Groveland, Massachusetts

Groveland is a small residential town, rich in American history, located in northern Essex County, Massachusetts. The Congregational Church in Groveland is home to a bell crafted by Paul Revere. Of the 900 bells made by Revere’s company, this is the only remaining bell in active service.

Groveland’s downtown is framed by the gazebo in Elm Park, a relatively recent addition to Groveland. In the early part of the last century, elm trees were dominant in the landscape. Around 1950, many of the trees died of Dutch Elm disease. It is only recently that resistant varieties of elms have been developed. With this development, the townspeople built a new park, planted with the new resistant variety. With assistance from the Department of Environmental Management, the Historic Commission and others, Groveland has succeeded in restoring Elm Park to its historic charm. Since Groveland is primarily a bedroom community, there is naturally considerable traffic during the commute drive time. Once the rush is over, however, the town reverts to a sleepy little village, with children and adults riding their bicycles about and walking.

Today visitors can walk along new sidewalks lit at night by recreations of the park’s original lampposts. A new fountain resembling the original, a gazebo much like the old Methodist meeting house that sat at the south end of the park, together with a new clock, adorn the grounds.