USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Groton > Tercentenary, 1655-1955, Groton, Massachusetts > Part 8
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What happened is a little uncertain. The project was abandoned, the property divided and sold, and the Bancrofts moved away.
On one 4th of July the building on the hill was burned. All that remains of Gen- eral Bancroft's dream are the ruins of the stone tower and the little lodge house back of the gateway on Main Street.
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THE JOB SHATTUCK HOUSE. Toward Pepperell from Groton stands the Job Shattuck house near Wattle's Pond. Job Shattuck built this house in 1782, and one interesting feat u r e of it is its unusually deep cellar. Job was in the battle of Con- cord and Lexington, and Bunker Hill. At the close of the Rev- olution taxes were high and there was unrest among the = people. In the west- ern part of the state Daniel Shays had organized a rebel- lion, and here Job Shattuck led the op- position. He and his men marched to Concord to suppress a meeting of the Court of Common Pleas, but something went wrong with their plans and they scattered. Warrants for the arrest of the leaders were at once issued. Job Shattuck was captured within sight of his own home, and in attempting to arrest him a blow from a broadsword made a fearful wound in his knee. This injury crippled him for life. He was thrown in jail and sen- tenced to death, but later pardoned and freed. Job's wife, Sarah Hartwell Shattuck, become famous as one of the patriotic women in Prudence Wright's Guards. At the beginning of the Revolutionary War fearing that spies would come that way from Canada, these women dressed in men's clothing and guarded Jewett's bridge, which was in the present town of Pepperell. They did capture one spy carrying secret orders in his boots. Here in this house Job and Sarah Shattuck lived with their nine children. A marker has recently been placed by the Groton Historical Society in front of this house, which is the summer home of Mr. and Mrs. Harrison Atwood.
HOME OF MR. AND MRS. DONALD L. PRIEST. In 1793, Oliver Prescott, Jr., a nephew of Col. Wil- liam Prescott, built for his bride the house on the Old Ayer Road, where Mr. and Mrs. Don- ald Priest now live. This house is the only one in Groton with landscape paint- ed walls done by the itinerant artist, Ru- fus Porter, and his assistant, J. D. Poor, whose name is in- scribed in one scene.
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MARION DANIELSON STRACHAN'S FARM. The original Lawrence homestead in this town was situated southwest of Gibbet Hill, a short distance east of the First Parish Meeting- House. This farm was for many years part of the General William Bancroft es- tate and is now the property of Mrs. Marion Danielson Strachan. At least part of the house on this place is the old Lawrence home- stead, the home of John Lawrence, who was the ancestor of many of the families by that name. John Lawrence came to America from England at quite an early time, settled first in Water- town and in 1662 came to Groton to live. He was one of the original land proprietors, an early official and honored citizen of the town. His son, Nathaniel, who was also an original proprietor, lived at his father's place some twenty years before building and moving to a new home on the "Mill Highway," now known as the Old Ayer Road. The second Lawrence homestead stood where Mrs. Bates' house is and was burned in 1915.
THE LAWRENCE HOMESTEAD ON FARMERS Row. The house on Farmers Row known also as the Lawrence Homestead has an interesting history. Samuel Lawrence, great, great grand- son of the first John Lawrence, moved with his family to this property from the Lawrence farm on the "Mill High- way," where he and his brother resided around 1778 or 1780. They moved into the old Tarbell house which stood in the corner of land, where Farmers Row and West Groton road meet. The Tar- bell house had been the scene almost a hundred years before of a capture by the In- dians of three children of the Tarbell family. The children were taken to Canada, where the girl was placed in a convent, and the two boys grew up among the Indians at Caughnawaga. These boys became chiefs of the tribe, married Indian girls and lived there the rest of their lives. Their descendants may still be found in that vicinity.
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The old Tarbell dwelling was taken down in 1796, and the oldest portion of the present mansion, where the youngest child, Samuel, Jr., was born in 1801, was erected soon after.
Samuel Lawrence, who was a Major but was locally known as Deacon, died in 1827. The property eventually came into the possession of one of his sons, Honorable Abbott Lawrence. Abbott's son, James, was the next owner and during his time the house was enlarged and made into a mansion.
