[Timothy Mellon]], heir
* [[Becki Newton]], actress in ''Ugly Betty'' and ''How I Met Your Mother,'' grew up in Guilford and is a Guilford High School Alumna<ref>{{Cite web|title=Becki Newton|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1182048/|access-date=August 15, 2021|website=IMDb}}</ref>
* [[David Allen Sibley]], ornithologist, author, and illustrator
* [[Jennifer Westfeldt]], actress and screenwriter known for ''[[Kissing Jessica Stein]]'', born in Guilford<ref name="westfeldtbio">{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0922724/bio |title=Jennifer Westfeldt biography at IMDB|publisher=IMDB.com|access-date=May 26, 2015}}</ref>
* [[Carl Zimmer]], science writer

== See also ==

* {{Portal-inline|Connecticut}}

==References==

{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite web |url=https://www.masshist.org/database/6466 |title=Deed from Shaumpishuh (Squa Sachem) and Quassaquench to Rev. Henry Whitfield and others, 23 August 1639 - 29 September 1639 |website=Massachusetts Historical Society |access-date=14 August 2024}}
*{{cite web |url=http://balthazaar.masshist.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?v1=1&ti=1,1&Search_Arg=henry%20Whitfield&Search_Code=FT%2A&CNT=10&PID=zndcovTSiKTOYMjqdK61qDtUlGGoCW1q&SEQ=20240814132018&SID=3 |title=Manuscript map of lands of Quinnipiac sachems along the Connecticut shoreline and articles of agreement between Rev. Henry Whitfield and others, and Shaumpishuh (Squa Sachem) and Quassaquench and others, 23 August 1639 - 29 September 1639. |website=Massachusetts Historical Society |access-date=14 August 2024}}
*{{cite book |last=Steiner |first=Bernard Christian |title=History of the Plantation of Manunkatuck and of the Original Town of Guilford, Connecticut |year=1897 |url=https://archive.org/embed/historyofplantat00steiuoft |access-date=14 August 2024}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.ci.guilford.ct.us/ Town of Guilford official website]
* [http://www.guilfordkeepingsociety.com/ Guilford Keeping Society]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110216013554/http://guilfordpreservation.org/WordPress/ Guilford Preservation Alliance]
* [http://www.guilfordfreelibrary.org/ Guilford Free Library]
* [http://www.guilford.k12.ct.us/ Guilford Public Schools] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050707020918/http://www.guilford.k12.ct.us/ |date=July 7, 2005 }}
* [http://www.guilfordct.com/ Guilford Chamber of Commerce] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070410070808/http://www.guilfordct.com/ |date=April 10, 2007 }}
* [http://www.visitguilfordct.com/ Guilford, Connecticut] at City-Data.com

{{Connecticut}}
{{New Haven County, Connecticut}}
{{South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut}}
{{New York metropolitan area}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Guilford, Connecticut| ]]
[[Category:1643 establishments in Connecticut]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Connecticut]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1639]]
[[Category:Towns in Connecticut]]
[[Category:Towns in New Haven County, Connecticut]]
[[Category:Towns in the New York metropolitan area]]
[[Category:Towns in South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut]]