Griswold

About Griswold

Tucked into the northeastern corner of New London County, Griswold is a quiet, unpretentious Connecticut town where two rivers meet and history runs deep. With a charming downtown borough, state park trails, and a tight-knit community spirit, it offers the kind of unhurried New England living that's increasingly hard to find.

What to Know

• Hopeville Pond State Park sits within town limits on the site of a former woolen mill — a favorite for fishing, camping, and hiking along the Pachaug River
• Jewett City, Griswold's incorporated borough, serves as the town's commercial and cultural hub, with a classic small-town main street feel
• The Pachaug and Quinebaug Rivers flow through town, reflecting the waterways that originally drew settlers and powered early mills and ironworks
• The town is home to the First Congregational Church, one of its oldest institutions, with roots tracing back to the North Society established in 1716
• Griswold is governed by a traditional selectman-town meeting format — one of Connecticut's most enduring forms of local democracy

History

Griswold was originally the northern section of Preston, incorporating as its own town in 1815 and naming itself after Governor Roger Griswold. Long before European settlement, the Mohegan people fished its rivers, and by the late 1700s entrepreneur Eliezer Jewett had built mills along the waterways, giving Jewett City its name. In a remarkable legal footnote, an 1820 trial held in Griswold directly led to Connecticut enacting the first abortion law in the United States.

Community & Living

Griswold has the warm, grounded feel of a working Connecticut town — not a destination, but a home. Residents enjoy easy access to nature, a genuine sense of community, and the slower rhythms of southeastern Connecticut life.