Griswold House (Guilford, Connecticut) facts for kids
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Griswold House
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | 171 Boston St., Guilford, Connecticut |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Architectural style | Colonial |
| Part of | Guilford Historic Town Center (ID76001988) |
| NRHP reference No. | 75001929 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 10, 1975 |
| Designated CP | July 6, 1976 |
The Griswold House is a really old and special house in Guilford, Connecticut. It's like stepping back in time! Built around 1764, it shows us what homes looked like long ago in New England. Today, it's a museum called the Thomas Griswold House Museum. It's run by the Guilford Keeping Society, a group that helps protect local history.
This historic house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. This means it's recognized as an important part of America's history.
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Discover the Griswold House Museum
The Thomas Griswold House Museum is more than just a house. It's a whole property that shows what life was like in the 1700s. You can explore a few different buildings here.
- The main house is a classic New England saltbox style home.
- There's a historic blacksmith shop where metal tools were made.
- You can see a barn filled with old farm tools.
- There are also two corn cribs, which were used to store corn.
- Even a three-seat outhouse from the Victorian era is on display!
The museum is open during certain times of the year, usually from June through October. It's a great place to learn about history!
What Does the Griswold House Look Like?
The Griswold House is a two-and-a-half-story building made of wood. It has a pointed roof and a large chimney in the middle. The outside is covered with clapboards, which are long, thin wooden boards.
The back of the house has a sloped roof that goes almost to the ground. This gives it the unique saltbox shape. The front of the house has three windows and a main door. The door has decorative pillars on each side and a triangle-shaped top, called a pediment.
The Griswold Family and Its History
The house was probably built around 1764 by Thomas Griswold III. He likely built it for one of his sons. The Griswold family lived in this house for a very long time, until 1958.
After the Griswold family, the Guilford Keeping Society bought the house. This group works to preserve local history. They have done a lot of work to fix up and restore the house. They did major restoration projects in the 1970s and again in the 1990s.
Today, the Griswold House is not only a museum but also the main office for the Guilford Keeping Society. It helps them continue their important work of saving history for future generations.
See also
