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: W. Tyler Olcott: Click Here
Added: Howard L. Stanton Biography: Click Here
Updated: Howard L. Stanton Article: Click Here
Added: Dr. Leonard B. Almy: Click Here
Added: Civil War Vets Buried in Norwich: Click Here
The Far Side of the Moon
*Place cursor over image to magnify
Inside Observatory
Star Light House
William Tyler Olcott
Olcott Moon Craters
62 Church St - c1920
“Norwich History … It Never Gets Old,” articles are published here on Fridays
1873-1936 William Tyler Olcott
Norwich History … It Never Gets Old
W. Tyler Olcott of Norwich has four craters on the far side of the moon named in his honor. He was an astronomer, an author, and a lawyer. Tyler was born in the Midwest but chose to live most of his life in the former Christ Episcopal Church rector’s glebe house, at 62 Church Street in Norwich. During his lifetime, he developed a keen fascination for observing the planets and stars and rose to international recognition as a world-class astronomer.
In 1911, along with six others, he co-founded the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO), which is still active today. To this day, the AAVSO annually awards the “William Tyler Olcott Award” to an outstanding amateur astronomer.
In 1921, Mr. Olcott had an observatory built in the attic of his home at 62 Church Street. It was octagonal, had a ten-foot diameter, and occupied the rear roof area of the house. Rollers allowed it to rotate so that the telescope could follow the paths of the stars. Olcott called it his Star Light House.
In 1970, the International Astronomical Union honored W. Tyler Olcott by naming an impact crater on the far side of the moon after him. Its features are well-defined, and the crater shows no significant evidence of erosion from subsequent impacts. Its diameter is approximately 50 miles.
There are also two satellite craters, Olcott M and Olcott L, that form an overlapping pair along the southern outer rampart of Olcott. Another satellite crater, Olcott E is partly overlain by the eastern rim of Olcott.
Click HERE to learn much more about William Tyler Olcott
Click HERE to read previous “Norwich History … It Never Gets Old” articles
An historical fiction novel by Bob Dees about Norwich's 1850s Gold Mining Co.
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The IconicNorwich.org website was designed, developed, and is maintained by Bob Dees