Cranbrook Tower | Guilford, Connecticut
Guilford, CT - 6th in Series

Guilford is a town located on the coast of Connecticut halfway between New Haven and Saybrook. It was settled in 1639 by a band of Puritans after being purchased from local Native Americans, represented by female chief, Shaumpishih. They called the plantation they established Menuncatuck, which would later be called Guilford. The town has a population of about 22,000 and is known for its large quantity of historic homes. 

In 1804, Abel Chittenden built the house at 1 Broad Street in Guilford, Connecticut on land that had been in his family since 1639. After Abel’s death, his widow sold the house to Danforth Nettleton due to financial difficulties. Abel’s son, Simon Baldwin Chittenden, bought back the family property after having made a fortune in the dry goods industry. Simon built a stone water tower behind the house. 

Cranbrook Tower was originally built to supply water to the Chittenden estate. Guilford established a public water system in 1915 and the windmill atop the Chittenden tower was removed in 1927. The tower was also used during WWII as an aircraft observation post.

The Guilford Keeping Society has a collection of images online. https://www.guilfordkeepingsociety.com/
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