Groton ( ) is a town in

New London County, Connecticut New London County is a County (United States), county in the southeastern corner of Connecticut and comprises the Norwich, Connecticut, Norwich-New London, Connecticut Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Hartford, Conne ...

, United States, located on the

Thames River The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the ...

. It is the home of

General Dynamics Electric Boat General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB) is a subsidiary of General Dynamics Corporation. It has been the primary builder of submarines for the United States Navy for more than 100 years. The company's main facilities are a shipyard in Groton, Co ...

, which is the major contractor for submarine work for the United States Navy. The

Naval Submarine Base New London Naval Submarine Base New London is the primary United States Navy East Coast submarine base, also known as the "Home of the Submarine Force." It is located in Groton, Connecticut directly across the Thames River from its namesake city of New L ...

is located in Groton, and the pharmaceutical company

Pfizer Pfizer Inc. ( ) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Pharmaceutical industry, pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation headquartered at The Spiral (New York City), The Spiral in Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 184 ...

is also a major employer. Avery Point in Groton is home to a regional campus of the

University of Connecticut The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university system with its main campus in Storrs, Connecticut, United States. It was founded in 1881 as the Storrs Agricultural School, named after two benefactors. In 1893, ...

. The town is part of the Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region. The population was 38,411 at the 2020 census.

History

Groton was established in 1705 when it separated from New London. The town was named after

Groton, Suffolk Groton is a village and civil parish in the Babergh District, Babergh district, Suffolk, England, located around a mile north of the A1071 between Hadleigh, Suffolk, Hadleigh and Sudbury, Suffolk, Sudbury. In 2021 the parish had a population of ...

in England. A hundred years before it was established, the

Niantic people The Niantic ( ; Nehântick or Nehantucket) are a tribe of Algonquian-speaking American Indians who lived in the area of Connecticut and Rhode Island during the early colonial period. The tribe's name ''Nehântick'' means "of long-necked waters" ...

settled in the area between the

and

Pawcatuck River The Pawcatuck River is a river in the US states of Rhode Island and Connecticut flowing approximately .U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 There are eight da ...

, but they eventually settled in

Westerly, Rhode Island Westerly is a New England town, town on the Coast, southwestern coastline of Washington County, Rhode Island, Washington County, Rhode Island, United States, first settled by English colonists in 1661, and incorporated as a List of municipalitie ...

. The newcomers to the land were the

Pequot The Pequot ( ) are a Native Americans in the United States, Native American people of Connecticut. The modern Pequot are members of the federally recognized Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, four other state-recognized groups in Connecticut includin ...

s, a branch of the

Mohawk people The Mohawk, also known by their own name, (), are an Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous people of North America and the easternmost nation of the Haudenosaunee, or Iroquois Confederacy (also known as the Five Nations or later the ...

who moved eastward into the

Connecticut River The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges into Long Isl ...

Valley. The summer of 1614 was the first time that the Pequots encountered white settlers. They started trading furs for the settlers' goods, such as steel knives, needles, and boots. In 1633, the Dutch bought land from them and opened a fur trading post. Meanwhile, the English bought land for settlement from the local tribes. The Dutch had unintentionally killed the Pequots' chief, and this prompted revenge by the Pequot tribe, and this escalated into the

Pequot War The Pequot War was an armed conflict that took place in 1636 and ended in 1638 in New England, between the Pequot nation and an alliance of the colonists from the Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, and Saybrook colonies and their allies from the Na ...

(1636–1638). On the night of May 26, 1637, the Colonial forces arrived outside the Pequot village near the Mystic River. The

palisade A palisade, sometimes called a stakewall or a paling, is typically a row of closely placed, high vertical standing tree trunks or wooden or iron stakes used as a fence for enclosure or as a defensive wall. Palisades can form a stockade. Etymo ...

surrounding the village had only two exits, and their leader Colonel John Mason gave the order to set the village on fire and block off the exits. Those who tried climbing over the palisade were shot; anyone who succeeded in getting over was killed by the Narragansett forces. The land was poor for farming, but access to the region's waterways left room for commerce and trade, and Groton became a town of oceangoing settlers. Most of the community began to build ships, and soon traders made their way to

Massachusetts Bay Colony The Massachusetts Bay Colony (1628–1691), more formally the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, was an English settlement on the east coast of North America around Massachusetts Bay, one of the several colonies later reorganized as the Province of M ...

and

Plymouth Colony Plymouth Colony (sometimes spelled Plimouth) was the first permanent English colony in New England from 1620 and the third permanent English colony in America, after Newfoundland and the Jamestown Colony. It was settled by the passengers on t ...

to trade for food, tools, weapons, and clothing. John Leeds was the earliest shipbuilder, coming as a sea captain from

Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...

