Norwich Hospital District
The Norwich State Hospital, originally established as Norwich State Hospital for the Insane and later shortened to Norwich Hospital, was a psychiatric hospital. It opened its doors in October 1904 and it remained operational until October 1996. Throughout its years of operation, it housed geriatric patients, chemically dependent patients and, from 1931 to 1939, tubercular patients.
The Norwich Hospital District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
The history of the Norwich Hospital District is well documented. It is said that several of the buildings are now haunted by the spirits of past residents. Several references are listed below. Info Source 3, by Alchetron is especially informative.
“Secrets of the Asylum: Norwich State Hospital ” by Julianne Mangin, is a heart-felt story that illustrates how patient treatment at this facility created severe inter-generational trauma. The author has pieced together a family story that reads like a Dickens novel.
Acknowledgements
SubStreet – “Norwich State Hospital for the Insane”
DamnedCT
Alchetron
Bob Dees
The complete list of sources may be found by clicking the “Bibliography” button, and, then typing “Hospital” in the SEARCH box.
Norwich Town Hall
Today the Norwich Town Hall is the seat of the municipal government in Norwich. It is located at Union Street and Broadway, prominently overlooking the city’s central business district. Built in 1870-1873, when Norwich was still a town (town and the city were consolidated in 1952). Architecturally it is a prominent example of civic Second Empire architecture. The building was designed by the architectural firm of Burdick & Arnold. Evan Burdick, who supervised the construction of the building, also designed the original Norwich Free Academy building and the Wauregan Hotel. Norwich Town Hall was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 and is also a contributing property to the Downtown Norwich Historic District in the National Register of Historic Places.
Norwich Town Hall boasts a three-story brick façade set on a cut-stone basement, and a full fourth floor tucked under the slate mansard roof. The exterior is richly decorated with Second Empire detail, including a cast-iron entry porch, stone window surrounds and bracketed eaves. The corner tower’s mansard-roofed stage is topped by a clock, a belfry, and a conical cap. The interior is embellished with elaborate wood carving and finishes.
Early in 1870 a site was selected for the multi-purpose building. The courthouse functions for New London County have traditionally been shared by courthouses in New London and in Norwich. This dual courthouse system is unique in the state. When the building was first opened in 1873 it served four governmental purposes. It housed the Town of Norwich government offices, the City of Norwich government offices, one of the two New London County courts, and the Norwich police offices were located in the basement.
Prior to the erection of the Norwich Town Hall this area of the town was residential. Its prominent location is at the junction of Union Street and Broadway facing Union Square. The hilly, rocky terrain of Norwich lends itself to the monumental quality of the Norwich Town Hall. The steep hill rising north from Union Square forms a sheer cliff northwest to the town hall site. From the hill, the ground falls either gradually or steeply away from the town hall site, making it the natural focus of attention when approaching the town from the south.
The Norwich Town Hall represented one of Norwich’s major late nineteenth century building projects. It was designed by the local architectural firm of Burdick and Arnold and built by local contractor John W. Murphy. In 1870, when construction of the town hall was begun, Norwich’s population was 16,653, up from 14,047 in 1860. Norwich was the fourth largest city in the state.
The Info Source contains many details surrounding the history and architecture of the Norwich Town Hall.
Acknowledgements
United States Park Service
PicClick.com
Norwichtown Historic District
In 1660 the first settlement in Norwich located in the area known as Norwichtown. Most of the Norwich’s first proprietors settled along the Yantic River in this area. Although more than 350 years have passed, the pattern and features of that settlement are still clearly evident in the early structures that remain today. The district includes the Norwichtown Green, many homes in the surrounding area, establishments, a place of worship, and a cemetery.
The Norwichtown Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. This Iconic Norwich placemark highlights only a few of the 48 structures that are listed as contributors in the National Register of Historic Places nomination package. Several of the notable people who resided here during the early years of Norwichtown development are also highlighted.
NOTABLE PLACES
(Listed in order of year built)
- circa 1660 : First Congregational Church : 81 East Town Street : The first meeting house, built about 1660, stood near the southeast corner of the Green. The second meeting house, erected in 1675, was on the summit of Meeting House Rocks and served as a lookout against Indian raids during King Philip’s War. The third meeting house was built on the hill near the site of the old one and completed in 1713. The fourth Church was built at the corner of the Green, completed in 1770 and consumed to ashes in 1801 by a fire of incendiary origin. The cornerstone of the present Church, the fifth, was laid on June 18, 1801, by General Ebenezer Huntington.
