Historic Buildings of Connecticut

Exploring the Nutmeg State One Building at a Time

Guilford

Dr. Davis S. Brooks House (1790)

The house at 2864 Long Hill Road in North Guilford was built in 1790. It was the home of Dr. David S. Brooks. He married Annis Benton (b. 1764). Dr. Brooks delivered “An eulogy on the Death of George Washington,” at Guilford on February 22, 1800. The eulogy was published in New York in 1823. A facsimile of the only known copy of this work was reprinted by the Blackstone Memorial Library in Branford in 1920. Dr. Brooks later moved to New York, where he died in January, 1826. His son, David B. Brooks, graduated from Yale and practiced medicine in Cromwell starting in 1819. He also later moved to New York where he died in 1830.

John Evarts House (1850)

Not much is known about the origins of the house at 71 Broad Street in Guilford. It dates to c. 1850 and the original owner was John Evarts. It may have been built as a barn and converted to a house later on. Among various other changes over the years, the front entrance was moved from the side to the front and a porch was added to the west side (later removed).

James Monroe House (1865)

Having previously constructed the Gothic Revival house at 53 Fair Street in Guilford in 1860, James Monroe erected another residence at 63 Fair Street in 1865. The builder was William E. Weld. Typical of the Gothic Revival style, the house has prominent gables, board and batten siding and windows with drip molds.

James Monroe House (1860)

The first of two Gothic Revival houses built by James Monroe on Fair Street in Guilford is the house at No. 53, built in 1860. James Monroe was part of the firm of Jasper Monroe & Sons on Boston Street. He also erected several building around town. A later resident was George Cruttenden. The house has board and batten siding, typical of the Carpenter Gothic style, and also has Italianate-style entry porch.

William E. Weld House (1850)

William E. Weld was a carpenter and builder and ran a lumber business in Guilford for almost fifty years in the nineteenth century. He built many houses in town, including the Albert B Wildman House (1852), the Frederick A. Weld House (built for his brother in 1852) the Benjamin Bradley House (1860) and the Julia Labadie House (1872). Weld built his own house in 1850 at 45 Boston Street.

Richard Coan House (1841)

Richard Davis Coan built the house at 15 Fair Street in Guilford around 1841. He married Flora Hitchcock Granniss. Richard Coan is described in New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial, Vol. III (1913):

He spent the greater part of his life in the place of his birth, and being a builder by occupation erected many houses and public buildings there. Later he removed to New Haven, where he was actively engaged in the building business, a member of the lumber and manufacturing firm of Lewis & Beecher Company, who conducted large planing mills, and was one of the leading industries of the city. He was known by the title of major, commanding the Guilford troops on muster day. He was very prominent in the work of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, and later in the Church of the Ascension, and being a musician of note was active in the choirs of both churches. After his removal to New Haven. Mr. Coan built a fine residence on Wooster street, which was at that time the finest residential section of the city.

The house in Guilford was later owned by Beverly Monroe, who ran a store on Boston Street established with his father and brother.

Seth Bishop House (1796)

The house at 64 Fair Street in Guilford was built in 1796 by Seth Bishop. He soon mortgaged the house to brothers Joel and Nathaniel Griffing and sold it in 1801 to Captain Joel Griffing (1762-1826). His brother, Judge Nathaniel Griffing (1767-1845), lived in a similar house nearby at 6 Fair Street that Joel had previously owned. From 1802 to 1825, the south chamber on the second floor of the Bishop House (which has a ceiling a foot higher than the other rooms) and two adjacent rooms, were used for meetings of St. Alban’s Lodge No. 38, a Masonic Lodge that now meets in Branford. A history of the Lodge indicates that on several occasions, meeting were canceled so as not to disturb a sick member of the Griffing family.