Its Register listings are the Hudson, H., Law Office, the Guilford Memorial Library and the Ernest and Louise Genthner House. Below: 6 old photos and papers, maps from 1889 on, and the census since 1820.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Guilford is more historic than 85% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Guilford’s overall grade.
Maine towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Maine town has 15.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Guilford’s 27.4 sits above most of its state (65% of Maine towns have fewer) while its 3 listings outnumber those of 65% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikipedia alone; no second source gives 1806.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would still be A−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±7.9 points).
Founding year: Wikipedia (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Guilford’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
1889Sheet 1 of 1
Edition
Sheets
BrickWoodStone
Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
People over time
Guilford, census by census
Peaked at 1,880 in 1960; 1,267 people lived here in 2020.
21 censuses, 1820–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Guilford’s Wikipedia page.
Places that used to be
Old corners, places now gone and burying grounds
Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.
In 1803, Rev. Robert Low and Deacon Robert Herring of New Gloucester purchased several thousand acres in the area from Bowdoin College. The town itself was first settled on February 18, 1806. On October 8, 1812, a warrant was issued for the tract to be designated a "plantation," which became effective on November 11, 1806. The town was officially incorporated by the governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on February 8, 1816. It was named after Moses Guilford Low (1816-1909), the first white child born here.
On June 5, 2020, President Donald Trump visited Guilford visiting Puritan Medical Products during the COVID-19 pandemic. His visit drew large crowds to the Piscataquis County town.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
In 1806, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. the census of 1820 counted 325 people here.
How does Guilford rank for history?
Guilford is more historic than 85% of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Guilford?
Three places: the Hudson, H., Law Office (listed 1979), the Guilford Memorial Library (1986) and the Ernest and Louise Genthner House (2023).
How old are the homes in Guilford?
24% of Guilford’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.9 points), against a typical 19% for a Maine town; the median home was built in 1976.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (14), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (3), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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