Formerly known as the Shattuck Homestead, this parcel has been dedicated and renamed “Nipmuc Meadows” in honor of the Nipmuc people who were the earliest settlers in Groton. Level trails cross a meadow over to woods where you will find the shore of Baddacook Pond, which teems with wildlife and is an important turtle habitat.
Size: 36 acres
Owner: Groton Conservation Commission
This land was acquired by the Conservation Commission in 1999. Prior to this, the land was farmed for two centuries. The Bennett-Shattuck House across the street on Martins Pond Road, is a historic house built c. 1812. It is a well-preserved example of rural Federal period architecture.
Long before, the Nipmuc indigenous people called places like this home. They lived in scattered villages, including some that were part of what is now Groton. Their historic territory, “Nippenet” (meaning ‘the freshwater pond place’), covered central Massachusetts and parts of Connecticut and Rhode Island. The Nipmuc were “freshwater people,” living along rivers and on the shores of lakes and ponds where they hunted a variety of animals such as moose, deer, and black bear, and supplementing their diet with fish, roots, berries, and nuts. The Nipmuc people were skilled in crafting containers and dwellings from willow and birchbark and utilized snowshoes and toboggans for winter travel.
The Nipmuc Nation is a vibrant and active community. They are one of New England’s most historic and largest Native communities, with nearly 600 members. In April 2024, this parcel of land was dedicated and renamed “Nipmuc Meadows” in honor of the Nipmuc people.
Source: EBSCO
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