And all these years I've assumed that "Guinea Road" referred to a historic gathering spot for our local masons; not so, apparently.

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21 Guinea Road, 1938 house on 5+ acres, is new to the market at $12.450 million.

But if it didn’t involve the Italians, what is the explanation for such a fowl name?

AI Overview

It is not known with certainty where the name "Guinea Road" in Greenwich, CT, came from

. The most probable explanation is that the road's name is derived from one of the historical meanings of the word "guinea," which include a British gold coin and a colonial-era term for the west coast of Africa. 

Possible origins of the name include:

  • The British guinea coin: It's possible the road was named after the gold guinea coin, a historical British currency worth 21 shillings. The name could have been given to reflect prosperity or to commemorate a transaction or person of British descent.

  • A colonial-era geographical reference: The term "Guinea" was historically used as a European geographical term for the west coast of Africa. Early settlers may have named the road after this region, which was a source of gold and other trade goods, including enslaved people.

  • The guinea hen: The name may also be an old reference to the guinea fowl, a domestic bird that was originally imported from Africa. 

The derogatory meaning is unlikely to be the origin

It is highly unlikely that the name is connected to the modern use of "guinea" as a derogatory slur for people of Italian descent. 

  • The slur postdates the road's likely founding: This pejorative use of the word did not emerge in the United States until the late 19th century, well after the area was settled. It originated from the older term "Guinea Negro" and was applied to Italians because of their dark complexions relative to Northern Europeans.

  • The slur's origin does not connect to Greenwich history: There is no evidence suggesting a link between this ethnic slur and the naming of this specific road in Greenwich. 

But dig a little deeper, and we find this:

Guinea road greenwich ct name origin and meaning

Based on local history and the context of other historical place names, the name "Guinea Road" in Greenwich, CT likely refers to a historical connection to the Guinea Coast of West Africa, a region from which enslaved people were taken. The term "guinea" was sometimes used in colonial times to refer to Black people, regardless of their specific origin, or to an area with a Black population. 

Key details that support this origin include:

  • Greenwich's history with slavery: Greenwich had a significant enslaved population in the 1700s and early 1800s. The Greenwich Historical Society and other researchers have documented the presence of approximately 300 enslaved individuals in the town.

  • The "Hangroot" community: Local researcher Teresa Vega has identified a historic integrated community of Black, Native American, and white people in the Round Hill Road area of Greenwich, which was once known as "Hangroot". This community was home to enslaved and freed people of color and included notable Greenwich families.

  • Parallel place names: In the historic town of Ipswich, MA, a similarly named "Guinea Road" is explicitly identified as an area once home to Black people. This parallel suggests a common naming convention for areas with Black populations in colonial New England.

  • No alternative historical explanation: Local historical sources and online records do not point to an alternative, non-racial origin for the name, such as a connection to the guinea fowl or guinea hogs, whose naming is unrelated to the history of this specific road.