- 1675 : Leffingwell Inn : 348 Washington Street The oldest portion of the Leffingwell Inn dates to 1675 and was built by Stephen Backus. The Inn/Tavern was founded by Ensign Thomas Leffingwell, Lt. Thomas Leffingwell’s, son. It is one of Connecticut’s oldest buildings and was an important meeting place during the Revolutionary War.
- circa 1690 : Bradford-Huntington House : 16 Huntington Lane : This house was occupied by Simon Huntington Jr. and later General Jabez Huntington. George Washington spent the night in this house and there is evidence that General Marquis de Lafayette also visited General Jedediah Huntington here during the Revolutionary War period.
- 1694 : Simon Huntington Jr. Tavern : 2 Elm Avenue : In 1694 he was given liberty to keep “A house of public entertainment.” The center portion of his home was used as a munitions magazine for the defensive weapons of the town as late as 1720.
- 1717 : Sarah Knight Tavern : 8 Elm Avenue : Sarah Knight operated a store, inn and tavern here for several years.
- circa 1700 : Dr. Philip Turner House : 29 West Town Street : At the time of the Revolutionary War this house was owned by Dr. Philip Turner, a leading surgeon for the Continental Army. The house is one of the oldest in Norwich and has been beautifully restored.
- 1741 : Captain Richard Charlton House : 12 Mediterranean Lane : This charming hideaway was built as a retreat between voyages by Captain Charlton. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1750 : Dr. Joshua Lathrop House : 377 Washington Street : It is a good example of Georgian residential architecture. According to legend Benedict Arnold was an apprentice to Dr’s Joshua and Daniel Lathrop. It is believed that Benedict Arnold may have lived in the Dr. Joshua Lathrop house during his apprenticeship with the Lathrops. This house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1760 : Lord Tavern : 86 Town Street : In this house Eleazer Lord Jr. kept an Inn which was frequented by lawyers attending the sessions at the Court of Norwich which was located across the street. The house is often called the Compass House because it faces due north. The ell of the building has served as the Norwichtown post office at various times.
- 1765 : General Jedediah Huntington House : 23 East Town Street : Jedediah Huntington and Ebenezer Huntington were brothers who served in the Revolutionary War successively occupied this house. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1771 : Colonel Joshua Huntington House : 11 Huntington Lane : This was the home of Colonel Joshua Huntington and his wife Hannah. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is located only a few doors down from his older brother General Jedediah Huntington.
- circa 1772: Joseph Carpenter Silversmith Shop : 73 East Town Street Joseph Carpenter sold jewelry, clocks and engravings in this shop. The shop space was shared with his brother Gardner, who operated a mercantile business.
- 1782 : Dr. Daniel Lathrop School : 69 East Town Street This small building with its belfry is one of the earliest brick school house still standing in Connecticut. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1783 : Samuel Huntington House : 34 East Town Street : The house was built in 1783 by Samuel Huntington, a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence and Governor of Connecticut. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. Leading up to its front walk is inscribed : “Home of Samuel Huntington GOV. 1786-1796, A SIGNER OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, MARKER BY D.A.R.”
- 1790 : Jesse Brown Tavern : 77 East Town Street : During the early part of the Revolutionary War the Jesse Brown Tavern was known for its good dinners. Jesse Brown was a confidential messenger who brought the latest news of the Continental Congress to Norwich. In 1797, President John Adams and his wife Abigail stayed here. In 1817 Captain Bela Peck purchased the tavern. It later became known as the Rock Nook Home.
- 1793 : Carpenter House : 55 East Town Street : Gardner Carpenter, a prominent owner of a local retail business lived here. The house, also known as the “Red House”, is a Georgian-style dwelling typical of the Colonial period. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1798 : East District School : 365 Washington Street : In 1798 Consider Sterry, a self-taught intellectual, opened an evening school for instruction in writing and bookkeeping in this building. He also taught mathematics, surveying, and laying out of lands. The building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
- circa 1835 : Aaron Dwight Stevens Home : 22 East Town Street : Aaron Dwight Stevens moved to this area from Lisbon when his father became choir director of the First Congregational Church. The house, no longer in existence, is believed to have been located here.
NOTABLE PEOPLE
(Listed in order of year born)
- Deacon Simon Huntington Jr. (1629-1706) : He was very active in the early community in civic matters and in the office of Deacon of the Church. In 1694 he was given liberty to keep “A house of entertainment.” Innkeepers in those days were considered town officers. The appointment was one of high honor and respectability. Huntington was the 2nd innkeeper in Norwich. The first Norwich Innkeeper was Thomas Waterman.
