Experience 300 Years of Norwich History
The primary goal of this website is to educate the public about Norwich, Connecticut’s rich heritage and history spanning the 300-year period from 1659 to 1959. The site offers quick and easy access to an extensive collection of media, focusing on Norwich’s historical events, places, and other interesting tidbits.
This site is entirely free of charge
IconicNorwich.org features over 3,000 concise articles and numerous historical maps of Norwich. The articles are organized into more than 30 categories. The Bibliography connects you to thousands of historical web-based links from Norwich. Several quizzes, prepared presentations, and crossword puzzles are provided to enhance the learning environment.
You are invited to add or contribute to new or existing placemarks by filling out the form in the “Contribute Article” section.
Recent Updates to IconicNorwich.org
Added a link to a video about mill development: Click Here
Added: Henry Harland Biography: Click Here
Added major update to the Find A Person Table: Click Here
Updated: Lucius Carroll: Click Here
Added: Capt. Chester Hillard Biography: Click Here
1861-1905 Henry Harland
Norwich History … It Never Gets Old
In his own words, author Henry Harland was a Norwich native, and his heart and heritage were deeply rooted in the town. His grandfather, Thomas Harland, was a prominent Norwich clockmaker, and his uncle, General Edward Harland, another Norwich native, commanded a brigade at the Civil War battle at Antietam. His mother, Abby Leffingwell Hyde, was a descendant of one of the original proprietors, Lt. Thomas Leffingwell. The Harland homestead in Norwich had been in the family’s uninterrupted possession since 1659, a testament to their enduring connection to the region.
Harland’s literary journey began in New York, where he worked at the Surrogate’s Courthouse Office by day and rose at four in the morning to write by candlelight. During this period, he wrote a series of successful novels under the pseudonym “Sidney Luska,” focusing on the lives of Jewish characters with such detail that many assumed he was Jewish himself. However, as he matured into a “fastidious stylist,” he later wished to distance himself from these early works, seeking a more refined form of expression.
His most famous work, published in 1900, The Cardinal’s Snuff-Box, was an instantaneous success that earned him $75,000 ($3 million in 2026 dollars) and was celebrated for its delicate workmanship and buoyant spirit. The novel was so steeped in the beauty of his new faith that it was credited with inspiring several readers to convert.
Click HERE to learn more about Henry Harland
Click HERE to read previous “Norwich History … It Never Gets Old” articles
“Norwich History … It Never Gets Old” is published here on Fridays.
Next issue will appear here on Friday August 21
Young Henry Harland
An historical fiction novel by Bob Dees about Norwich's 1850s Gold Mining Company. Click image to see.
The IconicNorwich.org website was designed, developed, and is maintained by Bob Dees