page_title: Groton Monument
section_title: Repairs
hierarchical_section_title: Groton Monument / Repairs
caption_attribution_description: English: Groton Monument and Fort Griswold Sketch for Barber's Historical Collections of Connecticut (1836) The monument, erected in 1830, commemorates American troops massacred by the ritish following the surrender of Fort Griswold during the American Revolution. Connecticut Historical Society Ref. # 1953.5.116 N2067
context_page_description: 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. The monument was originally 127 feet high, but it was changed 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. The Groton monument bears a plaque describing the events of the Battle of Groton Heights, and another plaque with the names of the Americans who died in the battle. Lightning destroyed the capstone in 1918 and damaged the adjacent Monument House Museum which features exhibits about the Revolutionary War. Visitors can climb the monument and visit the museum from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The Groton Monument is located in Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park, which includes Fort Griswold.
context_section_description: The monument was repaired and the grounds were renovated with an appropriation of $5,000 from the State of Connecticut in 1893 and completed by early 1894. Lightning struck the monument in 1918, shattering the capstone and sending the pieces to the ground, then traveling through the brass railings and scattering the cards in one of the wire-racks. The lightning also jumped 25 feet (7.6 m) to the monument house and damaged the veranda, raising the brick tiling on the floor and doing minor damage inside the museum. Frederic Bill could not find a fitting match for the original capstone.
  In 1985, Hurricane Gloria blew out a window of the monument, and the State of Connecticut spent $6,250 to re-mortar it in 1986. The monument was closed until 1989 for the repair work. In 2007, Carol Kimball of the New London Day wrote that the State of Connecticut was not funding repairs to the historic site, but it would be required if the monument were to survive. She also referred to a New York Times article on the neglected monument and pointed out that the bond commission had yet to issue the approved $350,000 for its preservation. Other repairs would cost an additional $150,000, including sidewalks surrounding the entrance and the memorial gate.
caption: Groton Monument and Fort Griswold, a sketch by John Warner Barber for his Historical Collections of Connecticut (1836)
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