"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." (
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The marker is part of the Stabilization and Preservation of Fort Griswold, Phase 1, which reads:
In November 1775, Colonel Jedeiah Elderkin was directed by the Governor and the Council of Safety “to view the circumstances of the harbor at New London and neighboring places, and consider of the most proper place and manner of fortifying the same against our enemies.” Elderkin recommended the fortification of several places in New London and Groton including the summit of the hill on Groton Heights where, “It seems nature had prepared a place to plant cannon for the protection of the harbor.”
The river-side of the fort was designed so that artillery could command the river and port. It featured two projecting bastions and a low parapet, which offered maximum flexibility in directing the fire of the fort’s cannon. The landward side of the fort, which consisted of high parapet walls and embrasures for cannon, was designed to withstand infantry assault.
Fort Griswold ranks among the nation’s best-preserved Revolutionary War fortifications. Surviving earthworks include the remains of the ramparts and the parapets of the fort. Wooden platforms, upon which infantry and cannon once stood, were located on the interior faces of the earthworks. Over time, erosion has reduced the height of the parapets.
The phased stabilization project currently underway will help to preserve the fort from further deterioration.
The project will include rebuilding deteriorating stone walls, growth of a dense cover of grasses to prevent soil erosion, a long-term maintenance program, and enhancing interpretation of the fort as part of the Thames River Heritage Park.
"East of the river on Groton Heights, a completed work, Fort Griswold, commanded the harbor and the surrounding countryside. It was somewhat square with projecting fortifications on two corners and a projection on the east side. A deep trench surrounded the fort on three sides. The lower walls were faced with stone and were topped with a barrier of cedar pickets projecting outward. Above this was an earthen wall with openings (embrasures) for cannon. A tunnel-like passageway (sally port) led to a covered ditch, which ended at a battery for cannon southwest of the fort. A V-shaped earthen mound protected the gate at the north end. Barracks for 300 men paralleled the innermost wall and the magazine was set into the southwest bastion near the flagpole. The fort was in good condition and the magazine was full in 1781." (
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"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." (
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More about the Battle of Groton Heights can be found at: (
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