Special Thanks

Dear Kiosk and Web Visitors

Since 1980 the Guilford Preservation Alliance (GPA) has been working to protect and enhance the extraordinary historic, cultural, and natural resources of our community.

In early 2011, Board member Robert Vavasour proposed that GPA launch a Heritage Tourism Initiative to foster sustainable and responsible economic development.

In October of that year, with the expert help of Carolyn Brackett of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, GPA engaged 26 local non-profit organizations and Town and State agencies in what became a multi-year collaborative planning process to develop the heritage tourism project. This visitor information kiosk and website are one outgrowth of that initiative.   Other outcomes include historic walking tours and expanded collaboration among Guilford’s unique historic house museums.

The GPA wishes to thank the dozens of individuals and businesses in the community who have helped make the kiosk and information plaza project possible. A partial listing of these contributions is provided below.

Whether you are a visitor or a resident seeking a greater understanding and appreciation of our community, we hope you enjoy these tools and find them useful. It is our hope that the scope and uses of these tools will grow over time and we are interested in your suggestions. Please visit GPA at: GuilfordPreservationAlliance.org and write to us at: [email protected]

Shirley Girioni

President, Guilford Preservation Alliance
Chair, Heritage Tourism Initiative

Guilford Preservation Alliance, Heritage Tourism Initiative
Shirley Girioni, Chair
Veronica Soell, Chair, Electronic Kiosk Committee
Tracy Tomaselli – advertising, content, volunteer training
Ellen Levine Ebert and others – photography
Roberta Flannery – events calendar
Marcia Safirstein – volunteer training, content
Dennis Culliton – writing, editing
Howard Brown – writing, editing

Grants
The GPA Marjory W. Schmitt Fund
Connecticut Humanities Council
The Guilford Foundation
State of Connecticut and Former State Representative Patricia Widlitz

Gifts
Information Plaza Construction
Boynton M. Schmitt (in memory of Marjory W. Schmitt, First President of the GPA)

Electronic Kiosk
The Howard and Michael Brown Families
The Stone House Restaurant
Kenneth and Lynn Horton
Nancy R. Brown and Robert R. Rakauskas

Visitor Seating
Guilford Rotary Club

Bike Racks
Kevin W. Smith
Guilford Garden Club

Display Cases
Sharon and Donald Baechler

Signage
Sunset Creek Development

In-kind Contributions
Campaigne Kestner Architects – Information Plaza design
mediaBOOM, Digital Advertising – Kiosk/Website software design and development
Town of Guilford, Department of Public Works – construction assistance

Founding Homepage Sponsor
Guilford Savings Bank

Special Thanks
Town of Guilford
Joe Mazza, First Selectman
Carl Balestracci, Selectman
Joel Helander, Town Historian
Rick Maynard, Director of Parks and Recreation
Guilford Parks and Recreation Commission
Brian McGlone, Director of Economic Development
Jim Portley, Director of Public Works

Project Consultants
Carolyn Brackett, National Trust for Historic Preservation
Nancy Morgan, Historian

Information Plaza Construction
Hanler Building Company, Guilford, CT

GPA Board of Directors (2011-2015)
Nancy Arnold
Heather Brine
Howard Brown
Russell Campaigne
Joseph Canipelli
Dennis Culliton
Ellen Ebert
Robert Feinn
Judith Feine
Katherine Frydenborg
Shirley Girioni
Eleanor Green
Harry Haskell
Annis Homer
Patricia Lovelace
William Mack
Janet Maiale
Joseph Nugent
Sharon Olson
Kristen Popolizio
Marcia Safirstein
Heidi Samuelson
Veronica Soell
Sheila Sohlberg
Tracy Tomaselli
Robert Vavasour