Welcome

To the Guilford Historical Society

Guilford, Vermont

Founded in 1972 the Guilford Historical Society is a nonprofit membership group, whose purpose is “to preserve for posterity items and places which serve as resources to study and interpret our community, the environment, and its people”. Its museum, located in the original town hall, holds an extensive collection of written records, photographs, and historic objects. In addition, the Society owns and maintains the 1837 Universalist Meeting House and the Guilford Center Red Brick School House. These, along with the Broad Brook Community Center (formerly Broad Brook Grange) and the Guilford Free Library as well as several old houses, represent the core of historic Guilford Center. But Guilford is made up of many neighborhoods and villages, each with a unique history to explore.

The town has many more historic sites including four more churches, a covered bridge, a historic timber crib dam, numerous one-room schoolhouses, and farms. Most of these have been in existence since the first colonial settlers arrived at the end of the French and Indian War. There are even traces of the original inhabitants, believed to be members of the Sokoki tribe of the Western Abenakis. Through its events, programs, educational and celebration events, plus publications, the members of the Guilford Historical Society work to inform and inspire the wider community.


Explore our site to learn more about Vermont's largest town in 1790.

Please visit our Events page to learn more about our quaint little town.

 

ABOUT US

 

How Can I Help?

VOLUNTEERING

The Guilford Historical Society has many ways to volunteer your talents and skills. From helping to design museum displays, upkeeping our digital records of artifacts, our current member information, painting, mailings, cleaning, researching, genealogy work, or even staffing the museum!

Our volunteers are invaluable!

Please email us if you are interested in volunteering. Opportunities to volunteer can vary due to our current needs at the time. 

 

CONTACT US

DONATIONS

We are a nonprofit organization with income generated by membership dues and generous donations. All donations go towards keeping our museum, and the buildings we own, maintained and in good condition. Our goal is to advance our community's understanding of the rich past the town of Guilford was built on.

Thank you for your continued support!

We appreciate you!

 

Donate Now!

 

BECOME A MEMBER

Come join our fun group of people who are dedicated to the preservation of all things Guilford, VT! We love our little town and the rich history it holds!

 Preserving the history of our town and its artifacts and buildings are of the utmost importance to all of us. Are you a history lover? Then this may be for you! 

As a member, you get to vote on officers for our board and have a say at meetings about our next projects. 

ABOUT US

Student Stories

of a one room schoolhouse

The Guilford Historical Society invites you to a community forum:
GUILFORD’S ONE-ROOM SCHOOLHOUSES
Stories from the Students

Tuesday, May 30, 2023 at 7 pm
Broad Brook Community Center
3940 Guilford Center Road, Guilford, VT
Come hear from some of our revered Guilford elders about their experiences attending a one-room school. Starting in 1809, Guilford had 14 one-room schoolhouses. Several operated until 1957 with the opening of the consolidated Guilford Central School.
Come hear from current and past Guilford residents who attended different schools in the community: What grade did you enter school? Did you have siblings in your school? Where did you have recess and what games did you play? What did they do in winter? Who fed the woodstove? What are their favorite memories and stories? Was the outhouse inside the school or outside?
[A live in-person event that will also be broadcast and recorded by Brattleboro Cable TV ]


And don’t miss…
2023 REOPENING OF GUILFORD HISTORICAL SOCIETY MUSEUM & OPEN HOUSE AT ONE-ROOM RED BRICK SCHOOLHOUSE
Saturday, June 3, 2023 from 9am -1 pm
Come by for an Open House at Guilford Historical Society Museum
4063 Guilford Center Road, Guilford, VT
And visit, just down Carpenter Hill Road, the historic one-room red brick school house. Built in 1798, the building along the Broad Brook is preserved and stewarded by the Guilford Historical Society.

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Our Meeting House Needs Your Help!

This is an absolutely stunning example of a gothic church in the 1700's built here in our little town. This building was gifted to the historical society in 1977 by the Universalist Women's Auxiliary and it has been recently in a state of disrepair. The lack of land with this building and its proximity to the road proves difficulties in renting the building out to help pay for its repairs and maintenance. The roof cap blew off a few years back and its old slate roof, which was in a terrible state of disrepair, allowed water to come in and created massive water damage throughout our beautiful building. The original plaster has fallen from the ceiling and walls and needs a specialist to come in and historically repair it so that it maintains its rich history. Without running water or land we cannot fundraise at the building and we can't rent it out or even allow tours through, to help with our fundraising efforts, as it is not safe. 

 

We have recently completed the roof repair and replaced the old carpeting in the sanctuary. We repaired the rope to our original church bell made in Boston in 1837. We also completed repainting the outside of the building thanks to generous donations from the Bullock Foundation. 

 

We are continuing to put all unspecified donations toward this project and the goal of opening it safely to the public for all to enjoy. We will again be looking for and applying for available grant funds also for this project. If you have experience writing grants and want to help, contact us.

 

In honor of all the people who had died in Guilford of Covid, we rang this historic bell over 70 times in the December of 2020.

 

We appreciate all donations! Thank you all so much for your continued support. 

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