Still standing today at the south end of the Green (but without the front porch), Crissey Place was one of several early 20^th century hostelries in Norfolk.  It was owned and operated by Miss Cora Brown and named after the Crissey family, who had lived there for almost 100 years. Opening in the 1920s, it was so successful that Miss Brown soon expanded into the two neighboring properties, including the present Historical Society building (once the Norfolk Academy). It offered both lunch and dinner prepared by Mrs. Hattie Bailey, and its atmosphere of warmth and hospitality brought visitors back year after year, many staying for the entire summer. Crissey Place closed in the mid-1950s, and its buildings were bought by a group of Norfolk residents who wished to preserve the essential character and surroundings of the Green. They were sold one by one, including the Academy building which was acquired by the town and in 1960 leased to the newly-formed Historical Society.

–Ann Havemeyer

Photo courtesy of The Norfolk Historical Society