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 […]
Norfolk Then…
This 1920s postcard shows Memorial Green just after the War Memorial, designed by Alfredo Taylor, was built. It was Taylor’s wife Minna who first proposed that a memorial “heroes grove” be planted on the small lot of land known as the Triangle opposite the Catholic Church. The lot had been left empty with the demolition […]
Norfolk Then…
This 1917 photograph is a timely reminder of the long struggle fought by many dedicated women for basic civil liberties, including the right to own property, hold public office, sit on juries, participate in public assemblies and vote. The group of 25 suffragists—20 women and five men—gathered on the porch following their meeting with Congressman […]
Norfolk Then…
When the railroad was constructed in Norfolk, it was necessary to build several crossings, such as the bridge over Litchfield Road seen in the background of this photograph. The house in the foreground, still standing opposite the entrance to Mountain Road, was the home of postmaster Leo Curtiss and called Twin Willows. The railroad route […]
Norfolk Then…
Freight trains lumbered through Norfolk on a daily basis in the late 19th century, transporting anthracite coal from Pennsylvania. They could be more than 20 cars long and usually required a second engine or pusher to get the heavy load up the hills to Norfolk. The freight station, pictured on the right, was located about […]
Norfolk Then…
Tennis at Town Hall? The building we know as Town Hall was originally the Eldridge Gymnasium, built in 1892. Located within easy walking distance of hotels and boarding houses in Norfolk at the turn of the last century, the Gymnasium was a popular gathering place for both residents and visitors. People played croquet on the lawn […]
Norfolk Then…
In 1900, the Collar Brothers store stood adjacent to the Norfolk Library on the corner of Greenwoods Road and Maple Avenue (visible at the far right). The old store had been built in 1843 and was occupied by a series of merchants. The Collar Brothers advertised boots, shoes and groceries, as well as dry goods […]
Norfolk Then…
The Dudley Tannery and bark shed, pictured here in an early 20th century photograph by Frank DeMars, stood at the corner of Ashpohtag Road and Route 44 in West Norfolk. Tanning was once a thriving industry in Norfolk, the second largest after the woolen industry in the mid-19th century. The State of Connecticut Report of […]
Norfolk Then…
Members of the Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department are pictured in 1946 in front of their first home, the Royal Arcanum building on Station Place. The intertwined initials NVFD can still be found on either side of the arched opening where the Seagraves hose trucks were kept. A fire bell hung in the brick tower that […]
