The village lies within the former Central New York Military Tract and was first settled by outsiders around 1795.

Before then, the only purpose of the land surrounding Groton was to host the winding trails of the Native Americans that once lived in central New York.

Also, they used the Owasco Inlet as a water source for their people and possibly for transportation, though it is very shallow at some points.

The Groton Historical Association Museum, at 172 Main Street, occupies a former Baptist meetinghouse.

The Groton High School was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.

[5] According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.7 square miles (4.5 km2).