Groton History Center

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Groton, MA
Groton History Center

Founded in 1894 to preserve and share the history of Groton. Office hours are Mondays and Thursdays. Boutwell.

The Groton Historical Society was incorporated in 1894 and since then has acquired artifacts, documents and historical memorabilia that are significant to the history and lives of the residents of Groton. In 1933 the Society received the generous gift of Governor George S. Boutwell’s home from the estate of his daughter and founding member of the Historical Society, Georgianna A. This gift has all

owed the Groton Historical Society to display and house the collections that it has acquired. In addition to serving the community as a museum, the Groton Historical Society actively publishes books and pamphlets and works with other organizations in town to promote Groton’s history. It also publishes a quarterly newsletter for members, holds quarterly historical programs which are open to the public and cover a wide range of topics relating to Groton’s history. The society provides assistance to genealogical researchers and offers educational tours of the Boutwell House.

05/29/2026

Our terrifically talented intern Annabella is back with us for the summer and we can't be more excited about the project she's heading up...

05/22/2026

Have you ever wondered what your grade school classmates are up to these days? We had an excellent visit with David Noble yesterday. Now living in New Mexico, David grew up in Groton and spent a number of his school years here. Since then he has had a career in writing, photography and southwest archaeology-often merging all three interests. In 2019 David donated a large collection of birds carved by Harvey Sargisson that were collected by his mother. Thank you, David, for the nice visit, engaging chat, and continued interest in the history of Groton.

05/07/2026

The Boutwell House will be closed to the public today and tomorrow (Thursday May 7th and Friday May 8th) as our new UV window film is installed. The film will protect our interior furnishings and collections from damaging rays and-as an added bonus-will also increase our heating/cooling efficiency. This work is part of our FY2025 CPC Boutwell Property Security, Safety, and Preservation project.

04/27/2026

History Mystery Monday! This stone ax head has had an interesting and perplexing journey. Based on accompanying correspondence, the tool was dug up in Groton on a farm on Old Ayer Road sometime during the first half of the 20th century. It was then gifted to a Podiatrist practicing in Nashua. Letters back and forth between several parties indicate a disagreement about ownership. A note to the Doctor (written in 1954) actually includes an offer to purchase the tool so that it can be given to the Groton Historical Society.

Somehow this ax head ended up at the Lunenburg Historical Society. Why Lunenburg? Preliminary research offers no indication that the Doctor nor any of his immediate family had any ties to the town.

The Lunenburg Historical Society recently generously donated the ax head to the Groton History Center.

04/16/2026

Happy belated Tax Day….

04/10/2026

In 1956/7 Groton 7th grader Carole Thompson won first prize in a Seventeen Magazine contest and had her painting featured in the January 1957 issue.

04/03/2026

"By Farm and By Hand Map: A celebration of Agriculture & Art in Groton," 2006

03/27/2026

From the archives...

This notice concerns the March 3, 1823 vote for Town Clerk in Groton. One hundred and sixty-three votes were cast, but it was later determined that a vote given by Luther Sheple should not have been counted as he was not a legal voter in town and therefore the entire vote for Town Clerk was "not then legally made."

12/20/2025

Continental Currency
Groton History Center, Groton, MA

Revolutions run on ideals, but they also run on money. Beginning in 1775, the Continental Congress issued Continental currency to keep the fight alive. It paid soldiers, bought supplies, and propped up a brand new government still inventing itself in real time. In total, Congress authorized 226 million Spanish milled dollars, the common monetary standard of the era.

There was just one problem. This money was backed by hope, not gold or silver. Its value rested on future tax revenue and collective faith. Counterfeiters moved fast, flooding the market and forcing entire series of bills out of circulation. Massachusetts led the charge in issuing its own currency to cover war costs, which only sped up depreciation.

By 1779, production stopped altogether. Soon after, it took $100 in Continental currency to buy just $1 in gold or silver. Some surviving notes bear punched holes, a quiet but decisive mark of cancellation. These fragile scraps of paper tell a blunt truth. Independence was expensive, uncertain, and built on risk.

Seen here are examples of 1775 and 1776 Continental Currency from the collection of the Groton History Center.

📍 Groton, MA
🖼️ Image credit: Groton History Center

Address

172 Main Street
Groton, MA
01450

Telephone

(978) 448-0092

Website

http://www.grotonhistory.org/

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