39-408: The Comfort Starr House , located at 138 State St., Guilford, Connecticut , is a classic saltbox house with an added lean-to . According to a dendrochronology study, completed in 2014, the house was built in 1695. The house derives its name from Comfort Starr (1666–1743), a tailor, who bought the house from the original builder, a Guilford signer (settler), Henry Kingsnorth, in 1694. The house
78-681: A Quinnipiac village. The Quinnipiac spoke Quiripi , one of the Eastern Algonquian branches of the 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
117-662: A Puritan minister, and Theophilus Eaton , a wealthy merchant who brought £3,000 to the venture. Both had experience in fitting out vessels for the Massachusetts Bay Company . The two ships that they chartered arrived in Boston on June 26, 1637. They learned about the area around the Quinnipiac River from militia engaged in the Pequot War , so Eaton set sail to view the area in late August. The site seemed ideal for trade, with
156-410: A court composed of 16 burgesses , i.e. voting citizens, was established to appoint a magistrate and officials and to conduct the business of the plantation. The only eligible voters were "planters" who were members of "some or other of the approved Churches of New England". This excluded indentured servants, temporary residents, and transient persons, who were considered to have no permanent interest in
195-464: A good port lying between Boston and the Dutch city of New Amsterdam on Manhattan and good access to the furs of the Connecticut River valley settlements of Hartford and Springfield. Eaton returned to Boston, leaving seven men to remain through the winter and make preparations for the arrival of the rest of the company. The main body of settlers landed on April 14, 1638, numbering about 250, with
234-556: A land purchase from the local natives had been effected sometime before their arrival in April, although no written deed was signed until November 24, 1638. A second deed was made December 11, 1638 for a ten by thirteen mile tract north of the first purchase. On October 25, 1639, the colonists adopted a " Fundamental Agreement " for self-government, partly as a result of a similar action in the Connecticut Colony. According to its terms,
273-767: A shorter network of trails criss-cross the Sugarloaves. Guilford also contains the Westwoods Trail System which covers 39 miles (63 km) of trails on 1,200 acres (4.9 km ) of land. The Shore Line East train stops at Guilford station with service to Branford, East Haven, New Haven and New London , and the Connecticut Transit S bus travels between Guilford and New Haven several times each day. Other minor communities and geographic features in Guilford are Guilford Lakes, Indian Cove, and Old Quarry. As of
312-478: A written constitution organizing a government and defining its powers." The plantation (or town) soon had neighboring settlements established by other groups of Puritans from England. : On October 23, 1643, in the context of the formation of the New England Confederation , composed of Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth and Connecticut Colonies, for joint military action against threats of attack by natives,
351-594: Is a town in New Haven County , Connecticut , United States , that borders Madison , Branford , North Branford and Durham , and is situated on I-95 and the Connecticut coast. The town is part of the South Central Connecticut Planning Region . The population was 22,073 at the 2020 census . Prior to European colonization , the area that became Guilford was the site of Menunkatuck ,
390-408: Is land and 2.7 square miles (6.9 km 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 and Connecticut Route 77 . It is served by three exits of Interstate 95 , which passes just north of the town center. The Guilford Center census-designated place had a population of 2,597 at
429-400: 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. 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
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#1732872318280468-718: 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. 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. According to the United States Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 49.7 square miles (129 km ), of which 47.0 square miles (122 km )
507-746: 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. 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. The library hosts numerous events, workshops, and activities aimed at promoting literacy and lifelong learning. The town government operates these parks: Guilford, Connecticut
546-583: Is still in its primitive state. It is considered, by some, to be one of the oldest wooden timber frame houses still used as a private residence in the U.S. today. Comfort Starr's grandfather, also named Comfort Starr , was an English physician who left Kent , Kingdom of England , on the ship Hercules in 1635 and settled in Cambridge , Colony of Massachusetts Bay . 41°17′20″N 72°40′57″W / 41.2889°N 72.6824°W / 41.2889; -72.6824 Guilford, Connecticut Guilford
585-520: 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. In 1639, after landing in the plantation of Quinnipiaic (later known as New Haven) via ship from England, a group of 24 English Puritan families led by Rev. Henry Whitfield chose to settle almost 13 miles away near Menukatuck. During their voyage from England,
624-496: The census of 2000, there were 21,398 people, 8,151 households, and 6,039 families residing in the town. The population density was 454.8 inhabitants per square mile (175.6/km ). There were 8,724 housing units at an average density of 185.4 per square mile (71.6/km ). The racial makeup of the town was 96.04% White , 0.93% African American , 0.05% Native American , 1.65% Asian , 0.41% from other races , and 0.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.13% of
663-583: The 17th to the 19th centuries. 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. Historic districts include: * Consolidated borough and town New Haven Colony New Haven Colony
702-474: The 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 61.02% of the town vote, against 38.06% for Republican John McCain . In 2016, Democrat Hillary Clinton carried the town with 59.2% over Republican Donald Trump with 37.1%. American Cruise Lines has its headquarters in Guilford. There are many small businesses throughout the town, including the shops on the Guilford Green . Guilford
741-695: The 2010 census. 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 50-mile (80 km) Mattabesett Trail traverses Bluff Head;
780-616: The New Haven Plantation and its subsidiary settlements, Stamford and Southhold on Long Island, were combined with the independent towns of Milford and Guilford and named the New Haven Colony which then joined the Confederation. The town of Branford was settled in 1644 by residents from Wethersfield, Connecticut Colony, who were dissatisfied with the theocratic rule there. They joined the New Haven Colony. Eaton served as governor of
