History of Colonial Killingworth (taken from A Photographic History of Killingworth, Thomas l. Lentz)

Killingworth originally comprised present day Killingworth and the Town of Clinton. In the middle of the seventeenth century, the New Haven Colony was bounded on the east by the Hammonasset River, the eastern limit of the Town of Guilford. Saybrook in the Connecticut Colony extended westward to the Menunketesuck River. The two colonies were separated by an area of over 50 square miles that was not yet settled. The southern part of this region, which now comprises Clinton, contained beaches, salt meadows, a harbor and flat lands suitable for farming. The northern part, now present Killingworth, was at a higher elevation with hills, forests and abundant game.

At the time of settlement, the Native Americans in this region were the Hammonassets who lived along the shore... they were a peaceful tribe and left behind their burial grounds and large mounds of shells.... In 1663, 12 planters settled and were later joined in by others. Thus, the first settlement took place in 1663, although 1667 is used as the date for the founding of the town because in that year the General Assembly officially named the town and gave permission for establishing a church.

There has been much controversy concerning the derivation of the name Killingworth... it is a logical assumption that the name of Kenilworth was selected because Edward Griswold, the town's first delegate to the General Court and the deacon of the church had been born in Kenilworth, England in 1607. Thereafter, [many spellings] appeared in the Colonial records of Connecticut... [in 1707, the name Killingworth was used in the town records thereafter.]

Photographs of the Pond Meadow Road area are below.
The Edmund Lane House-this house is unusual in that it has a chimney at each end (1895).
Wylls D. Kelsey house (1895).
Niveneh Bride (Route 80) over the Hammonassett River (1895).
Prior to the building of the Connecticut Turnpike, Route 80 was often used as an alternative route because of congestion on Route 1 (photo: mid 1930s).

For more information, please call the Killingworth Historical Society, Phone: 860-663-1357