In November 1775, Colonel Jedeiah Elderkin was directed by the Governor and the Council of Safety to examine the harbor at New London and nearby places and determine how best to fortify them against attack. He recommended fortifying several locations in New London and Groton, including the summit of the hill on Groton Heights, where he believed nature had prepared a place to mount cannon for the harbor’s protection. The fort’s river side was designed so artillery could command the river and port, with two projecting bastions and a low parapet that allowed flexible fire from its cannon. Its landward side, with high parapet walls and embrasures for cannon, was intended to resist infantry assault. Fort Griswold ranks among the nation’s best-preserved Revolutionary War fortifications, and surviving earthworks include remains of its ramparts and parapets. Wooden platforms once stood along the interior faces of the earthworks for infantry and cannon, though erosion has reduced the height of the parapets. A phased stabilization project is intended to preserve the fort by rebuilding deteriorating stone walls, establishing dense grass cover to prevent soil erosion, creating a long-term maintenance program, and enhancing interpretation of the fort as part of the Thames River Heritage Park.

Photo: Bill Coughlin

Photo: Bill Coughlin

Photo: Bill Coughlin

Photo: Bill Coughlin

Photo: Bill Coughlin

New London, Connecticut · USA