Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1889-07-09
HISTORIC NORWICH TOWN.
A GROUP or BUILDINGS MORE THAN
TWO CENTURIES OLD.


TWO CENTURIES OLD.
Substantial Dsslling. That Were Old He
Zoe. th. H.,slatlos-i iIsa.s ia witch
Bsss,list Arnsld learned ~ bs . Drug
gi.,-Jahs rr.,t'. cider "r1ip-."
While there are several neglected md
Isolated houses scattered throughout va
rious parts ~ Connecticut of greater age
than any In Norwich. probably nowhere
else In this country isto h. found such a
group of ancient dwellings as that In this
old town Tie famous stone house ~
Guilford. which was a fortress In Indian
times aud the history ~ which runs hack
10 1889. Is only twenty years older than
some ~ this group They all stand In
historic Norwich Town. which a cen.
tury or more ago was the town proper.
and " ben the present site ~ the city was
known ~ The Landing Indians held
possession ~ the river In tho-e days. and
kept the white settlers away Here gen.
eration after generation of families have
toen reared. and the houses remain now
almost a. they did then The people
here have carri more TO keep their Pos-
sessions intact than to have modern Inn
proyemcnts. until Norwich l. precmi.
ncuily tho hammer historical city of New
England
THE Miss MANSION
Passing up tle two arisiocraiic thor.
oughfarcs of the city. broadway and
Washington street. 10 the ''plains" and
out upon the old road. the change Il
most rrmarkahlo Fashionable domicilcs
give way % ancient looking rookeries.
who-c weather beaten sides are marked
with time The iirst and most famous
Of these old dwellings l. the Bliss house,
a substantial two story mansion, which
stands -quarcly on the main road 10 the
OLD town. IL l. the oldest house in New
London county. having been built In
1850 by Thomas Bliss. one Of the original
settlcrs - Norwich IL was. without
doubt. the first dwelling built In eastern
Connecticut Tho hrst town clerk had
his Office IN tlss house for years Prom
the time - ~ erection. 20 years ago.
the OLD house remained in the uninter-
ruptcd Ownership u the Bliss family
until Few years ago. when u was sold
io Mr. Angel Stead. the present owner.
4 few rods south q this old family
mansion stands another ancient build.
ing. an old. angular unpainied. gam
brcl ruofcd structure, which i now uscd
A. dwelling by a very old lady. This
little building was erected long before
thc revolution for the purPosc of weav'
ing stockings in. Tho sign which for
year. hunr over the door represented an
un.ymmctncal Lex clothed In a gaudy
stocking Rut this industry was evi-
IDENTIFY unprodtablc. and u was succeeded
by newspaper. the tir,t IN Connecticut
SEPARATED from this building 10y mar
row lane u the Reynolds homestead, and
above the front door are scrollcd the fig
urcs 1859. representing the year In which
IL Wa built This house has remained
In the Reynolds family since the land
was ~ aside for them. and l. now occu-
plod by tho family ~ the late Henry l.
Reynolds
Dnzunally across the street from the
Bliss place. partially hidden by shrubs
and trccs. Is brown two story dwelling
known a. the Thomas IeflingWell house.
II i fully eOO years old. The old stone
chimney. which Is twelve fecrsquarc at
10. ba.c. and the stones of which were
hiI In clay instead Of mortar, the ma.
terial that j. uscd In tho construction q
walls today. stiil performs iis service.
TiE Old pRCo sTOaE.
Above this place . another but more
unprcicntious house. also once the prop
fry of tho LeiIngwolls. IL Is. u any
thing a tribe older than tho former and
much smaller The lefIingwells were a
bi. family and very prominen, tn early
history. Col Christopher Lsflngwclls
massive mansion IL next in order. The
colonel was mcthOdically correct. and the
house stands duo north and south. QUO
angle ~ its frame protruding partially
out into the road. Col Lcflingwcll was
the nr.t postmaster of the old town.
operatcd tho frst paper mill IN eastern
Connecticut. and carried on various other
industries.
Thoso siH places are all within a radius
of fifteen rods. while some iifty rO'ls fur
th,r on another line of ancient dwellings
i approached. Fnt comes the resi-
dence of Mr. Laura Thurston and Mr
Henry McNelly. which was the home %
DR.. Joshua Iathrop long before the rev
olution. Directly opposite - the dwell
Ing Of the family of the late William {.
Gilman. which was occupied by Dr.
Daniel l.aihrop at the same time that
joshua occupied the other. These broth
ers kept tho dns drug store which was
openel between Hartford and Boston.
Their old store was in existence until
two years ago ami was popularity known
a. the benedict Arnold drug store"
because within Il Arnold was trained to
BE- a druggist. Just above these two
Places stands an immense. gambrel
roofcl. venerable looking two story
structure which was the residence of
Gen. Jabez Huntington prior TO and dur
ing the revolution.
The house u on land that was decided
TO ancestors of Gen. Huntington by tho
Indians. and the mansion has bcen In the
hands of the Huntington family Tor two
centuries The general aud all hi, sons
were prominent In the revolutionary war
Nearly opposite tho Huntington place Is
another old house. built for Governor
Samuel Huntington.
Surrounding Norwich town green u
an endless chain of thess venerable man
sions. all zoo or more years old. One Of
the most notable is the old Trott place.
which was occupied by John Trott as a
tavern prior 10 ami during the revolu'
tionary war. and where Gems. Washing
ton and Lafayette aud others often drank
his famous cider clips" Tho Tracy
house. too. l. quite ConspicuOus and quite
well preserved. as arr also tile sylyanus
Jones and the l.athrop places Cor. New
York Times.
A Lovers Dream.