, England. He built a 20-ton

brigantine A brigantine is a two-masted sailing vessel with a fully square-rigged foremast and at least two sails on the main mast: a square topsail and a gaff sail mainsail (behind the mast). The main mast is the second and taller of the two masts. Ol ...

, a two-masted sailing ship with square-rigged sails on the foremast and fore-and-aft sails on the mainmast. Thomas Starr built a 67-ton square-sterned vessel, and Thomas Latham launched a 100-ton brig on the Groton bank with mast standing and fully rigged. The sturdy ships built in Groton engaged in highly profitable trade with the islands of the Caribbean.

American Revolution

On September 6, 1781, the

Battle of Groton Heights The Battle of Groton Heights (also known as the Battle of Fort Griswold, and occasionally called the Fort Griswold massacre) was a battle of the American Revolutionary War fought on September 6, 1781 between a small Connecticut militia force le ...

was fought between a combined force of state troops and local militia led by

William Ledyard Lieutenant-Colonel William Ledyard (December 6, 1738 – September 6, 1781) was an American military officer who served in the Connecticut Militia in the Revolutionary War. During the conflict, he commanded Fort Griswold in Groton, Connecticu ...

and British forces led by

Benedict Arnold Benedict Arnold (#Brandt, Brandt (1994), p. 4June 14, 1801) was an American-born British military officer who served during the American Revolutionary War. He fought with distinction for the American Continental Army and rose to the rank of ...

. No one at

Fort Griswold Fort Griswold is a former American defensive fortification in Groton, Connecticut named after Deputy Governor Matthew Griswold (governor), Matthew Griswold. The fort played a key role in the early stages of the American Revolutionary War, in corr ...

had expected an attack, especially after six years of false alarms. At sunrise, a force of 1,700 British regulars landed on both sides of the mouth of the Thames River. The fleet had sailed from

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...

the evening before, and only a sudden shift in the wind prevented a surprise attack during the night; it was 9 a.m. the next day before the transports could come ashore to land the troops. Across the Thames River in New London, Benedict Arnold was leading an 800-man detachment which destroyed stockpiles of goods and naval stores. His men set fire to a ship containing gunpowder which created an uncontrollable fire that destroyed most of New London. Meanwhile, a British force of 800 men moved toward Fort Griswold in Groton, which was garrisoned by 164 American troops. The British sent a flag of surrender to Fort Griswold, but Ledyard refused and returned it. Arnold's men then attacked, initiating the Battle of Groton Heights. After an initial repulse, the British succeeded in entering the fort and overpowering the small American garrison inside. The British suffered 52 killed and 145 wounded, while American casualties amounted to 85 killed and 60 wounded. Ledyard allegedly surrendered to a Loyalist officer,

Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

Stephen Bromfield, who purportedly killed him with own sword. Jonathan Rathbun described the surrender this way: A memorial for the battle was erected in 1830 for the 85 American soldiers who were killed at the fort. Fort Griswold is the only intact memorial in town left from the Revolutionary War. The monument has become the town's symbol and is now featured on the Groton town seal.

Early 19th century

Shortly after the Revolutionary War, Groton started to re-establish its commercial activities. Shipbuilders began to build again; ''Victory'' was launched in 1784, ''Success'' was launched in 1785, and five sloops were built in 1787, along with the 164-ton ''Nancy''. Shipbuilders along the

Mystic River The Mystic River is a riverU.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 in Massachusetts. In the Massachusett language, means "large estuary", alluding to the tidal ...

were the busiest. These ships went on trips to

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

, and the resulting profits made Mystic the most thriving part of the town. Between 1784 and 1800, 32 vessels were built in Groton. 28 more were built from 1800 to 1807, when business came to a sudden stop with the

Embargo Act The Embargo Act of 1807 was a general trade embargo on all foreign nations that was enacted by the United States Congress. Much broader than the ineffectual 1806 Non-importation Act, it represented an escalation of attempts to persuade Br ...

