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 Media Library 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
Posted a major to the Bibliography: Click Here
Updated the “Find Articles” search tables: Click Here
Added Book: Norwich History Never Gets Old: Click Here
Updated: 1803 Map of Norwich: Click Here
Added St. Patrick’s Cathedral Pamphlet: Click Here
Hot Cocoa ~ Norwich’s Official Hot Beverage
Norwich History … It Never Gets Old
The Norwich City Council voted unanimously to name cocoa as the Rose City’s hot drink of choice on January 3, 2017. In a savvy marketing move, packets of Swiss Miss were made available to visitors before the council’s meeting.
There’s a reason hot cocoa was selected, and it is tied to the drink’s historical role in the city dating back to Colonial times, resident and researcher Beryl Fishbone, of the Society of the Founders of Norwich, discovered. In 1770, Christopher Leffingwell and his brother, Elisha, opened the first chocolate mill in Norwich.
Fishbone’s efforts to make hot cocoa Norwich’s official hot drink bore fruit almost eight years to the day from when she first began to pursue the idea. “Without Beryl, this wouldn’t have happened,” Alderwoman Stacey Gould said. “It only took eight years.”
From 2013-2021, Beryl Fishbone wrote and shared hundreds of short articles about Norwich. Click HERE to read and enjoy a sampling of the fruits of her prolific pen.
New “Norwich HIstory … It Never Gets Old,” articles are posted here on Fridays
A Welcome Treat During Extreme Cold …
An historical fiction novel by Bob Dees about Norwich's 1850s Gold Mining Co.
Click On Image To Learn More