Pictured here is the Church of the Immaculate Conception and the adjacent rectory about 1910. Catholicism had first come to Norfolk with the arrival of the Ryan brothers in 1836, who established a woolen mill in town. Before there was a church, the handful of Catholics worshipped in the Ryan home and in the woolen mill. By mid-century, Roman Catholics numbered 18 percent of the town population, and it was time to build a church. Land was donated by the Ryans, construction was begun in 1859, and the church was dedicated on Dec. 10, 1865. The adjacent rectory was constructed only after Norfolk became an independent parish in 1889. As originally built, the church looked much like a classic New England meeting house. Stained glass windows were added later. With the Catholic population growing, the church was enlarged and remodeled in 1924 by architect Alfredo Taylor, who donated his design services. Taylor completely changed the shape and size of the building to what we see today.

—Ann Havemeyer