. In June 1812, the United States

declared war A declaration of war is a formal act by which one state announces existing or impending war activity against another. The declaration is a performative speech act (or the public signing of a document) by an authorized party of a national govern ...

on Great Britain. Most of the United States' small navy was landlocked in the Thames River. This frightened the people in Groton for fear that there would be a repeat of the Groton Heights massacre of 1781, and many residents fled inland for safety. Those that did not flee demanded protection and militia. These residents built a fort on a hill of rock that held one cannon and maintained constant guard. The fort was named Fort Rachel, after a woman that lived nearby. The British never attacked but created a blockade that ruined Groton's trade. Some men from Mystic lured a British barge to Groton Long Point on August 12, 1814, the day after the British attacked Stonington, gaining themselves 2,600 dollars in prize money; a minor event later known as " The Battle of Groton Long Point." The men in Mystic captured a sloop, the cargo of which they later sold for 6,000 dollars. Seventeen Mystic men also tried out a new weapon called the

spar torpedo A spar torpedo is a weapon consisting of a bomb placed at the end of a long pole, or spar, and attached to a boat. The weapon is used by running the end of the spar into the enemy ship. Spar torpedoes were often equipped with a barbed spear at ...

to rid themselves of the British blockade. They brought the torpedo from New York; it was long, in diameter, and had a crossbar at one end. The men failed to sink . On their first attempt, the torpedo went into the water; on the second attempt, the explosive caught on ''Ramillies'' cable and exploded. All the men made it safely to the shore while being fired at by the British ship and the American sentries at Eastern Point. Groton received word that the war was over on February 21, 1815. The land-locked

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...

s left the Thames in April, leaving Groton to resume its marine pursuits. After the War of 1812,

whaling Whaling is the hunting of whales for their products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that was important in the Industrial Revolution. Whaling was practiced as an organized industry as early as 875 AD. By the 16t ...

became a very important part of Groton's economy, but most of the expeditions were still for

seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, also called "true seal" ** Fur seal ** Eared seal * Seal ( ...

skins. Before 1820, sealers went to

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean (also known as the Antarctic Ocean), it contains the geographic South Pole. ...

, where their ships would drop them off. They would kill the seals and then prepare the skins for some weeks, until their ship returned for them. By 1830, whaling had become Mystic's main business. By 1846, Groton became one of the world's prime whaling ports. Whaling was difficult and dangerous, but boys would go out to sea to make their fortune, nonetheless, in the hope that some of them would eventually come to command a vessel. In 1865, Ebenezer Morgan made one of the most profitable voyages. He sold his cargo for $150,000. Three years later, he raised the first American flag on

Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...

n territory, and there he collected 45,000 seal skins. When he retired, it was said that his estate totaled up to $1 million. William H. Allen, another son of Groton, spent 25 years commanding a whale ship. Old sailors said that "whales rose to the surface and waited to be harpooned." When he retired, he spent 12 years working as a selectman.

Late 19th century

In 1849, the discovery of gold in California created a demand for speed that resulted in the creation of the

clipper ship A clipper was a type of mid-19th-century Merchant ship, merchant Sailing ship, sailing vessel, designed for speed. The term was also retrospectively applied to the Baltimore clipper, which originated in the late 18th century. Clippers were gen ...

, a fast sailing ship with multiple masts and a square rig. The most important vessel built at the Mystic River Shipyard was the clipper ship ''

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before Presidency of Andrew Jackson, his presidency, he rose to fame as a general in the U.S. Army and served in both houses ...

''. In 1859, it sailed from New York City to San Francisco in a record time of 89 days and 4 hours. Both clippers and sailing packets were built in the shipyards of the Mystic River at that time. The Mystic shipyards started building ships with a greater cargo capacity after the Civil War.

Gideon Welles Gideon Welles (July 1, 1802 – February 11, 1878) was an American government official who was the United States Secretary of the Navy from 1861 to 1869, a cabinet post he was awarded after supporting Abraham Lincoln in the 1860 election. Althou ...

