GROVELANd NEIGHBORHOOD TOUR

A town in Essex County, Massachusetts, Groveland is 34 miles north of Boston and in the 2020 census had a population of 6,752. The town is comprised of two precincts known as Groveland and South Groveland.

Groveland was not always Groveland. Its settlement goes back to the 1630s, and back then it was the East Parish of Bradford, which itself was part of Rowley. At that time, Bradford was known as “Rowley on the Merrimack.” In 1732, Bradford was separated from Rowley, and it was annexed by Haverhill in 1897. Groveland itself incorporated as a separate town on September 9, 1850, a date now celebrated annually as Groveland Day. Learn More. 

Two relics help commemorate Groveland’s history. The first is the bell in the town’s Congregational church. This bell was crafted by Paul Revere, and it is only one of two out of the 900 bells Revere’s company crafter still in service today. The town’s other notable historical relic is the country’s oldest hand-pump fire engine, built in 1798. Originally named Torrent and later renamed Veto, the engine is on display at Groveland’s town hall.

Built along the south bank of the Merrimack River, Groveland’s area is 9.4 square miles, 5% of which is water. Several brooks and the Parker River run through the town, and the town also has two ponds, Crane Pond and Johnson’s Pond. There is a town forest as well, and it and the Crane Pond Wildlife Management Area take up much of the eastern corner of town. Population-wise, the town is mostly residential. More great information here.