Visit
Step back in time and explore the rich history of Guilford through the Guilford Keeping Society’s historic properties. From the colonial-era Thomas Griswold House and its working blacksmith shop to the nineteenth-century Medad Stone Tavern and Clapboard Hill Schoolhouse, these historic sites preserve the stories, artifacts, and traditions that shaped the community. Together, they offer visitors a unique glimpse into everyday life in early Connecticut and the people who helped build Guilford’s enduring heritage.
The Thomas Griswold House Museum (1764)
The Thomas Griswold House is a classic New England saltbox dwelling standing on a commanding knoll along a picturesque stretch of the old Post Road in Guilford-now designated as a state scenic road. Thomas Griswold III built the house for two of his sons, John and Ezra, circa 1764, on land that had been in the Griswold family since Thomas Griswold II moved from Wethersfield in 1695.
The Medad Stone Tavern
The Medad Stone Tavern is a Dutch gambrel style fourteen room, ten fireplace tavern built in 1803 by Medad Stone. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.
The Clapboard Hill School House
This one-room schoolhouse served the residents of the Clapboard Hill District from 1836-1931. Children ages four to sixteen in the district were registered, but not all attended. Many of those who did attend alternated between spring and winter terms. A single teacher taught academic basics to the several grade levels of children.
