Groton Historical Society
Overview: The Groton Historical Society possesses a variety of items ranging in date from the seventeenth to the twentieth centuries, with particular strengths in mid- to late-nineteenth-century materials. The collections include Civil War memorabilia, agricultural artifacts and ephemera, china, textiles, and vehicles.
Major document collections at the Groton Historical Society include Governor George Boutwell’s papers, Lowthorpe School memorabilia, and maps. The majority of documents and artifacts at the Groton Historical Society relate in some way to the history of Groton.
American Revolution Materials: Groton’s greatest strength with regard to the American Revolution-era is its genealogical resources. The institution is home to a large register detailing vital statistics of Groton residents from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries, as well as soldiers’ commissions. Other materials include maps and deeds from the eighteenth century, a book by Samuel Green entitled Three Military Diaries Kept by Groton Soldiers, and secondary materials related to the town’s eighteenth-century history.
The Groton Historical Society also possesses a collection of artifacts from Revolutionary soldiers: a canteen, a cartridge box, a belt buckle, a gun, a sword, and a tobacco box.
Key Words: artifacts, Continental Army, deeds, diaries, genealogical information, Groton, maps, soldiers/militia
Collection Policies: The storage capacity of the Groton Historical Society is limited at present, so the institution accepts limited donations and sales. The institution is currently in the process of cataloguing its collection, and finding aids are not yet available. Approximately half of the collection has been processed to-date. The Groton Historical Society would consider loaning materials from its collection on an individual basis and has hosted exhibits in the past.