One of the earliest photographs of Norfolk was taken in 1878 from the location of the present post office. It shows a barren village center. Visible in the background are familiar Norfolk landmarks: the Congregational Church and Whitehouse. Buildings such as the Royal Arcanum that now line Station Place had yet to be built, and only the old Norfolk Depot welcomed the visitor arriving in town by the newly constructed railroad.

The Connecticut Western Railroad was chartered in 1868 to run from Hartford west to the New York state line in Millerton. Ground was broken in Winsted in October of 1869. The route to Norfolk brought the line through Grantville in southeast Norfolk to Litchfield Road and north to the town center. From there the tracks ran around Haystack and Bald Mountains, and then passed through a rocky gorge known as Stoney Lonesome on the way to East Canaan. A celebration was held on the Village Green in September of 1871 shortly before the last rail was spiked.

—Ann Havemeyer

Photograph courtesy of the Norfolk Historical Society