The old elm, standing in the front yard, was fully grown in Revolutionary times so must be at least two hundred years old.
DR. HAROLD AYRES HOUSE. The house on the south corner of Main Street and Broadmeadow Road was built about 1803 by Martin Jennison. It is a three story building with brick ends. In the top story there is a hall, at one time called Union Hall, which was in use by differ- ent organizations and was the home of the St. Paul Lodge of Free Masons for several years.
There was a tav- ern kept here from about 1812 to 1818 by a Mr. Page, and the hall was then a ballroom.
Miss Susan Prescott first started her famous school for young ladies in this build- ing about 1820. The school was, however, soon transferred down the street to a build- ing adjacent to Miss Prescott's own residence.
In 1827, the first minister of the Congregational Church, Rev. John Todd, lived here with his wife. Mr. Todd said that the building had "a beautiful hall for meetings capable of holding three hundred. Here I have my Bible class and many meetings." In 1828, Mr. and Mrs. Todd moved away to another house in Groton, and soon there were rumors in town that this house which they left was haunted. The house stood empty, and strange noises were heard in it. Neighbors became disturbed and some said that there were secrets in the old house, perhaps a murder some time before, and a ghost walked about the house. Hearing these rumors Mr. Todd decided to investi- gate his former home, and went in with neighbors gathered about the outside to see the results. He found many signs of rats, but all was silence. Finally coming to a closed door of a chamber, he opened it and heard a groan. There was nothing in the room. Soon another groan was heard, and the people who had gathered about at a safe distance were terrorized. He went to the fireplace and pulled away the fireboard which revealed not a ghost but a shingle blown into the chimney and lodged there in such a way that it would swing in the wind and make a deep groaning noise. It was removed, and there were no more ghosts reported in the house.
The Baptist Church used the hall in this house as a meeting place for about a year following its organization in 1831.
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In more recent years the house has become the home and office of Dr. Harold Ayres. About 1935, Mrs. Ayres decorated the walls in the ballroom with primitive paintings.
THE RIDGE HILL TAVERN. The Ridge Hill Tavern is situated on the "Great Road" to Boston at the junction of a road which was another route to Boston through Bedford and Lexing- ton. There was much argument over which way was the shorter to Boston, and at one time a guide - post at the crotch of the road indicated that the distance was the same.
The tavern is in that part of town known as The Ridges, so named be- cause of the forma- tion of land through that area. Ridge Hill is the hill or ridge along which the main road runs.
Ridge Hill Tavern was built in 1805 and was much frequented by travelers and teamsters. It was built near the road which was an advantage in those days. Stage- coaches and carriages could drive close to the building and leave passengars so that they would not encounter the mud which was always present in the roads during the spring and rainy weather. Many parties were held in the ballroom on the second floor.
The first landlord of this tavern was Levi Parker, noted for his hospitality. He was followed by John Stevens, Judge Samuel Dana, and then John H. Loring, who conducted the house for many years. Mr. Loring was succeeded by his son Jefferson. After him came Henry L. Lawrence, Moses Gill, a Mr. Langdon and Kimball Farr, who kept it until 1868. Mr. Farr sold the tavern to John Fuzzard. The place was vacant for some years and then again was operated as an inn for a time, after which it became a private residence and has since remained except for a few years recently when Mrs. Arthur Pelton, the present owner, operated it as a tearoom under the name of Ridge Hill House. During the late eighteen hundreds a fair was held on the first Tuesday of every month for the sale of horses, and buyers were attracted from a long distance. Horse racing took place at those fairs, and the road from here toward Groton was used as a course, the turn around spot being about one mile and a half up the road in front of the farmhouse formerly known as the Augustus Woods place.