Secretary of the Navy The Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department within the United States Department of Defense. On March 25, 2025, John Phelan was confirm ...

during the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, wanted three experimental

ironclad An ironclad was a steam engine, steam-propelled warship protected by iron armour, steel or iron armor constructed from 1859 to the early 1890s. The ironclad was developed as a result of the vulnerability of wooden warships to explosive or ince ...

steamers to be built in private shipyards and used against the Confederacy's wooden fleet. A company in Groton was chosen to build a bomb-proof steamer designed by C.S. Bushnell of

New Haven New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is the third largest city in Co ...

. 100 men were hired, and a big shed was built so that construction could continue rain or shine. The ship was ready for launching in 130 days. There were many skeptics who believed that the ship would sink or corrode once it hit the salt water, and there were very few who thought that it might float. Thousands came to watch 's launch on Valentine's Day 1862. Reporters commented that she floated like a duck. When it came time for ''Galena'' to enter battle, she was pierced 13 times. Thirteen of the crew members were killed and 11 were wounded from flying metal fragments. During the Civil War, 56 steamships were built for government service in shipyards on both sides of the Mystic River. After the war, there were dozens of excess war steamships and, after 1870, shipbuilding moved up to Noank within the Groton town limits. One of the largest shipyards was Palmer Shipyard, established in Noank in 1827. A marine railway built in Groton in 1860 allowed them to pull vessels out of the water for repairs, which brought in a lot of business and money. The shipyard was running up to 1913 when one of the Palmer brothers died, but during World War I the shipyard was used again. Iron ships began to be demanded, and their construction attracted workers to Groton. Housing was beginning to run short, so Groton Realty had to hurry to build hotels and cottages. The ships which brought the workers in turn also brought more business to the Realty. The

was founded in Groton in 1872 as the New London Navy Yard. Submarines were first based there in 1915, and in 1916 it was officially renamed a submarine base. Groton used to include what is now the town of Ledyard, which separated from Groton in 1836. The original center of Groton is still known as Center Groton at the present-day intersection of Route 184 and Route 117, now in the north-central part of town, due to the departure of Ledyard to the north. Groton Center was the location of the town's first school, church, tavern, and stagecoach shop.

20th century

In the 20th century, the shipbuilding industry moved from the Mystic River to the Thames River.

Electric Boat An electric boat is a powered watercraft driven by electric motors, which are powered by either on-board battery packs, solar panels or generators. While a significant majority of water vessels are powered by diesel engines, with sail power ...

is the town's largest employer. However, until 1931, submarines designed by Electric Boat were subcontracted to other shipyards, primarily

Fore River Shipbuilding Fore River Shipyard was a shipyard owned by General Dynamics Corporation located on Weymouth Fore River in Braintree and Quincy, Massachusetts. It began operations in 1883 in Braintree, and moved to its final location on Quincy Point in 1901. I ...

Quincy, Massachusetts Quincy ( ) is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the largest city in the county. Quincy is part of the Greater Boston area as one of Boston's immediate southern suburbs. Its population in ...

. Electric Boat commenced industrial operations in Groton with the establishment of the New London Ship and Engine Company (NELSECO) as a subsidiary in 1911. NELSECO was the primary engine manufacturer for Electric Boat-designed submarines 1911–1925. In 1931, was laid down as the first submarine built in Groton. During World War II, Electric Boat completed submarines every two weeks. In 1954, Electric Boat launched , the world's first

nuclear-powered submarine A nuclear submarine is a submarine powered by a nuclear reactor, but not necessarily nuclear-armed. Nuclear submarines have considerable performance advantages over "conventional" (typically diesel-electric) submarines. Nuclear propulsion, ...

. Presently, ''Nautilus'' is decommissioned and open for visitors, permanently berthed at the U.S. Navy

Submarine Force Library and Museum The United States Navy Submarine Force Library and Museum is located on the Thames River in Groton, Connecticut. It is the only submarine museum managed exclusively by the Naval History & Heritage Command division of the Navy, and this makes it a ...

. Groton is sometimes referred to as the "Submarine Capital of the World," due to the long-standing history of submarines in the town, and the fact that Groton has one of the largest submarine bases in the world. The National World War II Submarine Memorial East is located in Groton, including parts of . The Groton and Stonington Street Railway was a trolley line that was created in 1904 to serve the Groton area. The trolley was dismantled and replaced by buses in 1928.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 31.47%, is water.

