One of the earliest photographs of Norfolk was taken on Nov. 2, 1877. Folks coming from Winsted would have travelled by horse and carriage along this road to the center of town. There were no sidewalks to speak of, just dirt paths and occasional boardwalks, as seen on the right. The railroad had just been built and passed under the road just before the village green. Look for the stockade fence that bordered the railroad tracks by the white house at the center of the photograph. That house still stands, as does the one across the road. The Congregational Church is visible on the far side of the green, which is enclosed with a white rail fence. To the right beyond the trees is Whitehouse, before it was enlarged with the two-story portico that greets visitors today.

—Ann Havemeyer

Photo courtesy of the Norfolk Historical Society.