Boutwell House

Our Center

The Boutwell House is located at 172 Main Street and is home to the Groton History Center. The house was built in 1851 for George S. Boutwell who was Governor of Massachusetts at the time. He and his family were the only occupants of the house and when his daughter Georgianna passed away in 1933 she left the house to the Groton Historical Society.

In 2010, after suffering extensive water damage, the home was renovated, thanks to grants from the Community Preservation Fund and the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund. Renovations included new wiring and plumbing, plaster replacement, a fire suppression system and a new furnace.

The most recent renovations to the interior and exterior of the house were begun in early 2016 and completed November 2016. This included new carpeting throughout most of the house, as well as new paint or wallpaper in most of the rooms and painting of the exterior.

Currently the Boutwell House is used to both display period furniture and decorative arts and showcase special exhibits in the rotating exhibit gallery.

Visit and see:

  • The room and bed that President Grant slept in when he spent the night in Groton on June 16, 1869. The bed is the original 19th century sleigh bed and was used for decades by Georgianna.
  • 19th and 20th century maps of Groton, including a hand painted tercentenary map by Dana Somes made for the Groton Historical Society showing the town center from 1930
  • Governor George Boutwell’s desk and the chair he used as US Senator. This room includes his extensive book collection and the standing desk and stool from the general store on Main Street where he worked with Henry Woods during his early career
  • Massachusetts Tall case clocks
  • The kitchen contains a period piece stove recently restored and an icebox. The sinks are made of soapstone and installed in the early 20th century. At the back of the kitchen is a small pantry with Shaker Baskets, Sieves and Oval Boxes.

The Groton History Center office at the Boutwell House is open on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays from 10 AM to 2 PM. Please make an appointment for tours or research visits during these hours.

Additionally the Boutwell House is open on Fridays from 1-4 PM for walk-in visits.

Museum Guide

This museum guide provides a room-by-room overview of the Boutwell House, highlighting the lives of Governor George Sewall Boutwell and his family, as well as the furnishings, artifacts, and historical exhibits displayed throughout the house. It also explains the history of the Groton Historical Society, the significance of its collections, and how the museum preserves and interprets Groton’s history from the colonial era to the present.
View Museum Guide (PDF)

Related Information

Around the Boutwell House

Throughout the house are a collection of items and paintings from the long history of the Boutwell family, and items from Groton history in general.