Principal communities

* Burnett's Corner—

historic district A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains historic building, older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal p ...

located along Packer Road south of Route 184 * Center Groton * City of Groton—located along the

** Groton Heights or Groton Bank—historic district in the northern part of the city area *

Groton Long Point Groton Long Point (GLP) is located within the town of Groton, on Fishers Island Sound, in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The year-round population was 518 at the 2010 census. The area is administered by the Groton Long Point ...

* Long Hill * Mystic (06355)—primarily in the neighboring town of Stonington, but a small portion (West Mystic) is in Groton * Noank *

Old Mystic Old Mystic is a village and census-designated place (CDP) located in the town of Groton, Connecticut, United States. The population was 3,554 at the 2010 census. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area ...

* Poquonnock Bridge ** Fort Hill * Submarine Base area (Census designation: "Conning Towers-Nautilus Park") Other minor communities and geographic features are Bluff Point, Eastern Point, Esker Point, Jupiter Point, Mumford Cove, and West Pleasant Valley.

Climate

Groton has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

(''Dfa'') that closely borders a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(''Dfa'').

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 39,907 people, 15,473 households, and 9,980 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 16,817 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 83.61%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 6.95%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.83% Native American, 3.33% Asian, 0.17%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 1.66% from other races, and 3.45% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 5.01% of the population. There were 15,473 households, out of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.5% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.5% were non-families. 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.99. In the town, the age distribution of the population shows 24.8% under the age of 18, 11.8% from 18 to 24, 33.0% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.5 males. The median income for a household in the town was $46,154, and the median income for a family was $51,402. Males had a median income of $36,204 versus $30,255 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $23,995. About 4.9% of families and 6.1% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 8.0% of those under age 18 and 6.1% of those age 65 or over.

Government

The Town of Groton has a Town Council consisting of 9 members, along with a Representative Town Meeting. The Town has a Town Council/Town Manager form of Government. The current mayor is Rachael Franco. The current Town Manager is John Burt.

Industry

There are two major companies in Groton:

and

. The Electric Boat plant on the eastern shore of the Thames River employs 10,500 people in the community. Pfizer is one of the world's largest

pharmaceutical Medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal product, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy ( pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the ...

companies, and the company maintains a research and development facility in Groton.

Top employers

According to the Town's 2022 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers are:

Education

There are many schools in the Groton area.

Public schools

Groton Public Schools is the local school district serving Groton, operating elementary, middle and high school locations.

Independent high schools

*Marine Science Magnet High School * E.T. Grasso/Southeastern Technical High School, a technical school which serves Groton and surrounding communities

Higher education

*Avery Point campus of the

Transportation

Groton is served by Southeast Area Transit District, the local area bus service district. Through SEAT, there are connections to neighboring

New London, CT New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States, located at the outlet of the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut, which empties into Long Island Sound. The city is part of the Southeaste ...

and

Norwich, CT Norwich ( ) is a city in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The Yantic, Shetucket, and Quinebaug Rivers flow into the city and form its harbor, from which the Thames River flows south to Long Island Sound. The city is part of the ...

. Despite there being a freight rail line running through Groton off of the

Northeast Corridor The Northeast Corridor (NEC) is an electrified railroad line in the Northeast megalopolis of the United States. Owned primarily by Amtrak, it runs from Boston in the north to Washington, D.C., in the south, with major stops in Providence, Rhod ...

, there is no passenger rail service serving Groton at this time. The nearest passenger rail station is across the

in New London, CT, being served by

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

and the CT DOT's Shoreline East commuter service. Air travel is provided by Groton-New London Airport, a state-owned public-use airport in the southeast section of Groton. Since 2004, Groton-New London has not had scheduled passenger service, but has intermittently offered charter services with small local airlines. The nearest airports providing scheduled passenger service are Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport in Rhode Island, and

Bradley International Airport Bradley International Airport – historically known as Bradley Field – is a public international airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, Windsor Locks, Connecticut, United States. Owned and operated by the Connecticut Airport Authority, Con ...

in Hartford.

Notable people

Robert G. Albion Robert Greenhalgh Albion (August 15, 1896 in Malden, Massachusetts – August 9, 1983 in Groton, Connecticut) was Harvard's first professor of Oceanic History and inspired two generations of maritime historians in the United States. Early life a ...