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THE DR. F. WOODWARD LEWIS HOUSE. On Main Street near the center of the town stands a fine old colonial house now the home and offices of Drs. F. Woodward and Elizabeth Lewis. This house stands on land that in the early days of the town belonged to Captain James Parker. In the latter part of the eighteenth century Charles and Susanna Quails lived on this location in a little old house, which may be the back part of the present house. Charles Quails was the first baker in Groton, and had a sign hanging in front of his house, "Ginger- bread, Cake and Bisket sold here." His wife, Susanna, was one of the two Groton women who were in Prudence Wright's Guards. She died at an early age and is buried in the old cemetery. In 1811, Luther Lawrence, a lawyer and brother of the famous William, Amos and Abbott Law- rence, built the present house and lived in it until 1831, when he moved to Lowell. Seven years later he became mayor of that city. For many years this house was the home of Eliel Shumway and since then it has been a two family house, occupied by different families but belonging to the Lawrence Academy, until a few years ago when pur- chased by Dr. Lewis.
THE BOUTWELL HOUSE. The Governor Boutwell House, the present home of the Groton Historical Society, was built by George S. Boutwell in 1851. Mr. Boutwell was at that time Governor of Massa- chusetts and later became representa- tive in Congress dur- ing Abraham Lin- coln's presidency, and Secretary of the Treasury in Grant's cabinet.
In 1869, Presi- dent Grant attended the Peace Jubilee in Boston, and from there came to Groton to visit Boutwell in his home. He spent the night here and the following morning a reception was held for him. About three thousand people passed through the house shaking hands with President Grant and his companions, where they stood in the drawing room opposite the fireplace.
After Mr. Boutwell died, his daughter, Georgianna, lived in the house until her death in 1933. She bequeathed the family home to the Groton Historical Society, who brought their possessions here, and have made it a museum, keeping it open on certain days to visitors.
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Open House Day, Monday, June 27
41. The Governor Boutwell House was built in 1851 by George S. Boutwell, then Governor of Massachusetts. This was his home and the home of his daughter until her death in 1933, when it was bequeathed by her to the Groton Historical So- ciety. Many noted people were entertained here including Ulysses S. Grant while he was President.
12. The Groton Inn was originally built for a dwelling house about 1770 and occupied by the Rev. Samuel Dana, minister at the Meeting House near by. He offend- ed people and was dismissed from the church. It then became an Inn and has continued as such to the present day. There is an old clock on the wall of the reception room which was brought from Germany by Jonathan Keep, the first innkeeper, and has been in operation ever since, although it has lost its ability to play a waltz tune as it once did.
26. The First Parish Church was established in 1655 when the town was incor- porated, but the present building was erected in 1755. It has been remodeled and was partially turned around in 1839. Town meetings were held here until 1859 when the present town hall was built. The first meeting house stood on the Common near the junction of Martin's Pond Road and Hollis Street. It was burned by the Indians. The bell in the belfry was cast by Paul Revere. In this building sat the Court of General Sessions of the Peace and the Court of Common Pleas of Middlesex County from 1776 to 1787 as Groton was then a Shire town. Tea will be served in the afternoon.
10 and 34. Lawrence Academy was incorporated in 1793. For about fifty years it was known as Groton Academy and then, because of gifts by the brothers, William and Amos Lawrence, the name was changed to Lawrence Academy. Dana House, north of the brick building, was built by Judge Samuel Dana in 1793, son of the min- ister, Rev. Samuel Dana. The house on the south side of the brick building was built in 1802 by James Brazer. The brick Academy building was built in 1871, replacing the wooden structure which was burned July 4th, 1868.
42. The Deming House and garden. A salt box house at the foot of Prospect Hill on the Boston Road. It is not known when this house was built, but Joshua Whit- ney, one of the pioneer settlers, lived here. The property was in the name of his son by deed of gift in 1713.
43. The Priest House. Built in 1793 by Oliver Prescott, Jr., a nephew of Col. Prescott, for his bride. He was born in Groton April 4th, 1762, and became a practis- ing physician like his father. This is the only house in Groton with landscape painted walls done by the itinerant artist, Rufus Porter and his assistant J. D. Poor.
44. The Havemeyer house. Originally built about 1726, enlarged and remodeled by Benjamin Moors in 1826. The original slits in the cellar walls through which the inhabitants defended themselves against the Indians are still visible. It was sold to the Culver family in 1855, and the hill is still known as Culver's Hill. It is now the prop- erty of Stephen W. Sabine.
