Groton is a Town in northwestern Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, within the Greater Boston metropolitan area. The population was 11,315 at the 2020 census. It is home to two prep schools: Lawrence Academy at Groton, founded in 1792 and the third-oldest private school in Massachusetts; and Groton School, founded in 1884.

The town was a battlefield in King Philip's War and Queen Anne's War, as England and France competed through their North American colonies from the 17th century well into the 18th century. It was the birthplace of William Prescott, who commanded the colonial forces at the Battle of Bunker Hill during the American Revolution. In postwar years, it had incidents of insurrection during Shays' Rebellion (1786–1787).

History
Geography
Demographics
Points of interest
Buildings and structures
Conservation Land
Sports
Education
- Public schools
  - District schools
  - Other public schools
- Private schools
Notable people
Images for kids
See also

History

The area surrounding modern day Groton has, for thousands of years, been the territory of various cultures of indigenous peoples. They settled along the rivers for fishing and transportation. Historic tribes were Algonquian-speaking Nipmuc and Nashaway Indians.

The Anglo-American Groton started with the trading post of John Tinker, who conducted business there with the Nashaway at the confluence of Nod Brook and the Nashua River. The Nashaway called the area Petapawag, meaning "swampy land." Other pioneers followed the Algonquian trails from Massachusetts Bay, as Tinker had. They found the region productive for fishing and farming.

The town was officially settled and incorporated in 1655, named for Groton in Suffolk, England. Called The Plantation of Groton, it included all of present-day Groton and Ayer, almost all of Pepperell and Shirley, large parts of Dunstable, Littleton, and Tyngsborough plus smaller parts of Harvard and Westford, as well as Nashua, New Hampshire and Hollis, New Hampshire.

During King Philip's War, on March 13, 1676, Indians burned all buildings except for four Groton garrisons. One of those killed was John Nutting, a Selectman at Groton. Survivors fled to Concord and other safe havens, but two years later returned to rebuild. Native Americans attacked the town again during the Raid on Groton in 1694 (King William's War).

In 1704 during Queen Anne's War, a French-Abenaki raid captured three Tarbell children among others, taking them to Kahnewake near Montreal for ransom, which was a thriving business between these opposing colonies. The two younger boys, John and Zachary, were adopted by Mohawk families and became fully assimilated, later marrying into the tribe and becoming chiefs. They were among the founders of Akwesasne, further upriver. Their sister Sarah was ransomed by a French family, converted to Catholicism and joined a Catholic order in Montreal. There are Tarbell-named descendants among Mohawk of Kahnewake in the 21st century.

In 1775, the common in front of the First Parish Church was an assembly area for Minutemen who fought in the Battle of Lexington and Concord.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, Groton has a total area of 33.7 square miles (87.3 km²), of which 32.8 square miles (84.9 km²) is land and 0.9 square miles (2.4 km²) (2.79%) is water. Groton is the largest town in Middlesex County in terms of square mileage. The town is drained by the Nashua River and Squannacook River. The center of the town is dominated mainly by Gibbet Hill, with several other large hills throughout the town.

Groton is served by state routes 40, 111, 119 and 225. It borders the towns of Pepperell, Dunstable, Tyngsborough, Westford, Littleton, Ayer, Shirley and Townsend.

Demographics

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1676	300	—
1765	1,408	+369.3%
1776	1,639	+16.4%
1790	1,840	+12.3%
1800	1,802	−2.1%
1810	1,886	+4.7%
1820	1,897	+0.6%
1830	1,925	+1.5%
1840	2,139	+11.1%
1850	2,515	+17.6%
1860	3,193	+27.0%
1870	3,584	+12.2%
1880	1,862	−48.0%
1890	2,057	+10.5%
1900	2,052	−0.2%
1910	2,155	+5.0%
1920	2,185	+1.4%
1930	2,434	+11.4%
1940	2,550	+4.8%
1950	2,889	+13.3%
1960	3,904	+35.1%
1970	5,109	+30.9%
1980	6,154	+20.5%
1990	7,511	+22.1%
2000	9,547	+27.1%
2010	10,646	+11.5%
2020	11,315	+6.3%
* = population estimate. Source: United States Census records and Population Estimates Program data.

