Groton Mural, 85′ x 15′, 2026
Groton Shoppers Mart, Groton, Connecticut
Charles C. Clear III & Bonnie Lee Turner
This postcard-style mural celebrates the past and present of Groton!
The mural begins with a 12′ foot tall Pequot native wearing wampum earrings and a deerskin dress with fringe. The Pequots (“The Fox People”) are the indigenous people who lived in what is now Connecticut long before English settlers arrived. Today, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation own and operates the Foxwoods Resort Casino, one of the largest casino complexes in the world:
The letter R features Colonel William Ledyard and Lambert Latham, heroes from the Battle of Fort Griswold.
Fort Griswold in Groton stands less than a mile from this mural on the banks of the Thames River. During the American Revolution, the fort was commanded by forty-two year old Colonel William Ledyard. On September 6, 1781, British forces under the command of Benedict Arnold launched a coordinated attack on Fort Trumbull in New London and Fort Griswold in Groton.
Despite being outnumbered nearly ten to one, the defenders of Fort Griswold fought with extraordinary determination. After exhausting their ammunition and suffering casualties, they were ultimately overwhelmed by hundreds of British soldiers who stormed the fort.
According to the most widely repeated account, British officer Major Stephen Bromfield demanded, “Who commands this fort?” Colonel Ledyard replied, “I once did; you do now.” Ledyard then unbuckled his sword and offered it to the Major, hilt first, in a gesture of surrender. Bromfield seized the weapon and immediately thrust it into Ledyard’s chest, killing him.
Witnessing the death of his commander, the young defender Lambert Latham is said to have avenged Ledyard by killing Major Bromfield before being bayoneted by British soldiers.
Historical accounts differ, and it is impossible to know whether these events unfolded exactly as described. What is certain is that both Colonel William Ledyard and Lambert Latham fought at Fort Griswold during the Battle of Groton Heights and gave their lives in its defense on September 6, 1781. Their sacrifice remains one of the most enduring stories of courage and patriotism from the American Revolution:
The letter O features two beloved and playful beluga whales from the Mystic Aquarium in nearby Mystic, Connecticut. They are the only beluga whales in New England:
Groton is the submarine capital of the world, so including a submarine was essential. The submarine that we painted in the letter T, though, isn’t just any submarine – it’s the historic nuclear powered Nautilus, the first submarine to complete a submerged transit of the North Pole on 3 August 1958. Nautilus was decommissioned in 1980 and can now be found at the Submarine Force Library and Museum in Groton:
The letter O features the Connecticut state bird – the Robin – painted very large and perched in the foreground.
The background is the Gold Star Memorial Bridge, an eleven lane Bridge that spans the Thames River and connects Groton to New London. Many locals remarked about the traffic on the Bridge, so we didn’t paint any cars into the scene – we figured people would like to see eleven lanes of smooth sailing….
The letter N features the historic Avery Point Lighthouse, which sits on the UConn Avery Point campus in Groton:
We had fun painting this mural and learning about the history and attractions is Groton.
Charles & Bonnie