Town History

Located in eastern Connecticut, Griswold was founded in 1815. Canterbury and Plainfield are to the north of Griswold; Voluntown is located to the east.

North Stonington and Preston lie to the south of Griswold; Lisbon borders it on the west.

Originally set out in the North Society of Preston, Griswold petition the state of Connecticut to be incorporated in May of 1815. In a proclamation set forth by the Connecticut State Assembly, October 1815, Griswold officially became a town. Although border disputes continued between Griswold, Preston, and Voluntown, it wasn’t until 1872 before the final boundaries of Griswold were officially recognized.

Villages and Hamlets

Within Griswold’s boundaries exist several villages and hamlets.

Jewett City is located on the western side of the town near the Pachaug and Quinnebaug Rivers. Slater Mill, once owned by Samuel Slater, is located near the corner of Route 138 and 12 in Jewett City. Jewett City also houses the Griswold Town Hall, located on School Drive. The Slater Library is located across from the former mill site on Route 12. The name "Jewett City" came from Eliezer Jewett, who erected the first sawmill and grist mill. Prior to this, Jewett City was known as Pachaug City.

Hopeville, now part of the CT Forest Park service, was once a thriving village. Located on Route 201, it once was the site of a woolen mill well known for its quality. The village was heavily taxed in the 1863and by 1870 suffered from a business slump. Hopeville’s mill, church, and homes were lost in a series of fires in the 1880’s and 1890’s.

Glasgo, located just north of the North Stonington border, was the location in the 1800’s of Isaac Glasko’s profitable business. Well known for his fine craft of tools, Glasko’s business thrived until his heritage became an issue. Descendant of Native American and African American heritage, jealously over his wealth and craft forced him into near bankruptcy. Today, Glasgo is a small village with the remnants of an old mill and dam.

Pachaug, located near the center of Griswold, was once known as Blue Pachaug. The nickname, "Blue Pachaug", could have come from the color of the meetinghouse or from the "Blue Light Federalists". Until recent years, Pachaug had it’s own airport. Today, it is the home of a church, grange hall, fire department, and sand & gravel company.

Source: DL Phillips "History of Griswold" republished in 1995 by The Griswold Historical Society

Town Information

Town Hall (860) 376-7063

25 Main Street, Jewett City 06351

Probate Judge (860) 376-0216

Tax Collector (860) 376-7068

 Library

Slater Library (860) 376-0024

26 Main St. Jewett City 06351

Churches

Jewett City Baptist Church (860) 376-9149

58 Main St. Jewett City

Bethel Community Methodist Church (860) 376-2255

Route 165 Griswold

Please note: There was at one time, in both Jewett City and Voluntown, there was a Methodist Church. These two churches are no longer in existence. Records for these churches, however, are available and date back to the late 1800’s/ early 1900’s. Contact the Bethel Methodist Church at the address above.

St. Mary’s Rectory (860) 376-2044

34 N. Main St. Jewett City

St. Thomas/St. Ann’s Parish Center (860) 376-8352

49 Preston City Rd. Voluntown 06384

First Congregational Church (860) 376-2682

878 Voluntown Rd. Griswold

www.firstchurchgriswold.org

Second Congregational Church (860) 376-9292

129 E. Main Griswold

Cemeteries

Check out the Hale Cemetery collection in person at the CT State Library www.csl.org  or through the online site:

 http://hale-collection.com/

Griswold Historical Society

PO BOX 261

Jewett City, CT 06351

Please note: Prior to 1815, Griswold was a part of Preston. Please go to Kathleen’s Baker’s site for information prior to 1815... http://homepage.ct.metrocast.net/~kamaba/NewLondonCo/preston.html

The probate district for Griswold falls under Norwich Probate Court.

Looking for a historic map of Griswold? Visit UConn Library's site:

http://magic.lib.uconn.edu/ 

Click on the "historic maps" section and type in "Griswold."

Click here to return the CT Gen Web Page

www.ctgenweb.org

or 

New London County Homepage

www.ctgenweb.org/county/conewlondon