"Local residents killed and wounded during the American Revolution’s Battle of Groton Heights are honored with a large granite obelisk near the site of Fort Griswold.
The Groton Battle Monument, dedicated in 1830, honors the more than 80 men killed defending the fort during a British raid on September 6, 1781.
The dedication plaque inside the monument’s entranceway list the names of American defenders killed during the battle. The marker was originally part of the monument’s south face, facing the fort, but was moved to protect it from the elements." (
visit link)
"The Groton Monument, sometimes called the Fort Griswold Monument is a granite monument in Groton, Connecticut.
It is dedicated to the defenders who fell during the Battle of Groton Heights on September 6, 1781. Built between 1826 and 1830, the Monument stands 135 feet tall with 166 steps. The adjacent Monument House Museum features exhibits about the Revolutionary War and is operated by the Daughters of the American Revolution. Visitors can climb the monument and visit the museum from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
The monument was designed by the partnership of Ithiel Town and Alexander Jackson Davis. It was begun in 1826 and completed in 1830. The monument was originally topped by a cupola. 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." (
visit link)
Above the doorway, which leads to the 166 step to the top of the monument, is an historical marker, which 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.
"This is the historic site where, on September 6, 1781, British Forces, commanded by the infamous Benedict Arnold, captured the Fort and massacred 88 of the 165 defenders stationed there. The Ebenezer Avery House which sheltered the wounded after the battle has been restored on the grounds. A Revolutionary War museum also depicts the era. Fort Griswold was designated as a state park in 1953." (
visit link)
"Fort Griswold is a former American military base in Groton, Connecticut. Named after then Deputy Governor Matthew Griswold, the fort played a key role in the early stages of the American Revolutionary War. In tandem with Fort Trumbull on the opposite side of the harbor, Griswold served to defend the port of New London, a supply center for the new Continental Army and a friendly port for Connecticut-sanctioned privateers who preyed on British ships.
The State of Connecticut now owns and operates the site as Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park. The site includes the restored earthwork battery, cannons, and a later period shot furnace and powder magazine. The grounds include several monuments and memorials to state residents who fought in different wars:
The Groton Monument, a granite monument dedicated to the defenders who fell during the Battle of Groton Heights. Built between 1826 and 1830, the Monument stands 135 feet (41 m) tall with 166 steps.
The adjacent Monument House Museum which features exhibits about the Revolutionary War and is operated by the Daughters of the American Revolution. Visitors can climb the monument and visit the museum from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
The Ebenezer Avery House, which sheltered the wounded after the battle, is a Revolutionary-period historic house museum that is open for tours on summer weekends." (
visit link)