GROTON VT

GROTON VT

Veterans Memorial Park

Built - 1988

The town of Groton is located in Caledonia County in the northeastern part of the state of Vermont. The origins of its name probably comes from either Groton, Massachusetts or Connecticut both of which are named for Groton, Suffolk, England which was the home of the first Governor of Massachusetts and two Connecticut Governors.

The town is the home of the famous Groton Fall Festival and Chicken Pie Supper which has been written up in both the Family Circle Magazine and Yankee Magazine being described as "the best small town chicken pie dinner in the world" for over 50 years now. The town is also the home of 5 state parks and one of the largest and most picturesque state forests in Vermont. It is also the birthplace of William Scott, one of Vermont's best known infamous Civil War soldiers. He was the one the phrase "The Sleeping Sentinel" was popularized since he was caught falling asleep on guard duty. He was sentenced to death but later pardoned at the last minute by President Abraham Lincoln.

Groton's bandstand on Veterans Memorial Park was built in 1988 and is a 6-sided hexagon-style with a standing seam roof and benches around the outside area of the structure. The bandstand is the second one the town has had with the first one demolished many years ago. The building of the bandstand was done by town volunteers through mostly donations and some town money. It was built to be a centerpiece of the park for band concerts and other community events. The Alumni Band and other local small bands have used the structure as their venue along with the stage being used during the Fall Foliage Festival in October along with gospel music and other messages given during the warmer months.

INFORMATION PROVIDED BY:
Michael O. Blair, former Town Selectman