The Griswold House is a
historic house museum
A historic house museum is a house of historic significance that has been transformed into a museum. Historic furnishings may be displayed in a way that reflects their original placement and usage in a home. Historic house museums are held to a ...
at 171 Boston Street in
Guilford, Connecticut
Guilford 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 seacoast. The population was 22,073 at the 2020 census.
History
Guilfo ...
. Built about 1764, it is a well-preserved example of New England colonial architecture, and was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1975.
The Guilford Keeping Society operates the house as the Thomas Griswold House Museum. The museum includes the late 18th century period New England
saltbox house, a historic blacksmith shop, a barn with farm tools and implements, two corn cribs and a
Victorian era
In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...
three seat
outhouse
An outhouse is a small structure, separate from a main building, which covers a toilet. This is typically either a pit latrine or a bucket toilet, but other forms of dry toilet, dry (non-flushing) toilets may be encountered. The term may als ...
. The museum is open seasonally from June through October on a limited number of days each week.
Description and history
The Griswold House is located east of Guilford Center, on the south side of Boston Street (
Connecticut Route 146
Route 146 is a state road that serves as a scenic alternative to US 1 between Branford and Guilford in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Route 146 is long, with in Branford and in Guilford.
Route description
Route 146 begins in Branford as Ma ...
) at its junction with Lovers Lane. It is a -story wood-frame structure, with a gabled roof, large central chimney, and clapboarded exterior. A leanto section to the rear gives the house a classic New England
saltbox appearance. The main facade is three bays wide, with sash windows arranged symmetrically around the entrance. The entrance is flanked by pilasters and topped by a fully pedimented gable.
[
The house was probably built around 1764 by Thomas Griswold III for one of his sons. It remained in the hands of his descendants until 1958, when it was acquired by the Guilford Keeping Society.] The society undertook two major restorations, one in the 1970s and another in the 1990s. In addition to its use as a museum, it serves as the society's headquarters.
See also
* National Register of Historic Places listings in New Haven County, Connecticut
References
External links
Guilford Keeping Society
Guilford Preservation Alliance Survey of Historic Places 1981-82
{{National Register of Historic Places
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut
Museums in New Haven County, Connecticut
Historic house museums in Connecticut
Houses in Guilford, Connecticut
National Register of Historic Places in New Haven County, Connecticut
Blacksmith shops