(1896–1983), influential maritime historian who died in Groton * Brian Anderson (born 1976), professional skateboarder *

James Avery James La Rue Avery (November 27, 1945 – December 31, 2013) was an American actor. He was best known for his roles as Philip Banks in ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'', Judge Michael Conover on ''L.A. Law'', Steve Yeager in '' The Brady Bunch M ...

(1620–1700), captain of the New London militia company during

King Philip's War King Philip's War (sometimes called the First Indian War, Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, Pometacomet's Rebellion, or Metacom's Rebellion) was an armed conflict in 1675–1678 between a group of indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodland ...

Waightstill Avery Waightstill Avery (10 May 1741 – 15 March 1821) was an early American lawyer and officer in the North Carolina militia during the American Revolution. He is noted for fighting a duel with future U.S. president Andrew Jackson in 1788. Famil ...

(1741–1821), North Carolina politician, soldier in the American Revolutionary War, participant in a duel with

James Cook Ayer James Cook Ayer (May 5, 1818 – July 3, 1878) was the wealthiest patent medicine A patent medicine (sometimes called a proprietary medicine) is a non-prescription medicine or medicinal preparation that is typically protected and adver ...

(1818–1878), patent medicine businessman and industrialist * Anna Warner Bailey (1758–1851), popular revolutionary hero *

Ambrose Burfoot Ambrose Joel Burfoot (born August 19, 1946) is an American former marathoner whose peak competitive years came in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He was the winner of the 1968 Boston Marathon. After retiring from competition, he became a running ...

(born 1946), marathoner who grew up in Groton *

Latham A. Burrows Latham Avery Burrows (August 30, 1792 Groton, New London County, Connecticut – September 25, 1855 Buffalo, Erie County, New York) was an American politician from New York. Life He was the son of Rev. Roswell Burrows (1768–1837) and Jerusha ...

, former state senator * Lorenzo Burrows, former US congressman *

Dave Campo David Cross Campo (born July 18, 1947) is an American football coach and former player. Campo served as the head coach for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL) from 2000 to 2002, compiling a record of 15 wins and 33 losses. He ...

, NFL coach and a graduate of Fitch Senior High School *

Nathan Daboll Nathan Daboll ( – March 9, 1818) was an American teacher who wrote the mathematics textbook most commonly used in American schools in the first half of the 19th century. During the course of his career, he also operated a popular navigation sch ...

(1780–1863), politician, judge, textbook author, and almanac publisher *

Silas Deane Silas Deane (September 23, 1789) was an American merchant, politician, and diplomat, and a supporter of American independence. Deane served as a delegate to the Continental Congress, where he signed the Continental Association, and then became t ...

(1737–1789), delegate to the Continental Congress and the United States' first foreign diplomat; born in Groton *

Jesse Hahn Jesse Allen Hahn (born July 30, 1989) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Seattle Mariners organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Oakland Athletics, and Kansas City Royals. ...

(born 1989),

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...

Pitcher, and a graduate of Fitch Senior High School * George Hall,

Arena Football League The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 Arena Football League season, 1987 season, making it the third longest-runnin ...

player, 2008, graduate of Fitch Senior High School *

Matt Harvey Matthew Edward Harvey (born March 27, 1989), nicknamed "the Dark Knight", is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played nine seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Angels, Kan ...

(born 1989),

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...

Pitcher, graduate of Fitch Senior High School * John J. Kelley (1930–2011), winner of the 1957

Boston Marathon The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon race hosted by eight cities and towns in greater Boston in eastern Massachusetts, United States. It is traditionally held on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897, the event was ins ...

, member of two U.S. Olympic marathon teams * Husband E. Kimmel (1882–1968), U.S. Navy

admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...

and commander of the Pacific Fleet at the time of attack on Pearl Harbor, died in Groton *

John Ledyard John Ledyard (November 1751 – 10 January 1789) was an American explorer and adventurer. Early life Ledyard was born in Groton, Connecticut, in November 1751. He was the first child of Abigail Youngs Ledyard and Capt. John Ledyard Jr, son o ...