As of the census of 2000, there were 9,547 people, 3,268 households, and 2,568 families residing in the town. The population density was 291.3 people per square mile (112.5/km²). There were 3,393 housing units at an average density of 103.5 per square mile (40.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.22% White, 0.35% Black or African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.97% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.27% from other races, and 1.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.14% of the population.

There were 3,268 households, out of which 46.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.0% were married couples living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.4% were non-families. Of all households 17.1% were made up of individuals, and 5.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.90 and the average family size was 3.31.

The age distribution of the town's population was 32.6% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 32.7% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 7.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $118,041, and the median income for a family was $136,653. Males had a median income of $101,117 versus $60,402 for females. The per capita income for the town was $44,756. About 1.1% of families and 1.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.0% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Points of interest

First Parish Church

1831 map of Groton

Gibbet Hill

Groton Historical Society & Museum
Gibbet Hill Castle
Kalliroscope Gallery
Autumn Hills Orchard
Grotonwood Camp and Conference Center
The Old Groton Inn
Groton Public Library
Groton School
Lawrence Academy

Buildings and structures

Gov. George S. Boutwell House
Indian Hill House
Groton Inn, burned down on the night of August 2, 2011

Conservation Land

Over 30% of the land in Groton, Massachusetts is protected open space. The majority of this open space is accessible to the public. Groton also has over 100 miles of trails. Many of these trails can be walked and biked, others are availably for hunting and/or camping. The trails are made and maintained by the Groton Trail Committee and the land itself is mannaged by the Groton Conservation Trust.

Sports

Groton annually hosts the National Shepley Hill Horse Trials, an equestrian competition. The Groton-Dunstable Crusaders high school boys and girls athletic teams also compete in the town.

Education

Public schools

District schools

Main page: Groton-Dunstable Regional School District

Boutwell School
Florence Roche Elementary School
Groton-Dunstable Regional Middle School
Groton-Dunstable Regional High School
Prescott Elementary School (closed after the 2007–2008 school year due to budget cuts)

Other public schools

Nashoba Valley Technical High School, Public Regional Vocational Technical High School located in Westford

Private schools

Groton School

Groton Community School
Country Day School of the Holy Union (Founded 1949 – closed 2017)
Lawrence Academy (Founded 1793 as Groton Academy)
Groton School (Founded 1884)
Lowthorpe School of Landscape Architecture (Founded 1901, merged with Rhode Island School of Design in 1945)

Notable people

Andy Anderson, US National Team and Groton School Rowing Coach and member of the National Rowing Hall of Fame
Charles William Bardeen, educator and publisher
John P. Bigelow, mayor of Boston
Timothy Bigelow, lawyer, and father of John
George Sewall Boutwell, governor and statesman
Bill Camp, actor
Samuel Dana, clergyman
Samuel Dana, congressman
Margaret Fuller, journalist, critic and women's rights activist
Timothy Fuller, U.S. Congressman, and father of Margaret
Peter Gammons, sports writer and analyst
J. Geils, founder of The J. Geils Band
Samuel Abbott Green, physician and mayor of Boston
Kevin Kastning, musician, composer and musical instrument inventor
Elizabeth Knapp, the Witch of Groton
Steve Kornacki, political writer and TV host
Abbott Lawrence, businessman, founder of Lawrence
Amos Lawrence, merchant and philanthropist
Amos Adams Lawrence, abolitionist and college founder
Samuel Lawrence, revolutionary and school founder
Barzillai Lew, soldier, fifer and drummer
Lydia Longley, "The First American Nun"
Paul Matisse, artist and inventor
Shabazz Napier, basketball player
Shelley Olds, professional cyclist who represented the United States in the 2012 Summer Olympics
Edward Saxton Payson, Esperantist, writer and translator
Otto Piene, German artist
Oliver Prescott, Massachusetts general, physician and judge
William Prescott, revolutionary soldier
William M. Richardson, U.S. Congressman
Job Shattuck, soldier, Shays' Rebellion agitator
Dan Shaughnessy, Boston sports columnist
Ether Shepley, US Senator from Maine
Lucius Edwin Smith, pastor of the Baptist church in Groton 1858–1865
Charles Warren Stone, US Congressman
Edmund C. Tarbell, artist, American Impressionist
Frank Bigelow Tarbell, professor and author
Samuel Willard, colonial minister
Simon Willard, colonist, father of Samuel

Images for kids

Lithograph of Groton from 1886 by L.R. Burleigh with list of landmarks

Groton, Massachusetts facts for kids

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