The Groton Historical Society was founded in 1894 as a repository for archival material
and artifacts related to the history of Groton. Boutwell House serves as the headquarters of the Society.

Constructed in 1851, when George Boutwell was the Governor of Massachusetts, the residence continued as a family home while Boutwell’s political career took him to Washington, D. C. and afterward he lived here until his death in 1905. His daughter, Georgianna, continued to live here until her death in 1933. She bequeathed the house to the Groton Historical Society who renovated the building as its headquarters, installed two rental apartments to offset the cost of operations, and opened the building as a museum to the public in 1939.

The Society uses the house as a museum to display artifacts relating to Groton and the
Boutwell family. These objects, documents, photographs, et cetera date from the earliest days of Groton to the present.

The collections and archives in the Boutwell House are valuable resources for those doing school projects, genealogical and local history research, and anyone looking for answers about the town’s history, early families or architecture. The Society has a solid base of local support. After more than one hundred years, the Society remains an important institution in town for tourism and background information on the region. It has a dedicated membership which is open to anyone and has a volunteer corps who staff and operate the House.