Events
******CANCELED DUE TO RAIN, NEW DATE TBD
Rev250: Tour of the Old Burying Ground
Saturday May 31, 2 PM
Old Burying Ground, Hollis Street
Revolutionary War Epitaphs: Tour the Old Burying Ground with Don Black, and View a British War Cannon
It’s all part of Revolutionary War Epitaphs, the first of several free public events celebrating the War for Independence hosted by the Groton History Center, and featuring Cemetery Commissioner Don Black’s fascinating tour of the Old Burying Ground focusing on Revolutionary War graves.
During the program, a Revolutionary war cannon will be on display in front of Legion Hall. Rescued from the clutches of a wisteria vine, restored, preserved, and exhaustively researched, after a long career the oldest Revolutionary War relic in the country, a British-made cast-iron cannon, resides in a nondescript trailer in Groton.
How the cannon came to town (on a dung cart after being smuggled off the warship Diana following the Battle of Bunker Hill) where it rusticated on Asa Lawrence’s farm (across from the current Johnson’s) and elsewhere for more than two centuries, and how, through a lucky circumstance it ended up in the late Earl Carter’s extremely capable hands… is a story worth hearing.
With a purist’s eye for authenticity and detail, Carter, a machinist, maverick collector of Groton historical ephemera, founder of the Myseum, and a former curator of the Groton History Center, replicated the original wooden carriage down to the last handmade nail. Years of research on his wife Bonnie Carter’s part secured the cannon’s irrefutable place in history.
Making the rounds to celebrated historical sites and reenactments, the cannon will be on display on Saturday, May 31st from 2 to 4 pm in front of the Legion Hall on Hollis Street, where Bonnie Carter and her grandson (and right-hand man) Devin Carter will share the cannon’s astonishing history.
Bring a portable stool or lawn chair if sitting is preferred, and join the GHC for this enlightening free event. Parking available along Hollis Street.
Juneteenth: Reading of the Emancipation Proclamation
Thursday, June 19, 11 AM to 2 PM
Gov. George S. Boutwell House, 172 Main Street
Join us at the Boutwell House for a reading of the Emancipation Proclamation. Sweet treats and cold drinks will be provided.
Open House
Saturday July 19, 11 AM to 2 PM
Gov. George S. Boutwell House, 172 Main Street
Take a tour of the Boutwell House.
Open House
Saturday August 16, 11 AM to 2 PM
Gov. George S. Boutwell House, 172 Main Street
Take a tour of the Boutwell House.
History of Lost Lake
Saturday September 13, 2 PM
Prescott Community Center, 145 Main Street
Learn about the history of Lost Lake from several different perspectives with a panel discussion.
Open House for GrotonFest Fall
Saturday September 27, 11 AM to 2 PM
Gov. George S. Boutwell House, 172 Main Street
Take a tour of the Boutwell House.
Annual Meeting
Sunday October 26, 2 PM
Groton (Senior) Center, 163 West Main Street
History of the Nashua River: panel discussion
Open House for GrotonFest Winter
Saturday December 6, 11 AM to 2 PM
Gov. George S. Boutwell House, 172 Main Street
Holiday cheer at the Boutwell House.