Norfolk Then…
In the early 20th century, the Mountain Road bridge over Norfolk Brook had a rustic-style guard rail bordering the road and sidewalk. Characterized by the use of twigs, branches, and bark, the rustic style had been used in formal English gardens in the 1700’s and in this country was very popular in the second half […]
Norfolk Then…
This charming house, still standing on the west side of Litchfield Rd., was built in 1905 for Richmond Paine, the newly appointed conductor of the Litchfield County Choral Union (LCCU). Carl and Ellen Battell Stoeckel engaged the architect Ehrick Rossiter to design the house for Paine as well as the Music Shed for performances by […]
Norfolk Then
As we prepare for the 250th anniversary of our country’s independence on July 4, let’s look back 50 years to June 12, 1976, and the American Revolution Bicentennial parade in Norfolk. The parade was the largest parade ever held in Norfolk with almost everyone participating, many dressed in colonial garb. The Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department […]
Norfolk Then…
Designed by architect Alfredo Taylor and still standing at the end of Golf Drive, this pavilion was built on the nine-hole Norfolk Downs as a gathering place for golfers. The large central room with cobblestone walls and a massive stone fireplace once had glazed windows on the north side, while the terrace on the south […]
Norfolk Then
Although there was no organized baseball for Norfolk youth until Little League arrived in 1952, town team baseball flourished during the first half of the 20th century. The first Norfolk town team dates back to the early 1900s and was comprised of adults who competed against teams from nearby towns. At that time the baseball […]
Norfolk Then…
Travel by railroad was still the best way to get from one place to another in the early 20th century, so a washout on the line was serious business. But paired with a photograph of laundry hanging out to dry, this play on words made for a popular postcard message. The postcard dates from the […]
Norfolk Then
By Ann Havemeyer It was a busy afternoon at the General Electric plant in 1953. On the banks of the Blackberry River in a building that had been a 19th century stone mill, General Electric opened a branch in 1946 to make starters for fluorescent lights. Twelve Norfolk women were employed at first, but the […]
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 […]
