The Groton Monument, sometimes called the Fort Griswold Monument, is a granite monument in

Groton, Connecticut Groton is a town in New London County, Connecticut located on the Thames River. It is the home of General Dynamics Electric Boat, which is the major contractor for submarine work for the United States Navy. The Naval Submarine Base New London is ...

. It is dedicated to the defenders who fell during 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 ...

on September 6, 1781. The monument was originally high, but it was changed in 1881 to commemorate the centennial of the Battle of Groton Heights; the cupola was removed and replaced by an iron-capped pyramid in emulation of the

Bunker Hill Monument The Bunker Hill Monument is a monument erected at the site of the Battle of Bunker Hill in Boston, Massachusetts, which was among the first major battles between the Red Coats and Patriots in the American Revolutionary War. The 221-foot (67 m) gran ...

. The Groton monument bears a plaque describing the events of the Battle of Groton Heights, and another plaque with the names of the Americans who died in the battle. Lightning destroyed the capstone in 1918 and damaged the adjacent Monument House Museum which features exhibits about the Revolutionary War. Visitors can climb the monument and visit the museum from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The Groton Monument is located in Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park, which includes

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

Design

The Groton Monument Association was incorporated in 1820 and hired the partnership of

Ithiel Town Ithiel Town (October 3, 1784 – June 13, 1844) was an American architect and civil engineer. One of the first generation of professional architects in the United States, Town made significant contributions to American architecture in the ...

and

Alexander Jackson Davis Alexander Jackson Davis, or A. J. Davis (July 24, 1803 – January 14, 1892), was an American architect, known particularly for his association with the Gothic Revival style. Education Davis was born in New York City and studied at t ...

to design the monument. The cornerstone was laid on September 6, 1825 and the monument was completed in 1830. It was originally high, but this was changed in 1881 to commemorate the centennial of the Battle of Groton Heights when the cupola was removed and replaced by an iron-capped pyramid in emulation of the

.John Zukowsky, "Monumental American Obelisks: Centennial Vistas," ''The Art Bulletin'', Vol. 58, No. 4 (December 1976), pp. 574-581 As a result of these renovations, the height was extended to high. Benedict Arnold Groton

A plaque affixed to the monument above the entrance reads:
"THIS MONUMENT WAS ERECTED UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT, A.D. 1830, AND IN THE 55TH YEAR OF THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE U.S.A. IN MEMORY OF THE BRAVE PATRIOTS, WHO FELL IN THE MASSACRE AT FORT GRISWOLD, NEAR THIS SPOT, ON THE 6TH OF SEPT. A.D. 1781, WHEN THE BRITISH, UNDER THE COMMAND OF THE TRAITOR, BENEDICT ARNOLD, BURNT THE TOWNS OF NEW LONDON AND GROTON, AND SPREAD DESOLATION AND WOE THROUGHOUT THIS REGION." Another plaque lists the 88 American soldiers who were killed during the battle. It has seven minor spelling errors in naming, such as "Thomas Minard" for Thomas Miner. The plaque includes at least two African American soldiers.''

Congressional Record The ''Congressional Record'' is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress, published by the United States Government Publishing Office and issued when Congress is in session. The Congressional Record Inde ...

'' vol
2
p. 407 (January 6, 1874)

Repairs

The monument was repaired and the grounds were renovated with an appropriation of $5,000 from the State of Connecticut in 1893 and completed by early 1894. Lightning struck the monument in 1918, shattering the capstone and sending the pieces to the ground, then traveling through the brass railings and scattering the cards in one of the wire-racks. The lightning also jumped to the monument house and damaged the veranda, raising the brick tiling on the floor and doing minor damage inside the museum. Frederic Bill could not find a fitting match for the original capstone. In 1985,

Hurricane Gloria Hurricane Gloria was a powerful hurricane that caused significant damage along the east coast of the United States and in Atlantic Canada during the 1985 Atlantic hurricane season. It was the first significant tropical cyclone to strike the n ...

blew out a window of the monument, and the State of Connecticut spent $6,250 to re-mortar it in 1986. The monument was closed until 1989 for the repair work. In 2007, Carol Kimball of the New London ''Day'' wrote that the State of Connecticut was not funding repairs to the historic site, but it would be required if the monument were to survive. She also referred to a ''New York Times'' article on the neglected monument and pointed out that the bond commission had yet to issue the approved $350,000 for its preservation. Other repairs would cost an additional $150,000, including sidewalks surrounding the entrance and the memorial gate.

References

External links

{{coord, 41.3550, -72.0794, type:landmark_region:US-CT, display=title 1830 establishments in Connecticut 1830 sculptures American Revolutionary War monuments and memorials American Revolutionary War sites Buildings and structures in New London County, Connecticut Cultural infrastructure completed in 1830 Granite sculptures in Connecticut Military in Connecticut Monuments and memorials in Connecticut Obelisks in the United States

Design

Repairs

See also

References

External links