Buildings which were once mills now house shops, professional offices, flea markets and auctions. The lion's share of the twentieth century saw Norwich and southeast Connecticut as a region heavily supporting national defense with the U.S. Naval Submarine Base, the submarine builder General Dynamics and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy at the mouth of the Thames River. A reduction in the defense force greatly affected the area. The creation of two major gambling casinos within a 15 minute drive on each side of the Thames and the arrival of a professional sports team has enabled the Tourism and Hospitality industry to become the new mainstay for the region. We have several Historic Districts as well as numerous individual sites on the National Register of Historic Places.
Some tours are in place and others are being planned.
Historical societies, libraries and reading rooms provide written collections for review. Before visiting, writing or phoning a research facility, please consult the Tips section to maximize your research success. The Rose City Genealogy Club thanks City Historian Dale Plummer for contributing information for this section. The original settlers in Norwich were of English origin. While some had been born in the New World, many had come from England.