Gloucester, MA
February 22, 2017
Hamilton, MA
February 22, 2017
Groveland is a small residential community which retains all of the characteristics of a friendly rural town in the setting of a convenient suburb. The town was incorporated 1850, late in the state’s history, after spending the 17th and 18th centuries attached first to Rowley and then to Bradford. Groveland changed gradually during the 20th century from a shoe industry and textile manufacturing community to one which is almost wholly residential, serving now as a suburb of nearby cities. Town residents have easy access to 95 and 495 and many of them commute to their jobs in Lynn or Boston. The most dramatic changes in town occurred in the 1960’s when a number of good size developments were built. There are now about 6400 people and about 2100 homes in town. One long-time local official said, in describing the community, “you never feel like a stranger here.”
Groveland has an open town meeting, “the fairest form of town government”, residents note. Townspeople are very proud of their schools: the Dr. Elmer Bagnall Elementary School and Pentucket Regional Middle and High Schools; of the friendliness of their town and of the recreation facilities along the Merrimac River.
The town supports baseball and soccer fields, basketball courts, picnic areas and parks, as well as boating facilities on the Merrimac River, all of which are heavily used by residents.
Located in northeastern Massachusetts, bordered by West Newbury on the north, Newbury and Georgetown on the east, Boxford on the south, and Haverhill on the west. Groveland is 31 miles north of Boston and 255 miles from New York City.
