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Top Attractions in Norwich

Slater Memorial Museum

The J. F. Slater Memorial Museum, also known as Slater Memorial Museum, is a historic building and an art museum in the Norwich Free Academy in Norwich, Connecticut. It is designed in Richardsonian Romanesque architecture and is said to be the finest work of architect Stephen C. Earle. It is a contributing property in the Chelsea Parade Historic District. The museum was presented to the Norwich Free Academy by William A. Slater, son of John Fox Slater, who had endowed the school. The museum features a collection of plaster casts of famous Roman, Greek, Egyptian and Renaissance statues. The museum also exhibits colonial and local historic artifacts, as well as 18th-20th-century American paintings and decorative arts, 17th-19th-century European paintings and decorative arts, African and Oceanic sculpture, and Native American objects. The adjacent Converse Art Gallery hosts six changing exhibitions throughout the year. The museum is a member of the North American Reciprocal Museums program.

Norwichtown

Norwichtown is an historic neighborhood in the city of Norwich, Connecticut. It is generally the area immediately north of the Yantic River between I-395 and Route 169. The portion of the neighborhood from the Norwichtown Green and east of it is a locally designated historic district that was also listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 as the Norwichtown Historic District. The district includes 48 contributing buildings and one other contributing site over an 110 acres area. The earliest settlement of Norwich, in 1659, was in Norwichtown. Initial settlement, by 35 English settlers who bought land from the Mohegans, was centered on the Norwichtown Green. The Green is triangular in shape, with an area of about 1.75 acres . It is surrounded by shade trees and bordered by Town Street, East Town Street and Elm Avenue. These streets are lined with 18th and 19th houses and shops that face the Green. There are four houses in Norwichtown that were built in the 17th century: the 1660 Bradford-Huntington House, built c. 1660; the Olmstead-Lathrop House, dating to c. 1659-1745; Leffingwell House Museum, built c. 1675; and the Simon Huntington House, built c. 1690. The First Congregational Church, built in the Federal style in 1801, was the third building to house the local congregation. Many older homes in the district have been converted to commercial use. The John Mason School is now the central administration for the Norwich Public School System. North of the town's first schoolhouse is the Colonial Cemetery where four Connecticut governors are buried. Four houses from the 17th century remain standing north of the Green area is Meeting House Hill, a cliff of large rocks that is also known as the Meeting House Rocks. It was on this cliff that the village's second and third meetinghouses were established, with the site used as a lookout point. The memorial on top of the rocks and pathway are cared for by the First Congregational Church. Five buildings included in the historic district are separately listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These are the saltbox Leffingwell Inn, the Joseph Carpenter Silversmith Shop, built c. 1772-1774; the Dr. Daniel Lathrop School, one of Connecticut's oldest remaining brick schoolhouses, which dates to 1782; the Bradford-Huntington House at 16 Huntington Lane; and the Gen. Jedidiah Huntington House at 23 E. Town Street. Norwichtown was the old center of Norwich, when the town was settled primarily as a farming community in the late 17th century. By the early 18th century, the focus of Norwich became the harbor facilities in the adjacent Chelsea neighborhood east and south of the town center, and eventually the 'center' of Norwich became the small urban center at Chelsea, which was also ringed with industrial mills. The establishment of the city of Norwich in 1784 centered on the Chelsea neighborhood necessitated the distinction of calling the old town center 'Norwichtown'. The city of Norwich was consolidated with the town of Norwich in 1952 relegating Norwichtown to become a residential neighborhood of the city of Norwich. As Chelsea Parade became a more populated residential district, the residents wanted a church closer than those in Norwichtown. Therefore, the Park Congregational Church was built right next to Chelsea Parade. Stephen C. Earle of Worcester Massachusetts designed the Park Congregational Church and the church was built in 1873. The church was built in the Romanesque revival style. The Teel House originally built, as a hotel is also located on Chelsea Parade. Joseph Teel of Preston built the Hotel in 1789. The Hotel was known for its fine halls and splendid ballrooms. After Mr. Teel's death, the hotel was converted into a boarding school and day school. Today the Teel House is a residence. The house has an impressive center hall plan and contains eight fireplaces. One of the main streets running through Norwichtown and adjacent to Chelsea Green is Washington Street. Along Washington Street is the house of Charles A. Converse. This gothic-styled house was built c. 1870 and is most notable for its steeply pitched roofs and the red and gray roof slates. However, the owner, Charles Converse, is noted more for the Converse Art Gallery that he gave to the Norwich Free Academy, less than a block away. Traveling further down Washington Street away from Norwich town there are many other Historic Houses, such as the Learned-Aiken House, Vernet-Lee House, the Eliza Huntington Memorial Home, and the Lathrop-Brewer House. Running parallel to Washington Street is Broadway. One interesting House located at 189 Broadway is the De Witt House-Lydia Huntley Sigourney School. The house was built in the late eighteenth century. In 1812 the house was used a school for young ladies. Lydia Huntley conducted the school with her friend Nancy Maria Hyde until she was forced to close the school once Hyde became ill. Continuing down Washington Street toward Norwich town is the most famous of historic homes in Norwich, the Leffingwell Inn. Stephen Backus built the original house in 1675. In 1700, Thomas Leffingwell bought the house and converted the original two-room house into an inn. The Tavern Hall, to the right of the entrance is the original part of the house and exhibits one of the few remaining, completely paneled rooms from the century. The House also includes fine works from Norwich silversmiths and clock makers of the 1700s. Christopher Leffingwell, the son of Thomas commissioned Thomas Harland to design a clock for the North Parlor that is still hung in the same exact place that Christopher originally hung the clock. Also, in 1776 supposedly George Washington ate breakfast at the Leffingwell Inn. Further into Norwich town is the Joshua Prior House. Joshua Prior built the house in 1766. The house still has the original fluted pilasters over the doorways and six-paneled raised double front door. Dr. Joshua Lathrop House was built in 1763. This house was built in two sections, a saltbox section and then a three-bay Georgian Section. The house has been restored and it still has original fireplaces including a nine- foot cooking fireplace. Samuel Huntington, signer of the Declaration of Independence, president of the Continental Congress, first President of the United States under the Articles of Confederation, and governor of Connecticut, lived in Norwichtown. His house is located to the east of the Green and he is buried in Norwichtown's colonial era cemetery. Samuel Huntington Elementary School on West Town Street in Norwichtown, a public school operated by Norwich Public Schools, is named for him. Fairview Reservoir, one of Norwich's backup reservoirs, is between Canterbury Turnpike and Scotland Road in Norwichtown.

