Neighbor News
Cuff, enslaved in 1700s, to be honored at Henry Whitfield State Museum
A Witness Stone will be installed honoring Cuff, an enslaved Guilford resident who lived and worked at the Henry Whitfield House
Cuff was enslaved at the Whitfield House from 1772 to 1775 by Joseph and Sarah (Ruggles) Pynchon. He was a gardener, a teamster, and he may have served in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. Cuff was researched and remembered this year by students at Elizabeth C. Adams Middle School in Guilford as part of a program by the Witness Stones Project (WSP). The mission of the WSP is to restore the history and honor the humanity of the enslaved individuals who helped build our communities.
The installation ceremony for Cuff's Witness Stone will be held at the Henry Whitfield State Museum on Saturday, May 17, 2025, at 11 am. Speakers will include Pat Wilson Pheanious, WSP Executive Director and former Connecticut state representative. Her ancestors were among the first to be memorialized with Witness Stones in Guilford. Dennis Culliton, WSP Co-Founder and Director of Education and Special Projects, will share Cuff’s story and the research involved in uncovering it.
This program is free and open to all and will be held rain or shine. Following the program, attendees are invited to tour the Whitfield House and Visitor Center exhibit galleries. For information, call 203-453-2457, e-mail whitfieldmuseum@ct.gov, and visit the museum website.