819-592: The addition of some from Massachusetts. A number of the early dwellings were caves or "cellers", partially underground and carved into hillsides. The first English settlers gave their settlement the name Quinnipiac (rendered in various spellings, including “Quinipiek” in local records from the time ). The name lasted until September 1, 1640 (O.S.), when records of the plantation’s general court note “This towne now named Newhaven [sic].” The settlers had no official charter. Historian Edward Channing describes them as squatters, whereas author Edward Atwater holds that
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#1732872318280858-560: The area burned their buildings, and a court in New Sweden convicted Lamberton of "trespassing, conspiring with the Indians." The New Haven Colony did not get any support from its New England patrons, and Puritan Governor John Winthrop testified that the "Delaware Colony" "dissolved" owing to "sickness and mortality." With no ships of its own, the colony had to do all of its trade through Massachusetts. Accordingly Theophilus Eaton commissioned
897-483: The area gave English settlers an opportunity to settle in the Quinnipiac territory. Dutch claims over land that included Menunkatuck (and would later include Guilford) remained until the 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 , Mohegan , and Montauk allies arrived from Long Island in pursuit of
936-403: 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
975-454: The community. They further determined "that the word of God shall be the only rule to be attended unto in ordering the affairs of government in this plantation." Theophilus Eaton was chosen as the first Magistrate. As the Bible contains no reference to trial by jury, the colonists eliminated it and the magistrate sat in judgment. This is said to have been one of "the first examples in history of
1014-473: The construction of a 150-ton trade ship for the colony. The ship was quite poorly constructed but nonetheless after some difficulty was sent out of the Long Island Sound and off to England. The ship would never be seen again. According to Cotton Mather in his Magnalia Christi Americana , the settlers gathered on the beach where they saw a detailed vision of a ship in the aftermath of a storm. The fate of
1053-511: The hills northwest of the town. They purportedly took refuge in a rock formation in present-day West Rock Ridge State Park . Another regicide commissioner, John Dixwell , joined them at a later time. Three Judges' Cave today bears a historical marker in their name. New Haven urgently needed a royal charter, but the colony had made enemies in London by hiding and protecting the regicide judges. An uneasy competition ruled New Haven's relations with
1092-539: The larger and more powerful Connecticut River settlements centered on Hartford . New Haven published a complete legal code in 1656, but the law remained very much church-centered. A major difference between the New Haven and Connecticut colonies was that the Connecticut Colony permitted other churches to operate on the basis of "sober dissent", while the New Haven Colony only permitted the Puritan church to exist. A royal charter
1131-658: The legal basis for a Connecticut "sea to sea" claim of owning all the land on both sides of the Delaware from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. This set the stage for the Pennamite-Yankee War of 150 years later. In 1642, 50 families on a ship captained by George Lamberton settled at the mouth of Schuylkill River to establish the trading post at what is today Philadelphia. The Dutch and Swedes who were already in
1170-530: 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. It is assumed that Guilford was named after the town of Guildford , England, the native home of a share of its first English settlers. In early maps of the Connecticut Colony ,
1209-563: The new colony until his death in 1658. In 1641, the colony claimed the area that is now South Jersey and Philadelphia after buying land south of Trenton along the Delaware River from the Lenape tribe. Cape May, New Jersey and Salem, New Jersey were among the communities that were founded. The treaty with the Lenape placed no westward limit on the land west of the Delaware, which became
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1248-417: The north did have a charter. New Haven's leaders were businessmen and traders, but they were never able to build up a large or profitable trade because their agricultural base was poor, farming the rocky soil was difficult, and the location was isolated. In 1637, a group of London merchants and their families moved to Boston with the intention of creating a new settlement. The leaders were John Davenport ,
1287-407: 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 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
1326-593: The settlers drafted and signed the Plantation Covenant on June 1, 1639 ( O.S. ). The text of the covenant is memorialized by an engraved pink granite slab at the corner of Old Whitfield and Whitfield streets. On September 29, 1639 ( O.S. ), the colonists secured a land grant for their settlement from Shaumpishuh , the female sachem of Menunkatuck. Guilford was admitted to New Haven Colony in 1643. In 1664, New Haven Colony, including Guilford, joined Connecticut Colony . The English settlement originally shared
1365-600: The ship was depicted in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 's 1847 poem "The Phantom Ship." In 1660, following the Stuart Restoration , Edward Whalley and his son-in-law William Goffe , two of the 59 commissioners who signed the 1649 execution warrant of Charles I , fled England to North America. They sought protection from agents of Charles II , who intended to bring them to justice. In 1661 they arrived in New Haven. John Davenport arranged for them to hide in
1404-641: The town is seen on several maps as "Gilford." 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. There are five historic house museums , including 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)
1443-418: 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 ). 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. In
1482-470: Was an English colony from 1638 to 1664 that included settlements on the north shore of Long Island Sound , with outposts in modern-day New York , New Jersey , Pennsylvania , and Delaware . The colony joined Connecticut Colony in 1664. The history of the colony was a series of disappointments and failures. The most serious problem was that New Haven Colony never had a charter giving it legal title to exist. The larger, stronger colony of Connecticut to
1521-503: Was issued to Connecticut in 1662, ending New Haven's period as a separate colony, and its towns were merged into the government of Connecticut Colony in 1664. A group of New Haven colonists led by Robert Treat and others moved to establish a new community in New Jersey in 1666, seeking to maintain the Puritan religious exclusivism and theocracy that was lost with the New Haven Colony's merger with Connecticut Colony. Treat wanted to name
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