Carpenter House

The Carpenter House, also known as the Gardiner Carpenter House and the Red House, is a Georgian style house in Norwichtown area of Norwich, Connecticut. A house was previously on the site, but it was removed by Gardner Carpenter to construct the house in 1793. The three-story Flemish bond Georgian houses front facade consists of five bays with a gabled porch over the main entrance and supported by round columns. The gambrel roof and third story addition were added around 1816 by Joseph Huntington. In 1958, a modern one-story rear wing was added to the back of the house. The interior of the house is a center hall plan with 10-foot high ceilings and has been renovated, but retains much of its original molding, paneling and wrought iron hardware. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 and added to the Norwichtown Historic District in 1973.

Little Plain Historic District

The Little Plain Historic District is a predominantly residential historic district located in Norwich, Connecticut. When originally listed in 1970, it was centered on Little Plain Park, located about half way between modern downtown Norwich and the Norwichtown green, the colonial center of the town. From the late 18th century onward this area became a desirable and fashionable area to live, as it was closer to the growing port area of the city. The area was mostly built out by about 1875, and features a rich concentration of Greek Revival, Gothic Revival and Italianate houses, although older and later styles are also represented. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 and enlarged in 1987. The 1987 enlargement expanded the district southward along Union Street and Broadway, to abut the Downtown Norwich Historic District, and increased the district's size from 30 acres to 38.8 acres .

