Ship images inside historic Guilford homes
Ship images inside historic Guilford homes
There are several images of ships appearing on the walls of several historic Guilford homes. Some of these homes were owned by those having ties to some type of maritime enterprise or history, and some of these homes were owned by those who were slave owners.
In the attic at 65 Water Street, is a chalk drawing of a ship. That house was originally located on the corner of Whitfield & Boston Streets and moved to 65 Water Street in 1958. That house was built in 1763 for Elias Cadwell, Jr. who was a slave owner, and it is possible that one of his slaves drew that image.
Another house where two ship images were etched into the wood walls leading to the attic is located at 85 Boston Street. This house, known as the Thomas Burgis II house, was built c. 1735/36. Currently, there is no known record that Thomas Burgis II was a slave owner. However, his father, Thomas Burgis was a native of Yorkshire, England, and was compelled to serve for several years aboard a British man-o-war.
It is also possible that the ship graffiti was done by a later owner or occupant.
85 Boston Street – Ship 1 (etched) 85 Boston Street – Ship 2 (etched)
65 Water Street – Ship 1 (chalk) 65 Water Street – Ship 2 (etched)
Photos taken by Tracy Tomaselli (October 2021)
Photos from Kiosk Opening, May 9, 2016
Kiosk Opening — An Invitation
GUILFORD PRESERVATION ALLIANCE invites you to the opening of its Information Plaza.
Monday, May 9, 2016 11:00 am
32 Church Street, Guilford, Connecticut
The Honorable Governor Dannel P. Malloy will officiate at the opening.
Reception to follow at the Nathanael B. Greene Community Center adjacent to the Information Plaza.
New Grants Awarded
Letter to the GPA from Grace Zimmer, President of Hyland House:
We are very excited to share the news that the Guilford Preservation Alliance is awarding $7000 in grants to support the recent dendrochronologystudy done at the Hyland House and to fund studies at the Guilford Keeping Society’s Thomas Griswold House and at Guilford’s “Pest House.”
For those of us who cherish Guilford’s rich history, it was thrilling to learn that when Guilford’s school children celebrate Early Guilford Days at the Hyland House, they are experiencing hands-on history in a house built in 1713 out of trees that had been growing since 1492. Not many towns can boast such a deep history!
Now the scientists at the Oxford Dendrochronology Laboratory will be turning their attention to one of the first houses built by the Griswolds in this area and to what may be the last remaining “pest house” in the United States. You can read more about these two houses and the upcoming study here.
We are very grateful to the Guilford Preservation Alliance for their support.
Regards,
Grace Zimmer
Hyland House President
Guilford Visitor Information Kiosk Goes Live on Sept. 18
Where to go, what to see, where to shop, where to eat? Visitors and residents no longer need ask these questions about Guilford. The answers are keystrokes away (visitguilfordct.com) at the Visitor Information Kiosk and on their home computers and other devices, thanks to three years of work by the Guilford Preservation Alliance (GPA).
The kiosk, which goes live on Friday, Sept. 18, offers residents and tourists a new electronic resource to learn nearly everything they want to know about Guilford, from its historic museums, arts, and recreation to local shopping and dining. Using its events calendar, visitors can find out months in advance what there is to see and do in town and plan accordingly. [Read more…]
Guilford Preservation Alliance Announces 2015 Awards
The Guilford Preservation Alliance (GPA) is proud to announce the recipients of the 2015 GPA awards given to individuals and groups that have demonstrated a commitment to preserve and protect the built and the natural heritage of Guilford.
This year, the GPA recognizes the work done on several buildings in town. Jonathan Wuerth, a general contractor and master builder, will receive an award for his work in restoring and and preserving many homes and barns along the shoreline and for his work in saving buildings slated for demolition. In addition, Eamon Roche and Sarah Blanton will receive an Award of Merit for restoration of their home on Broad St., and Terry Wall, for work on his North Guilford barn built around 1783.
GPA will also honor the work done by the Guilford Garden Club for the creation of a park surrounding the Rollin Woodruff homestead, and the 375th Anniversary Celebration Committee for providing events, activities, and programs that focused on the town’s heritage. One of the programs was the Civil War Reenactment, and GPA recognizes Edie Brown for her part in planning and carrying out this event, and Tracy Tomaselli, for her genealogical research on the soldiers who fought from Guilford in the Civil War. [Read more…]
Groundbreaking for the Information Center
The Visitors Information Kiosk is one step closer. A groundbreaking was held this week with plans for completion by early fall. L to R: Greg Makula, Hanler Construction; Shirley Girioni, President of GPA, Russ Campaigne, architect; and Joseph Mazza, First Selectman. Missing from the photo are: Boynton Schmitt, benefactor; Frank DePino, MediaBoom, and Jim Portley, Guilford Public Works.
GPA Receives Two New Grants
The Guilford Preservation Alliance received two new grants at the end of 2014. The first was a grant to survey historic buildings, a grant in the amount of $30,000 from the State Department of Economic and Community Development, State Historic Preservation Office to add an additional 200 historic structures to the 450 buildings in 1981 State of CTH Historic Resources Inventory for the Town of Guilford. This grant will provide funds for architectural historians to identify and inventory historic buildings, produce a survey, including photographs, and give a public presentation on the project. The inventory will be helpful in recognizing, protecting and preserving these valuable resources.
The architectural historians hired by GPA to do this survey are Kristen Nietering, a Guilford native, and Jordan Sorenson, of New London, CT. Both have a passion for local history, and knowledge and experience in writing Historic Resource inventories, as well as National and State Register nominations. Ms. Nietering has worked as Project Manager for Historic Barns of CT and is currently project manager for the Creative Places Project. Ms. Sorenson works at the CT Trust for Historic Preservation as membership and office manager, and has experience as a consultant doing historic building research and inventories, as well as National Register nominations.
Shirley Girioni, president of GPA said that “The completed inventory will further protect our architectural heritage by forming the basis for the delay of demolition ordinance created by the Town of Guilford.”
This project is expected to be completed near the end of May, 2015. The Historic Resources Inventory and Supplement can be viewed here on our website.
The second grant was a Connecticut Humanities grant for $15,000 to support the building of a visitor information center kiosk and the development of the computer programming. The kiosk and its interactive virtual information center is the next step in the Heritage Tourism Initiative. It will provide information to tourists and residents and encourage their exploration of the town’s historic, cultural, and natural resources. The center, a modular structure that will be located adjacent to the Green Community Center, is scheduled to be built this fall 2015, and plans are to have it installed and operational by the following spring.
Fall 2014 Guilford Preservation Alliance Newsletter
Coming to you, hot off the press, is the Fall 2014 Guilford Preservation Alliance Newsletter. It is available here on our website, and has also been mailed to our members. The newsletter replaces the annual appeal letter sent out in recent years. We hope you enjoy reading our news in this format, and we hope you will consider donating generously to the work we do by renewing your membership and possibly adding a designated gift as well.