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Open House Day, Monday, June 27
50. The Garden of Mr. and Mrs. Richard E. Danielson. A beautifully laid out garden designed by Mrs. Laura McTavish.
11. The Groton School was founded by the Rev. Endicott Peabody, the Rev. Sherrard Billings and William A. Gardner in 1884. It is a famous preparatory school for boys and many noted men are among its graduates. For fifty years Dr. Peabody was headmaster. Since his retirement in 1940, Rev. John Crocker has taken his place.
45. The Lawrence Homestead and Garden. Samuel Lawrence, great, great grandson of the original John Lawrence, moved with his family to this property about 1778, into the Tarbell house. It was the scene, nearly a hundred years before, of the capture by the Indians of three Tarbell children. The Tarbell house was taken down in 1796 and the oldest part of the present house was built soon after. One of his sons, The Hon. Abbott Lawrence inherited the property, which belongs to his descendant, James Lawrence. The old elm standing in front was fully grown in Revolutionary times and must be at least two hundred years old.
46. The Garden of Mr. and Mrs. William P. Wharton. Recently redesigned by Mrs. C. Wharton Smith.
47. The Leroy Johnson House. The oldest house in Groton, so called, is on Hollis Street. The town voted in April 1706 to build a parsonage for the Rev. Dudley Brad- street, the fifth minister for the town, whose church stood not far away on the plot of land now known as Legion Common.
49. The Ogilvie House. Built about 1775 by the Rev. Samuel Dana who, for his Tory tendencies was dismissed from the First Parish Church where he had been min- ister. The presbyterian Society was formed and he held services there, probably in the domed ceiling room on the second floor.
48. The W. Prescott Smith House. A very old house traced back to 1729 by a former owner and charmingly adapted to modern living with a very attractive garden.
37. The Harrison Atwood, Jr., House was built by Jacob Shattuck in 1782. An interesting feature is its unusually deep cellar. Job Shattuck took part in the battle of Concord and Lexington and Bunker Hill. Later he took part in Shays Rebellion, was captured and condemned to death but later was pardoned and freed. His wife, Sarah Hartwell Shattuck, became one of Prudence Wright's Guards. These women dressed in men's clothing and guarded Jewett's bridge fearing that spies would come from Canada. They did capture a spy carrying secret orders in his boots. The bridge they guarded was in the present town of Pepperell where the covered bridge now is.
Places with star on map
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Committee 1
Greetings from Groton, England 2
Chronological History
3-14
Our Sponsors
15
Noted Men of Groton 16, 17
Churches 18-24
Convent of The Holy Union of Sacred Hearts
25
Schools
26-30
Groton Public Library
31
Groton Hospital
32
Town Departments
32-36
Groton Water Co .- W. Groton Water District
36, 37
Town Forest
38
Cemeteries 39-41
Groton in 1900 42
History 43-47
Program 48, 49
History Continued 50-57
250th Anniversary 58, 59
History Continued 60-69
Organizations
70-80
Industry
81-83
Old Houses 84-92
Open House
93, 94
Table of Contents 95
Our Appreciation 96
OUR APPRECIATION
To all those who have contributed in any way to this souvenir book- let and particularly to Hollingsworth and Vose Company of West Groton and Fibre Leather Corporation of New Bedford for the cover stock, to John E. DeMelim for the art work and to Ruth and Alfred Gay for the photography, we express our thanks.
To Donald H. Martin, Tercentenary Director, whose help has been invaluable, we extend our appreciation.
To the following sources from which we obtained historical informa- tion, we are indebted -
Caleb Butler's "History of Groton."
Dr. Samuel A. Green's Historical Books.
Francis M. Boutwell's accounts of Groton's history.
Edward A. Richardson's "Moors School" and "The Community." Mary T. Shumway's "Groton Public Library."
Shattuck Memorials. Lucy Abbott's Diaries.
Town Records and Reports.
To the Groton Historical Society for the loan of the reference ma- terial listed above, we are grateful.
THE TERCENTENARY BOOKLET COMMITTEE
Virginia A. May Margaret J. Thayer William Bentinck-Smith Alfred F. Gay Mary T. Sawyer
OUR APPRECIATION
To all those who have contributed in any way to this souvenir book- let and particularly to Hollingsworth and Vose Company of West Groton and Fibre Leather Corporation of New Bedford for the cover stock, to John E. DeMelim for the art work and to Ruth and Alfred Gay for the photography, we express our thanks.
