The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-06-21
HISTORIC NORWICH TOWN.
A GROUP OF BUILDINGS MORE THAN
TWO CENTURIES OLD.

Substantial Dwellings That Were Old Be-
fore the Revolution House in Which
benedict Arnold Learned to BE a Drug
gist-John Trott's Cider .Eliss."
While there are several neglected and
isolated houses scattered throughout va
rious parts of Connecticut of greater age
than any in Norwich, probably nowhere
else in this country is to be found such
group of ancient dwellings as that in this
old town. The famous stone house of
Guiford, which was fortress in Indian
times and the history of which runs back
to 1882 is only twenty years older than
some of this group They all stand in
historic Norwich Town, which CEN
tury or more ago was the town proper.
and when the present site of the city was
known as The Landing. Indians held
possession of the river in those days, and
kept the white settlers away Here ger.
GRAFTON after generation OF families have
been reared, and the houses remain now
almost as they did then The people
here have cared more to keep their pos
sessions intact than To have modern i'm
provements. until Norwich is pre-em-
nently the banner historical city of New
England
THE BLISS MANSION
Passing up the two ariStOcratic thor
oughfares of the city. Broadway and
Washington street. to the "plains" and
out upon the old road. the change is
most remarkable. Fashionable domiciles
give way to ancient looking rookeries.
whose weather beaten sides are marked
with time The first and most famous
of these old dwellings, is the Bliss house.
substantial Two story mansion, which
stands suuareiy on the main road to the
old town. 1t is the oldest house in New
London county. having been built in
1859 10y Thomas Bliss. one Of the original
settlers Of Norwich 1t was, without
doubt. the first dwelling built in eastern
Connecticut The first town clerk had
his office in this house for years. From
the time of its erection. $50 years ago.
the old house remained i'm the uninter-
rupted ownership of the Bliss family
until few years ago, when it was sold
to Mr.. Angel Stead, the present owner.
A few rods south of this old family
mansion stands another ancient build
ing, an odd--angular, implanted gam
brel rooted So ucture. which is now used
as dwelling by very old lady THIS
little building was erected long before
the revolution for the purpose of weav-
ing stockings in. The sign which for
years hung over the door represented an
.asymmetrical leg clothed in gaudy
stocking But this industry was evil
by newspaper. the first in Connecticut.
Separated from this building by mar
row lane is the Reynolds homestead, and
above the front door are scrolcd the fig
ures 1863. representing the year in which
it WAS built This house has remained
in the Reynolds family since the land
was set aside for them, and is now occu-
pied by the family Of tie Late Henry l..
Reynolds.
NagOnally across the street. from TIE
Bliss place, partially hidden by shrubs
and trees, is brown two story dwelling
known as the Thomas LeffingweIl house
1t is fully 200 years old. The old stone
chimney, which is twelve feet square at
its base. and the stones of which were
laid in clay instead of mortar. the ma
terial that is used in the construction of
walls today, still perfoSms its service
THE OLD DRUG STORE.
Above this place is another but more
unpretentious house, also once the prop
erty of the Leffingwells. 1t is, if any
thing, trifle older than the former and
much smaller. The Leffingwells were
big family and very prominent in early
history. Col. Christopher I-effingwel's
massive mansion il; next Il. order The
rolonel was methoGically correct. and the
house stands due north and south, one
angle of it's frame prOtruding partially
.ut into the road. Col. Leffingwell was
the first postmaster of the old town,
operated the first paper mill in eastern
connecticut. and carried on various other
Industries.
These six places are all within a radius
Of fifteen rods. while some fifty rods fur
ther on another line OF ancient dwellings
is approached. First comes the resi-
,lence OF Mrs. Laura Thurston and Mr
Henry McNelly which was the home OF
DR.. Joshua Lathrop long before the rev.
olution. Directly opposite is the dwell
ing of the family of the late William G.
Gilman, which was occupied by DR..
Daniel Lathrop at the same time that
Joshua occupied the other. These broth
ers kept the first drug store which YVES
opened between Hartford and Boston.
Their old store was in existence until
two years ago and was popularity known
rs the Benedict Arnold drug store,
because within it Arnold was trained to
be druggist. just above these two
places stands an immense, gambrel
rooted venerable looking two story
structure which was the residence OF
ten Jabez Huntington prior to and dur
ing the revolution.
The house is on land that was decided
to ancestors of Gen. Huntington 10y the
Indians. and the mansion has been III tie
hands of the Huntington family for two
centuries The general and all his SONS
were prominent in the revolutionary war
Nearly opposite the Huntington place IS
another old house. built for Governor
Samuel Huntington.
Surrounding Norwich town green Is
an endless chain Of these venerable man
sions. all 200 or more years old. One OF
the most notable is the old Trott place
which was occupied by John Irott US 4
tavern prior to and during the revoiu-
tionary war, and where Gems. Washing
ton and Lafayette and others often dranA
his famous cider clips" The Tracy