CT FPA Trails Day 2026: Historic Starr Burying Ground Walking Tour

CT FPA Trails Day 2026: Historic Starr Burying Ground Walking Tour offers a powerful look into the lives of Groton residents whose stories were shaped by the American Revolution. Taking place on Sunday, June 7, this guided tour explores one of the region’s most significant historic cemeteries, where visitors will learn about local patriots, families, and community members who lived through a pivotal period in American history.

Among those buried at Starr Burying Ground are nine of the 85 men killed during the Battle of Groton Heights in 1781, along with some of their widows and children. Participants will hear stories of citizens who joined the Revolutionary cause as tensions with Britain escalated during the 1770s and who later endured the devastation of Benedict Arnold’s 1781 raid on New London and Groton. The tour will be led by local historians Marcus Larkin of the Connecticut Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, Leslie Evans of the Avery-Copp House Museum, and Barbara Nagy of Thames River Heritage Park and the Groton-Mystic CT America 250 Committee.

History enthusiasts, genealogy researchers, and anyone interested in Connecticut’s Revolutionary War heritage will find this tour especially rewarding. The 90-minute program includes walking over uneven terrain, so participants should wear sturdy shoes and dress appropriately for the weather.

Parking is available at the cemetery’s Lestertown Road entrance, where volunteers will be on hand to direct visitors to designated parking areas.