To Donald H. Martin, Tercentenary Director, whose help has been invaluable, we extend our appreciation.
To the following sources from which we obtained historical informa- tion, we are indebted -
Caleb Butler's "History of Groton."
Dr. Samuel A. Green's Historical Books.
Francis M. Boutwell's accounts of Groton's history.
Edward A. Richardson's "Moors School" and "The Community."
Mary T. Shumway's "Groton Public Library."
Shattuck Memorials. Lucy Abbott's Diaries.
Town Records and Reports.
To the Groton Historical Society for the loan of the reference ma- terial listed above, we are grateful.
THE TERCENTENARY BOOKLET COMMITTEE
Virginia A. May Margaret J. Thayer William Bentinck-Smith Alfred F. Gay Mary T. Sawyer
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Wattles Pond
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ROAD
ROAD
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Flat
P
Pond
De
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Horse Hill
„Reedy
Parker
L
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Jacquot
Ox Bow
G
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The Throne
Baralock
B
NOD
Shepley Hill
Hill
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32
Nod
Brook
40
R
Chestnut
OLD
Hills
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21
Baddacook Pond
WHARF
Brook
3
24
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ROAD
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25
16 27
HOLLIS
Gibbet
39
Hill.
33
2. High School.
3. Elementary School.
4. Groton Fire Station.
5. Groton Public Library.
6. Congregational Church.
22
58
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8. Sacred Heart Church.
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10
Lawrence Academy.
Cady
11 Groton School.
Site of the Community.
12. Groton Inn.
Town Forest
13 Groton Country Club.
Old Garrison House,
Duck Pond
14 Grange Hall.
15. Groton Hospital.
Hills
R
Dead
Knops
D
19. Christian Union Church.
20. St. James Church.
21. Hazel Grove Park.
Indian Village Site.
23. Site of John Tinker's Trading Post.
Springy
Pond
25. Site of Second Meeting-House.
Legion Hall.
26. Site of Third Meeting-House.
First Parish Church or Fourth Meeting-House.
27 The Old Cemetery.
28. Site of Capt. Parker's Garrison House.
29. Longley Home Site.
30. John Davis Home Site.
31. Tarbell Home Site.
32. John Shattuck Home Site.
33. Chamberlain's Mill Site.
34. Site of Old Powder House.
35. Site of Birthplace of Col. William Prescott.
36. Site of Capt. Henry Farwell's Home.
37. Home of Job and Sarah Hartwell Shattuck.
38. Site of Aaron Brown's Potash Works.
39. Margaret Fuller's Home.
40. Soapstone Quarry.
41. Governor Boutwell House, Groton Historical Society.
A
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Long Pond
T.
1. Town Hall.
36
2.8
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Lost
Lake
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Brown Loaf
7 Baptist Church. Site of Rev. Hobart's Garrison House.
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River
ROW
Prospect
9 The Convent. Formerly Miss Prescott's School. Also formerly Lowthorpe School.
Wrangling
FARMERS
Lost Lake
0
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West Groton Fire Station.
17 West Groton Branch Library.
18. Tarbell School.
Pond
30
ROAD
James
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FORGE
ROAD
VILLAGE
Brook
Snake Hill
Rocky Hill
Forge Pond
LITTLETON
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ROAD
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River
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WEST GROTON ROAD
Drive
Whitney Pond
Squannacook
ROAD
COMMON STREET
EAST
29
ROW
23
ROAD
CHICOPEE
DUNSTABLE
HOYTS
Burnt Meadow
-
PEPPERELL
MARTINS
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LOWELL
ROAD
ST
Brook
Pond
Nashua
16. Squannacook Hall.
OLD AYER ROAD
(River
24. Site of First Meeting-House.
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Nashua
Meadow
Road
T
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PEPPERELL
NASHUA
Unquety
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Massapoag
Pond
TOWNSELV
GROTON MASSACHUSETTS
37
Brook
River
ROAD
Z
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Road
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