, 1889-06-04
HISTORIC NORWICH TOWN.
A GROUP OF BUILDINGS MORE THAN
TWO CENTURIES OLD.


gist-John Trott's Cider "FIIps."
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 a
group of ancient dwellings as that in this
old town. The famous stone house of
GuiIford, which was a fortress In Indian
times and the history Of which runs back
to 1889, is only twenty years older than
some of this group. They all stand in
historic Norwich Town, which a CEN
fury or more ago was the town proper,
and when the present site Of the city was
known as THE Landing" Indians held
possession Of tho river in those days, and
kept the white settlers away. Here gen.
Grafton after generation of families have
been reared, and he houses remain now
almost as they did then. The people
here have cared more to keep their pos
sessions intact than to nave modern i'm
provements, until Norwich is pre-emi-
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,
c substantial two story mansion, which
stands squarely IN the main road to the
| old tnuyn II 10 tho oldest hO,,oa IL Naxr
London county, having been built in
1859 by 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 in the ~uninter-
rupted ownership of the Bliss family
until a 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 structure, which Is now used
as a dwelling by q 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
unsymmetrical leg clothed In n gaudy
stocking. But this industry was evil
IDENTIFY Improbable, and it was succeeded
by a newspaper, the first in Connecticut.
Separated from this building by q mar
row lane Is the Reynolds homestead, and
above the front door are scrolled the fig
ures 1859, representing the yearin which
1t was built. This house has remained
in the Reynolds family since the land
was set aside for them, and is now occu-
pied by tho family of the late Henry L.
Reynolds.
Diagonally across the street from the
Bliss place, partially hidden by shrubs
IL trees, Is q brown two story dwelling
known as the Thomas Lefflngwell 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 performs its service.
TIL OLD DRUG STORE.
Above this place is another but more
u~npretentious house, also once the prop
erty of the Leffingwells. 1t is, If any
thing, a trile older than the former and
much smaller. The Lefingwells were a
big family and very prominent in early
history. Col. Christopher Lefingwell's
massive mansion is next In order. The
colonel was ethodically correct, and the
house stands due north and south, one
angle of its frame protruding partially
out into tho road. Col. Leffingwell was
the first postmaster of the old town,
operated tho first paper mill in eastern
Connecticut, and carried on various other
industries.
These six places are all within q radius
of fifteen rods, while some fifty rods fur
Their on another line of ancient dwellings
is approached. First comes the resi-
dence of Mrs. Laura, Thurston and Mr..
Henry McNelly, which was the home of
DIR. Joshua Lathrop long before the rev.
olution. Directly opposite is the dwell
ing of the family of the late William @.
Gilman, which was occupied by DIR.
Daniel Lathrop at the same time that
Joshua occupied the other. These broth
ers kept the first drug store which was
opened between Hartford and Boston.
Their old store was in existence until
two years ago and was popularity known
as the Benedict Arnold drug store"
because within 1t Arnold was trained to
be n druggist. Just above these two
places stands an immense, gambrel
rooted, venerable looking two story
structure which was the residence of
Gen. Jabez Huntington prior to and dur
ing the revolution.
The house is on land that was decided
to ancestors of Gen. Huntington by the
Indians, and the mansion has been in the
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 Trott as a
tavern prior to and during the revolu-
tionary war, and where Gems. Washing
ton and Lafayette and others often drank
his famous cider clips" The Tracy
house. too. Ia uuite consDicuoua and uuita