Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park, Part 1
For the 250th anniversary of the United States, I took a three-day patriotic trip to the Thames River National Heritage Park in Groton and New London, CT. For the next few weeks, I will cover the historical sites in that area, starting with two parts on Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park. In the first part, I will cover the Groton Monument, the Monument House Museum, and other historical sites around the park. In the second part, I will cover the inside of Fort Griswold and Ebenezer Avery House, along with a more detailed story about the battle for which it is known.
Americans love a good obelisk, and the Groton Monument is no exception. With a construction period between 1826 and 1830, it predates the completed Washington Monument by fifty-four years and the completed Bunker Hill Monument by thirteen years. In fact, it claims to be the oldest obelisk-style monument with an internal staircase in the United States. The staircase contains 166, and I climbed every one of them to get to the top. The views of the battlefield, library, and former school building from the top are spectacular and worth the effort. However, climbers should be cautious when ascending and descending the stairs. Even as an athletic person, I was tired after the climb, especially because the stairs wind so tightly. At the bottom of the obelisk are an array of other monuments, including a granite slab dedicated to Groton veterans in all wars and a cannon from the Spanish-American War.
Beside the monument is the Monument House Museum. Before the monument was taken over by the Connecticut Parks, the building was home to a caretaker from the time it was constructed in 1830, along with a meeting place for a local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) beginning in 1894. The building has undergone a few alterations since that time, the most significant being the addition of stained glass windows in 1902. The largest of these windows honors Jonathan Brooks, who was fourteen in 1781 when the battle took place. Besides the trauma of seeing much of his city burned and the bodies of his neighbors who had died in the fighting, his sister died of a lightning strike five years later. In his obituary, he was reported to visit the family tomb every day as he also buried his parents and his first wife. Brooks lived to age 80 and allegedly called “Attention Universe” during a storm when the annual anniversary commemoration of the battle had been canceled due to inclement weather. Other artifacts in the museum include reproduction uniforms, a diorama, and other personal belongings from the era.
Behind the Monument House Museum and the former school building is the Civil War Memorial “erected by Robert A. Gray and dedicated to the memory of his brave comrades”. The memorial is a standard catalogue design with mix-and-match tiers. The soldier at the top is more dynamic than many models, as he appears to stare forlornly into the distance rather than blankly ahead. Also near the monument is Bill Memorial Library, named for benefactor Frederic Bill and his sisters, Eliza and Harriet. The library organization opened in 1888, while the building was completed in 1890. The Richardson Romanesque style building is constructed mainly of light brown granite from Stony Creek, CT with the edges trimmed by reddish-brown freestone from Maynard, MA. With the grounds complete, it was time to head inside the fort!