- Ensign Thomas Leffingwell (1649-1724) : He obtained this house from Stephen Backus in December 1679. Ensign Leffingwell and his wife furnished it with elegance and style. By 1701, he was granted permission to open an inn. The Leffingwell Tavern became a valuable supplier of provisions for the Revolutionary War and its soldiers. The house is one of Connecticut’s oldest buildings and is now the home of the Leffingwell House Museum.
- Sarah Knight (1666-1727) : Sarah Knight was a storekeeper, innkeeper and widow. She operated the Sarah Knight Tavern at 8 Elm Avenue in the 1717 time frame. In 1704 she made her famous horseback journey from Boston to New York, keeping a diary that gives a graphic description of provincial New England.
- Dr. Daniel Lathrop (1712-1782) : He was a physician in the town of Norwich in the mid-18th century. He bequeathed £500 ($68,500 in today’s dollars),for the establishment of a grammar school in Norwichtown, which resulted in the construction of the Dr. Daniel Lathrop School in 1782. He and his younger brother Dr. Joshua Lathrop ran an apothecary near their home.
- Dr. Joshua Lathrop (1723-1807) : He and his older brother, Dr. Daniel Lathrop, jointly operated an apothecary shop located near the Lathrop family homes. It was the only apothecary establishment on the route from New York to Boston.
- Samuel Huntington (1731-1796) : He was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and a founding father of the United States. Some historians also consider him the the first legitimate President of the United States.
- Dr. Philip Turner (1740-1815) : He served at the Battle at Bunker Hill in June of 1775 as a military surgeon. In 1777, Congress appointed Turner as Director General, later appointing him Surgeon General of the Eastern Department. Dr. Turner was the first surgeon in America to perform the operation of tying the femoral artery, which supplies blood to the leg.
- General Jedediah Huntington (1743-1818) : Soon after graduating from both Harvard and Yale, Jedediah Huntington joined the Sons of Liberty and fought at Dorchester Heights, an early Revolutionary War battle. When the war was nearing its end, General Huntington and his brigade, were among those with General Washington that arrived at the winter encampment at Valley Forge. In 1780 Huntington served on the trial of British Major John André, the British officer that conspired with Benedict Arnold.
- Joseph Carpenter (1747-1804) : He was one of the most successful of the Norwich silversmiths, clock makers, and pewterers and his products are now collector’s items. He made jewelry, clocks and engravings. He shared the shop with his brother, Gardner Carpenter, who operated a mercantile business.
- Jesse Brown (1749-1818) : He participated in the Revolution by officiating as the Governor’s Post. As express agent and confidential messenger, he relayed the news of the occupation of Philadelphia by the British under Lord Howe. In 1790 he was licensed to open a tavern. He became the stage contractor and established lines between Boston and New York via Providence and Norwich.
- Aaron Dwight Stevens (1831-1860) : He moved to Norwich at a very young age when his father became choir director of the First Congregational Church. He became an abolitionist and chief military aide to John Brown during Brown’s failed raid on Harper’s Ferry. For his role in the raid, Stevens was executed at the age of 29.
Acknowledgements
United States Park Service
Various
The complete list of sources may be found by clicking the “Bibliography” button, and, then typing “Norwichtown” in the SEARCH box.
Occum Hydroelectric Plant & Dam
The Occum Hydroelectric Plant & Dam is an historic hydroelectric plant and dam north of Bridge Street on the west side of the Shetucket River in Norwich. The facility includes a rare surviving partial example of a large-scale dam built for a textile mill in 1865, and an early example of a hydroelectric power generation facility established in 1934. It is one of a small number of surviving hydroelectric plants in the state which was built before 1940. The complex was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.
THE HURRICANE OF 1938 AND THE OCCUM DAM
“On September 18, 1938, it began to rain heavily and continued until September 21st. The Shetucket River at the Occum Plant was at flood stage during these three days. At noon on the 21st, the river level began to recede and a sigh of relief seemed reasonable. Unfortunately, seven dams above the Occum plant had successively burst and the water reached Occum at 2:15 pm. The Occum Hydro Plant was abandoned at 2:30 PM, as the water overtopped the embankments. The dam later let go and the bridge below was washed out. At 5pm, the waters of nine dams came into the Quinabaug River that was already at a high stage, and this added deluge raise the Shetucket River, passing over the Greeneville Dam, flooding Norwich, located down river to the height of 5 to 8 feet. Unknown to most people on the eastern coastline, the rain and wind came with the 1938 Hurricane. The Norwich area received 17 inches of rain that day.” (Info Source 2)
The Occum Hydroelectric Plant & Dam is significant because of its association with the textile industry, the major engine of economic growth in eastern Connecticut throughout the 19th century, as an example of the period’s dam engineering, and as a late but well-preserved example of early 20th century hydroelectric technology.
Although there are other large stone dams in the state, they represent only a portion of those that existed during the height of water-powered industry. Some of the old dams have been rebuilt in concrete and many others were altogether destroyed during the high water of 1938 and 1955. While the Occum Dam has been altered from its original appearance by construction of the power plant in 1934 and by rebuilding of the eastern portion following the Hurricane of 1938, it nevertheless continues to typify the engineering skills that harnessed the water-power of eastern Connecticut and allowed the textile industry to prosper.
The dam was originally built in 1865 as part of a plan to provide water power to downstream textile mills. It was built by the Occum Company, a group of Norwich businessmen with close ties to other commercial and manufacturing enterprises in the region. This model of water-power development, in which a company built a dam and sold the power to manufacturers who located their factories along the company’s canal, was not common, but it had some notable successes in Connecticut, such as the Greeneville Dam farther downstream on the Shetucket River, the Windsor Locks Canal along the Connecticut River, and the Shelton Dam on the Housatonic River.
The principals in the Occum Company were men with broad experience in water-power and manufacturing. Lucius W. Carroll (1815-1900) was a Norwich merchant specializing in wholesale dyestuffs and other mill supplies, a position that would have brought him into contact with every major textile manufacturer in eastern Connecticut. Moses Pierce (1808- 1900) was the founder and superintendent of the city’s largest textile related firm, the Norwich Bleaching and Calendaring Company, which had built a large factory in Greeneville in 1840 on the Norwich Water Company’s power canal. Leonard Ballou (1794-1880), the company’s longtime president, was a manufacturer who retired to Norwich after selling his cotton mill. Ballou and Carroll had worked together to organize Norwich’s First National Bank that same year, with Carroll serving as President. With participants such as these, the Occum Company had the technical and financial resources needed to undertake a large-scale water-power development.
Info Source 1 contains a more comprehensive history associated with the Occum Hydroelectric Plant & Dam.
Acknowledgements
United States Park Service
Norwich Public Utilities
Ray Bourque and Norwich Public Utilities
Perkins-Rockwell House
The Perkins-Rockwell House is an historic house/museum located at 42 Rockwell Street in Norwich. It was built by Major Joseph Perkins in 1818 from stone quarried on the site. It is locally distinctive as a well-preserved stone house of the Federal period, and for its association with the locally prominent Perkins and Rockwell families. The house was home to John A. Rockwell, a prominent local lawyer who married into the Perkins family, and also served as a member of Congress.
It is a large Federal style house, built of random-cut granite, with a hip roof. A single-story porch extends across the building’s front and wraps around the left side. There is a single-story wood frame addition east of the front facade, set before a recessed original kitchen section. The interior is finished with high quality woodwork, which is mostly Federal in style. Passages between the public rooms downstairs are typically finished as keystoned arches.
Major Joseph Perkins, (1759-1832) was the first member of his family to build a house in the Chelsea section of Norwich. He was a direct descendant of the first Joseph Perkins, a wealthy farmer, deacon of the church, and physician. Major Perkins served in the Revolution, receiving his commission in the militia. After the war, as the eldest son, he followed the family tradition and practiced medicine.
He married Mary Wilkinson (1769-1840) in 1803, and they had their first child Mary Watkinson Perkins Rockwell in 1804. Mary Watkinson Perkins Rockwell (1804-1887) inherited the house after the death of her parents. In 1934 the Perkins-Rockwell House was purchased from Mary Watkinson Rockwell Cole (1873-1964) by the Faith Trumbull Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution for the sum of one dollar.
The house was first presented to the chapter by Mrs. Cole, in 1934, with the words:
“And so because of our love for Norwich, the Rose of New England, which has been fostered by the loyal friendships of many generations it seemed to me that we of this generation would take pleasure in having these stone walls harbor the best traditions of New England. I take great satisfaction in thinking that this house will be used in a dignified way. That under its roof these Americans will be displayed and gatherings of public-spirited women will be held from time to time.” (Info Source 2)
The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985 and is a contributing property in the Chelsea Parade Historic District. Today the house contains collections acquired through the years by members of the D.A.R. Faith Trumbull Chapter. The Perkins-Rockwell House and the Nathaniel Backus House are co-located and owned by the Daughters of the American Revolution. They maintain and operate the buildings as a museum and have regularly scheduled tours and event
Acknowledgements
United States Park Service
Daughters of the American Revolution – Faith Trumbull Chapter
CLK Hatcher
The complete list of sources may be found by clicking the “Bibliography” button, and, then typing “Perkins-Rockwell” in the SEARCH box.