Perkins-Rockwell House

The Perkins-Rockwell House is a historic house at 42 Rockwell Street in Norwich, Connecticut. Built in 1818, it is a large Federal style house, built of random-cut ashlar 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 house 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; this 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. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 17, 1985. The house is owned by the Faith Trumbull Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, along with the adjacent Nathaniel Backus House.

Joseph Carpenter Silversmith Shop

The Joseph Carpenter Silversmith Shop is a historic building that was built between 1772 and 1774 on the green in Norwichtown, now a section of Norwich, Connecticut. It is a 30 feet by 24 feet one-and-a-half story clapboarded building with a gambrel roof. The interior has a single brick chimney that was used for the forge, but it has been modified and adapted for modern use with modern doors, electric lighting and heat, and a disappearing overhead stairway that leads to the attic. Joseph Carpenter was a successful of silversmith, clockmaker, and pewterer, and shared the building with his brother, a merchant. The shop was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 6, 1970, and was listed as a contributory property for the Norwichtown Historic District on January 17, 1973.

Nathaniel Backus House

The Nathaniel Backus House is a two-story Greek Revival clapboarded house with a gable roof in Norwich, Connecticut. The house was built around 1750 by Nathaniel Backus and served as his home, it was later moved to its current location in 1952. The house originally began as a Colonial, but was greatly modified to Greek Revival around 1825, reconfiguring the central door to the left of the facade and adding two chimneys. The house is a historic house museum operated by the Faith Trumbull Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. The Nathaniel Backus House was submitted to the National Register of Historic Places for its historical value in local history and as an example of Greek Revival domestic architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 and was also included in the NRHP's Chelsea Parade Historic District designation in 1989.

Chelsea Parade Historic District

The Chelsea Parade Historic District is a predominantly residential historic district that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. The district is located north of downtown Norwich and includes the Chelsea Parade Green and its monuments. It includes 565 contributing buildings, two other contributing sites, and six contributing objects over an 205 acres area. It includes the Nathaniel Backus House, the Broad Street School, and the Converse House and Barn which are separately NRHP-listed. Other notable buildings include the Norwich Free Academy, Christ Episcopal Church, St. Patrick Cathedral, and the Slater Memorial Museum. The J. F. Slater Memorial Museum, aka Slater Memorial Museum, is a contributing property at 108 Crescent Street, now 285 Broadway.

Downtown Norwich Historic District

The Downtown Norwich Historic District is a historic district representing the core of the downtown area of the city of Norwich, Connecticut in the United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. It includes 115 contributing buildings and one other contributing structure over a 64-acre area. Several buildings in the historic district are also individually listed on the National Register, including the Norwich Town Hall, the Telephone Exchange Building and the Carroll Building. Norwich's downtown grew up near the confluence of the Shetucket, Yantic, and Thames Rivers and the city's harbor, which was once a major center for trade and commerce. The area includes many intact 18th-century buildings centered on the now-picturesque harbor.

