Sluice Creek was first officially documented in 1645, when a private tide mill was established there. In December 1741, Ebenezer Parmele received permission to build the first public wharf at Sluice Creek, paying for it himself. During the 19th century, various wharves were built and replaced, including private structures by the Farmer's Wharf Company and Dr. Benoni Sweet. In 1885, Harry Putney established a coal business at the Sluice that prospered for many years alongside Captain Harry Crittenden's personal dock, while deeds changed hands repeatedly and the town's title to the land was disputed at town meetings over generations. In 1921, Judge and former Senator Harold R. Durant bought the property and surrounding features, then called "the slum of Guilford," and restored the area within five years using his own funds. Further developments followed with the formation of the Guilford Harbor Association in 1922 and the appointment of Captain Harry Griswold as Guilford's first harbormaster in 1924. The town purchased the property on May 12, 1936, and after a new plan for the recreational space was introduced in January 1958, the Guilford Marina was completed and dedicated on July 12, 1958 under the leadership of First Selectman Charles D. Bender. In the decades that followed, Leonard D. Hubbard made many contributions, including installing the harbor's first buoy system and leading Scout groups to teach young people about the ocean, and the marina now has 120 slips and more than a dozen river moorings.