(1751–1789), international explorer born in Groton *

(1738–1781), commander of Fort Griswold and killed in the attack on it * Fran Mainella, National Park Service Director, 2001–2006, graduate of Fitch Senior High School * Paul Menhart, former

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...

pitcher, graduate of Fitch Senior High School * Lou Palazzi (1921–2007),

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...

player and umpire born in Groton * Thomas Rogers (1792–1856), builder of innovative locomotives, born in Groton *

Samuel Seabury Samuel Seabury (November 30, 1729February 25, 1796) was the first American Episcopal bishop, the second Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, and the first Bishop of Connecticut. He was a leading Loyalis ...

(1729–1796), first American Episcopal bishop, born in Groton *

Elijah F. Smith Elijah F. Smith (December 1792 – September 12, 1879) was the 8th mayor of Rochester, New York. Biography Smith came to Rochester from Groton, Connecticut in 1826 when he opened a store, Smith & Perkins, on Main Street. He became involved ...

, 8th

mayor of Rochester, New York The following is the complete list of the mayors of the city of Rochester, New York. Rochester's city charter defines the mayor as the chief executive of the city, empowered to enforce all local laws and make appointments to all appointed local ...

* Tookoolito (1838–1876), famous

Inuit Inuit (singular: Inuk) are a group of culturally and historically similar Indigenous peoples traditionally inhabiting the Arctic and Subarctic regions of North America and Russia, including Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwe ...

guide to Arctic explorers, lived in Groton and is buried there in the Starr Burying Ground * Cassin Young (1894–1942), U.S. Navy officer awarded the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

* James Y. Smith, 29th

governor of Rhode Island The governor of Rhode Island is the head of government of the U.S. state of Rhode Island and serves as commander-in-chief of the state's Army National Guard and Air National Guard. The current governor is Dan McKee, a member of the Democrati ...

Points of interest

Branford House The Branford House is located in Groton, Connecticut, on the campus of UConn Avery Point, which rents it out for events. Branford House was built in 1902 for Morton Freeman Plant, a local financier and philanthropist, as his summer home; he ...

and Alexey von Schlippe Gallery of Art *

Groton Monument The Groton Monument, sometimes called the Fort Griswold Monument, is a granite obelisk in Groton, Connecticut dedicated to the defenders who fell during the Battle of Groton Heights on September 6, 1781. The monument bears a plaque describing t ...

, one of the oldest

obelisk An obelisk (; , diminutive of (') ' spit, nail, pointed pillar') is a tall, slender, tapered monument with four sides and a pyramidal or pyramidion top. Originally constructed by Ancient Egyptians and called ''tekhenu'', the Greeks used th ...

s in the United States * Gungywamp archaeological site * New London Ledge Light *

Pequot Fort The Pequot Fort was a fortified Native American village in what is now the Groton side of Mystic, Connecticut, United States. Located atop a ridge overlooking the Mystic River, it was a palisaded settlement of the Pequot tribe until its destruc ...

* Jabez Smith House * U.S. Navy Submarine Force Library and Museum, including * Edward Yeomans House *

Ebenezer Avery House The Ebenezer Avery House was originally located on Latham Street and Thames Street in Groton, Connecticut. The construction date is unknown, but it is believed to be from the 1760s and was the house of Ebenezer Avery. It was the home where the ...

Gallery

File:Brownell Charles DeWolf From The Ocean House Groton.jpg, ''From the Ocean House, Groton'' () by Charles DeWolf Brownell File:Shot Furnace at Fort Griswold.jpg, The

shot furnace Heated shot or hot shot is round shot that is heated before firing from muzzle-loading cannons, for the purpose of setting fire to enemy warships, buildings, or equipment. The use of heated shot dates back centuries. It was a powerful weapon again ...

at Fort Griswold File:MysticTown.JPG, The Groton part of downtown Mystic File:Morgan Point Lighthouse.jpg,

Morgan Point Light Morgan Point Lighthouse is a lighthouse in Noank, Connecticut, United States, on the west side of the mouth of the Mystic River. History In 1831 the original granite tower was built. However, there were many complaints that the light was too di ...

is located in Noank in southeastern Groton.

References

External links

Town of Groton official website
{{Authority control 1705 establishments in Connecticut Populated coastal places in Connecticut Populated places established in 1705 Populated places on the Thames River (Connecticut) Towns in Connecticut Towns in New London County, Connecticut Towns in Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut