Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1817.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Groton’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Groton is more historic than 85% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Groton’s overall grade.
New York towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical New York town has 12.3 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Groton’s 5.5 sits near the middle of its state (36% of New York towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±7.4 points). Two sources give 1817.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Groton’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The town was formed in 1817, before the formation of Tompkins County, from the Town of Locke (in Cayuga County) as the "Town of Division." Many of the early residents from New England elected to change the name to "Groton."
In 1888, the community of Groton separated from the town by incorporating as a village. Groton was also home to the original Corona Typewriter Company which later merged to form Smith Corona.
Passages that mention Groton, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Facts relating to the history of Groton, Massachusetts1912Read the page →
Read the text
Court at their present Session, have shelved forth, that there is a Great Bridge erected over Concord-River, in the Totvnship of Billerica, and that the said Bridge 7eias built by the Towns of Billerica, Chelmsford and Groton ; and according to a former Settlement made by a Committee appointed for the Settlement of the Charge of the Bridges in the County of Middlesex. But the Town of Groton, upon Application to this Court in 1699, did obtain a Discharge from either building or repairing for the future, tvithout further Order from this Court. And
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Facts relating to the history of Groton, Massachusetts1912 · page 109Read the page →
Read the text
Also from Groton in the County of Middlesex, that on [Wednesday] the 1 6th Instant, there was a very great Flood, such as has not been known for several Years past, and that many Hundred Pounds Damage has been done thereby to the Bridges, &c. it took the Bridge which stood a cross Lancaster-River, so called, intirely off; which is the fourth Bridge the Town of Groton has built in about 28 years last past.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Children of William and Hannah (Avery) Morgan (all born in Groton) : i. Williams, b. April 7, 1697, at Groton; m. ( ist. ) Sept. 21, 1721, at Groton, Hannah Stanton; m. (2d.) Sept. 24, 1747, at Groton, Sarah Seabury; d. May 14, 177S, at Groton.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
By decade
Groton, decade by decade
3 decades in the archive, from the 1860s to the 1990s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
In 1817, according to Wikidata. Groton’s post office opened in 1817, and the census of 1820 counted 2,742 people here.
How does Groton rank for history?
Groton is more historic than 85% of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Groton?
55% of Groton’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.4 points), against a typical 27% for a New York town; the median home was built in 1938.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (6), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
![Also from Groton in the County of Middlesex, that on [Wednesday] the 1 6th Instant, there was a very great Flood, such as has not been known for several Years past, and that many Hundred Pounds Damage has been done thereby to the Bridges, &c. it took the Bridge which stood a cross Lancaster-River, …](https://images.townratings.com/story/11652/bk-6ad60a20c552390b-l.jpg)
1866
1994
1994