Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1891-07-11
HISTORIC NORWICH TOWN.
A GROUP OF BUILDINGS MORE THAN
TWO CENTURIES. OLD.

fore the Is+V.latian Hs,n-e Ia whtrh
B~nssiict Aruald i.-sraed to tss a Drag
aist I"hn rrott's ciaet '.FIir.."
While there are several neglected and
isolated h,pl-,'s scattered throughout va
rio.l~ parts ~ Connecticut Of greater age
than any in Norwich prdtahly nowhere
else ~ this country is 10 ipe found sueh 4
group oi ancipn, dwellings a. that In this
old town The famous Stone house "
Guiliord, which Mas a fortress In Indian
times and the history ef which runs hack
TO ld;s9 j. only twenty yestrs Older than
some OF tins group They ali stand in
historic Norwich Town. which cen.
fury OF 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 gen
GRAFTON after generation of families have
been reared. and tile houses remain now
almost rs they did then The people
here have cared mere To keep their pcs.
sessions intact than to have modern i'm
proyements. 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 aud
Washington street, To the plains" and
out upon the old road the change Is
most remarkable Fashionable domieiles
give way Ia ancient looking rookeries
whose weather beaten sides are marked
with time Tie first and most famous
OF these old dwellings Is the Bliss house.
a Substantial two story mansion. which
stands squarelv on tile main road 10 the
old town Il j. the oldest house in New
London county having been built in
1859 bv Thomas Bliss, one Of the original
settlers ot Norwich Ii was, without
doubt. the first dwelling built in eastern
Connecticut The iirst town clerk had
his ofiice IN this hotlse for years From
the time OF its erection. $50 years ago
the old honsr remained in the uninter
rupted ownership ot the Bliss family
until a few years ago. when it was sold
to MIR Angel Stead, The present owner,
few puis south Of this old family
mansion stands another ancient build
ing, 40 ald, angular. unpaiu,ed. gam
brel rooted structure. which Is now used
as a dwelling 10y very old lady. This
little building was erected long before
the revolution for the purpose Of weav.
ing stockings ia The sign which for
years hung over the door represented mn
unsymmetrieal leg clothed in d gaudy
stocking But this industry was evi.
by newspaper the first in Connecticut
Separated from this building by mar
row lane i ttle REYNOLDS homestead, and
above tlle front door urs scrolled the liz
ures 1853, representing the year IN which
II was built This house has remained
IN the REYNOLDS family since the land
WIS sci aside FOR them. and is now occu
pied bv the family Of the late Henry |.
Reynolds
Diagunally across the street from tie
Bliss place. partially hidden by shrubs
and trees. Is 4 brown two story dwelling
known ~ the Thomas LeiiingweI house
II is fully 200 years old The old stone
chimney Which il twelve feet square nj
Its basf. AMI the stones of which were,
laid in clay instead Of mortar. the ma
terial thai is used IN the construction OF
walls today. still performs its service.
THE OLD DRUG STORE
Above this place Is another but more
unpretentious house. also once the prop
erty of the Letlingwells. Ii is. II any.
thing. triiIe older than the former and
much smaller The Iefiingwells were a
big family and very prominent In early
history Col, Christopher Ieffingwell 5
massive mansion is next in order The
colonel was me,hodically correct. and the
house stands due north and south, Que
angle OF its frame protruding partially
out into the road Col. Lefiingwell 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 n radius
of fifteen rods. while some fifty rods fur
ther on another line of ancient dwellings
is approached. First comes the resi
dence of Mrs Laura Thurston and Mr
Henry MeNeils. which was the home of
Dr. Joshua Lathrop long before the rev
olulion Directly opposite is the dwell
ing Of the family of the late William c
Gilman. which was occupied by pr
Daniel Iaflirop 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 "Benediet Arnold drug store. .
because within IL Arnold was trained "a
be a druggist. just above these two
places stands an immense. gambrel
rooted venerable looking two story
structure Which was the residence of
tien Jabez Huntington prior To and dur.
ing the revolution
The houlse Is on land that was decided
10 ancestors af tien. Huntington bP the
Indians and the mansion has Essn IN tine
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
Sansuel Huntington
Surrounding Norwich town green II
an endless chain ui Ilie-e venerable man.
sions. all 200 or nao4. years old One of
the most notahlti ~ tile old Irott place.
which was occupied hy john Troit as j
tavern prior ta8nd during the revalu
tionArs war, and where Gems Washing
ton AMI Lafayette and others often drank
his Iantaiis cider Hips. The TraeY
house. too, Is quite conspicuous and quite
well preserved. ~ are also the ssiFaaas
Homes altfi tIat 3aIHFnI4 ttlatstts II Uf NV