Norfolk Then…
From Feb. 20 to Feb. 22, 1898, an ice storm swept through Northwestern Connecticut. For three days, freezing rain coated trees and buildings with ice up to 7 inches thick. Roads were treacherous and, in some cases, impassable. Tree branches, weighted down with ice, broke and fell. Electricity, telegraph and telephone wires sagged low to […]
Norfolk Then…
One of the earliest photographs of Norfolk was taken on Nov. 2, 1877. Folks coming from Winsted would have travelled by horse-drawn 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 […]
Norfolk Then…
Emergency medical transport has changed dramatically over the past century, evolving from simple horse-drawn carriages to life-saving ambulances with advanced medical equipment. The original Norfolk Lions Club ambulance, a Henney Packard, is parked in front of Town Hall in this photograph, probably taken soon after the Lions Club was organized in January of 1951. Unlike […]
Norfolk Then…
This photograph by Marie Kendall was digitized from the glass plate negative she made with her view camera in the 1890s. By scanning the original negative, we are able to see the remarkable details of the scene such as the train in the background crossing the Litchfield Road overpass (look for the blur just below […]
Norfolk Then…
Pictured here is the bungalow that was built in 1907 by Dr. Frederic Dennis, a noted New York surgeon whose family had lived in Norfolk for generations. His summer residence, known as Tamarack Lodge, sat just off Litchfield Road and the hilltop bungalow, designed by architect Alfredo Taylor, was a place to entertain guests, with […]
Norfolk Then…
During the first half of the 20th century, multiple businesses occupied the first floor of Village Hall, now known as Infinity Hall. Built in 1883 as a multi-purpose building, Village Hall provided the town with a commercial complex as well as a much-needed cultural center upstairs, where townsfolk could gather for lectures, concerts, dances and […]
Norfolk Then…
With a new firehouse proposed for Norfolk, here’s a look back at the ground-breaking ceremony for the Shepard Road firehouse on June 6, 1970. Fire Chief Martin O’Connor takes the first dig. Also pictured are (from left): Peter Mulville (builder), Walter Allyn (Selectman), O’Connor, Robin Mead (Chairman of the Building Committee), and Russell Childs (architect). […]
Norfolk Then…
This august group of gentlemen, heretofore identified as the original members of the Norfolk Culinary Institute, has recently been revealed to be a cadre of international spies. They operated out of a modest cabin in the Doolittle Woods, where they convene several times a year to exchange intelligence—anonymously, they thought. “Gentlemen, my a**! Buccaneers, they […]
Norfolk Then…
This photograph of Maple Avenue was taken about 1905. Ten years earlier, in 1895, Norfolkresidents voted on the appropriation of $500 for road improvement. Yet Maple Avenue remaineda dirt road, muddy in the spring, dusty in the summer. The paving of roads was one issue ofpublic interest that sparked heated debate, reflecting the divisive perception […]
Norfolk Then
Pictured here is the house built in 1898 by Mr. and Mrs. Charles Spofford as their summer home. The son of Ainsworth Spofford, Librarian of Congress, Charles Spofford was an electrical engineer, who would be hired in 1902 to manage London’s underground railway system, converting it from steam to electricity. The Spoffords engaged the architect […]
