Geoffrey Paul

GEOFFREY PAUL is a native of Essex, Connecticut, whose fascination with local history began in childhood and has shaped much of his life’s work. As a teenager, he worked in local antique shops, where he learned the power of objects to tell stories and to recover history lost to time.

After graduating from Rollins College with a degree in Economics and Business, Geoffrey built a successful career on Wall Street, but his interest in history never faded. For decades, he has researched the people, places, and events that shaped Essex and the Connecticut River Valley.

Along the way, he has tracked down descendants of local families, recovered long-forgotten archives, and helped return historically significant artifacts to the community. His work has led to important discoveries, including previously unknown family letters, diaries, and records that have expanded the understanding of Connecticut’s maritime past.

Geoffrey is a frequent lecturer on local history, and objects from his collections have been loaned to or acquired by institutions including the Winterthur Museum, the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History, the Yale University Art Gallery, the Peabody Essex Museum, the Florence Griswold Museum, and the Connecticut River Museum.

Together with other family members, Geoffrey has played an active role in preserving some of Essex’s most treasured historic properties, including The Griswold Inn and the former home of Captain Henry and Amelia Champlin, where he lives today. That lifelong connection to Essex, combined with six years of intensive research alongside co-author Steven Ujifusa, inspired Faith and Fortune, an account links the Connecticut River Valley to America’s rise as a maritime and commercial power.