Jail Hill Historic District

The Jail Hill Historic District is located in Norwich, Connecticut. The district consists of 74 buildings and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 19, 1999. A plaque, placed by the Norwich Historical Society at the entrance to the Jail Hill district states the following about Norwich's African-American Heritage, in which Jail Hill played an important role: "In the late 1600’s and 1700’s, Norwich was an important colonial seaport trading with the West Indies. Slaves were imported to Southeastern Connecticut from the West Indies during this period. They became personal servants, laborers and craftsmen. By 1756, the Black community numbered 223. Many had purchased their own freedom or had been freed by their owners. Former slave Guy Druck, a blacksmith, built this house at 76 Church St. in the 1850’s. His skills were renowned and actively sought by ship builders for components such as anchors. Blacks from Norwich, such as Leb Quy, fought in the American Revolution. The first public outcry against slavery in Norwich was published in the Norwich Packet in 1774. Connecticut later passed legislation to gradually abolish slavery in 1784. In the 19th century, black settlement centered on Jail Hill, where a thriving community existed by the mid-century. Discriminated against for employment in the mills, Norwich’s Black residents worked on the docks, railroads, steamboats and in hotels. Many, like escaped slave James Linsley Smith, a shoemaker, were engaged in crafts. Others owned restaurants and small businesses." The district encompasses a working-class residential area whose development began in the 1830s and was largely complete by 1865. Houses are of modest size and scale, and are typically vernacular interpretations of Greek Revival and Italianate styling, although later styles such as Queen Anne are also present. The district takes its name from the 1834 jail that was built on the hill, whose foundations still stand on an overgrown lot.

William A. Buckingham House

The William A. Buckingham House, also known as Buckingham Memorial Hall, is a historic house a fraternal hall at 307 Main Street in Norwich, Connecticut. It is a 2-1/2 story brick structure, with a main block three bays wide, topped by a hip roof with a steep gable above the main entrance. It was built in 1847 by William A. Buckingham, whose later political career included terms as mayor of Norwich and Governor of Connecticut (the latter during the American Civil War). Buckingham is known to have had both Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant as guests. The house was purchased in 1898 by the local chapter of the Grand Army of the Republic, a Civil War veterans organization. It has since been converted into a senior center. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 29, 1982.

American Thermos Bottle Company Laurel Hill Plant

The American Thermos Bottle Company Laurel Hill Plant, located in the Laurel Hill section of Norwich, Connecticut, in the United States, includes 11 contributing buildings and two other contributing structures. The original plant was built during 1912–13 and used a historic Italianate house as a company office building. The plant was the primary factory where Thermos bottles were manufactured from 1913 to 1984. The plant is historically significant to its connection to the Thermos Company and the history of Norwich. The complex is architecturally significant because it displays the adaptive use of industrial mill design to new industry. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. Since its nomination, numerous changes and renovations have occurred. The surrounding area has seen the construction of condominiums and the large manufacturing building being renovated and re-purposed for loft-style apartments. Renovations on the northern end of the property would require the demolition of two buildings to construct the Integrated Day Charter School. Completed in 2008, a new two-story addition created an indoor gymnasium, kitchen, offices and a new lobby for the school.

Greeneville

Greeneville is a neighborhood of the city of Norwich, Connecticut, located northeast of downtown Norwich along the west bank of the Shetucket River. Most of the neighborhood is designated Greeneville Historic District, a historic district that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The district was listed on the National Register in 2005 and includes 683 contributing buildings, seven other contributing structures, and one other contributing site over a 300 acres area. The district is drawn to "correspond to the village as it was laid out in 1833, but also include additional streets laid out and developed in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to accommodate population growth. Areas north and south of the district boundaries were excluded...." as those areas included undeveloped land, or fewer contributing relative to non-contributing buildings, or reflected a "shift in architectural character." According to the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation the district "is a historically significant industrial village that was created to support and sustain water-powered industry from 1828 to about 1940. Much of the enduring success of this industrial enterprise can be attributed to the entrepreneurial vision of industrialist William P. Greene . His development of this planned community and a company to deliver a centralized power system, combined with significant technological infrastructure improvements in the late 19th century, supported the largest industrial presence in Norwich. Although nominally a part of the City of Norwich after 1875, from its creation in 1833 until after World War I Greeneville remained a relatively independent and self-sufficient, working-class community-an evolution fully expressed by the district's large, cohesive collection of generally well-preserved domestic, institutional and commercial architecture. While much of the architecture has the vernacular character expected in a mill town, the district also includes representative examples of the major styles of the period, including Greek Revival, Second Empire, Italianate, and Carpenter Gothic."
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