Revolutionary War Epitaphs: Tour the Old Burying Ground with Don Black, and View a British War Cannon
Rescued from the clutches of a wisteria vine, restored, preserved, and exhaustively researched, after a long career the oldest Revolutionary War relic in the country, a British-made cast-iron cannon, resides in a nondescript trailer in Groton.
How the cannon came to town (on a dung cart after being smuggled off the warship Diana following the Battle of Bunker Hill) where it rusticated on Asa Lawrence’s farm (across from the current Johnson’s) and elsewhere for more than two centuries, and how, through a lucky circumstance it ended up in the late Earl Carter’s extremely capable hands… is a story worth hearing.
With a purist’s eye for authenticity and detail, Carter, a machinist, maverick collector of Groton historical ephemera, founder of the Myceum, and a former curator of the Groton History Center, replicated the original wooden carriage down to the last handmade nail. Years of research on his wife Bonnie Carter’s part secured the cannon’s irrefutable place in history.
Making the rounds to celebrated historical sites and reenactments, the cannon will be on display on Saturday, May 31st from 2 to 4 pm in front of the Legion Hall on Hollis Street, where Bonnie Carter and her grandson (and right-hand man) Devin Carter will share the cannon’s astonishing history. It’s all part of Revolutionary War Epitaphs, the first of several free public events celebrating the War for Independence hosted by the Groton History Center, and featuring Cemetery Commissioner Don Black’s fascinating tour of the Old Burying Ground.
Bring a portable stool or lawn chair if sitting is preferred, and join the GHC for this enlightening free event. Parking available along Hollis Street. For more information, visit info@grotonhistory.org, grotonhistory@facebook.org, or call 978-448-0092. The Carters’ Myseum (encarter@aol.com) is open to visitors by appointment.
How the cannon came to town (on a dung cart after being smuggled off the warship Diana following the Battle of Bunker Hill) where it rusticated on Asa Lawrence’s farm (across from the current Johnson’s) and elsewhere for more than two centuries, and how, through a lucky circumstance it ended up in the late Earl Carter’s extremely capable hands… is a story worth hearing.
With a purist’s eye for authenticity and detail, Carter, a machinist, maverick collector of Groton historical ephemera, founder of the Myceum, and a former curator of the Groton History Center, replicated the original wooden carriage down to the last handmade nail. Years of research on his wife Bonnie Carter’s part secured the cannon’s irrefutable place in history.
Making the rounds to celebrated historical sites and reenactments, the cannon will be on display on Saturday, May 31st from 2 to 4 pm in front of the Legion Hall on Hollis Street, where Bonnie Carter and her grandson (and right-hand man) Devin Carter will share the cannon’s astonishing history. It’s all part of Revolutionary War Epitaphs, the first of several free public events celebrating the War for Independence hosted by the Groton History Center, and featuring Cemetery Commissioner Don Black’s fascinating tour of the Old Burying Ground.
Bring a portable stool or lawn chair if sitting is preferred, and join the GHC for this enlightening free event. Parking available along Hollis Street. For more information, visit info@grotonhistory.org, grotonhistory@facebook.org, or call 978-448-0092. The Carters’ Myseum (encarter@aol.com) is open to visitors by appointment.
