Norfolk Then . . .
The 1868 Soldiers’ Monument on the village green is one of the earliest tributes to Civil War veterans in Connecticut. A tall obelisk, it bears a dedication on its western face which reads “To the memory of the soldiers from this town who died for their country in the war of the rebellion.” The names […]
Norfolk Then . . .
This familiar building with a handsome touring car parked in front was Dodd’s Garage. The son of an Irish immigrant farmer, Martin B. Dodd (1881-1944) was an early and very successful entrepreneur in the automobile industry. He began quite simply in livery, hanging his shingle in an old blacksmith shop with one car available for […]
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 . . .
In her long skirt and high-button shoes, photographer Marie Kendall climbed the steeple of the Congregational Church carrying her view camera and glass plates to capture this view of Norfolk looking toward Haystack Mountain. Although the photograph is undated, it was likely taken in mid-March of 1888 after the historic blizzard dumped snow for 36 […]
Norfolk Then . . .
It is winter in Norfolk. The year is 1948. With two restaurants, a liquor store, a bank and a drugstore, commerce is lively on “Main Street,” even as pedestrians navigate the piles of snow. The brick block, built in 1913 as the Martini Hotel and demolished in 1994, houses the Norfolk Liquor Shop, advertising “Free […]
Norfolk Then . . .
Chickens on roller skates? Photographer Marie Kendall must have had some pretty cooperative chickens, merry or not as they “roll along” in this Christmas greeting. Many of Kendall’s surprising and delightful images of 19th-century Norfolk can be found in A Remarkable Legacy: The Photographs of Marie Hartig Kendall, published by the Norfolk Historical Society this […]
Norfolk Then—November 2018
The Welch Memorial Fountain once stood on Greenwoods Road at the entrance to West Side Road, forming a roundabout of sorts, slowing equestrian traffic. Made of local granite, it was erected in 1895 in honor of Dr. William Wickham Welch, Norfolk’s town doctor for 53 years. He was described as “a great night traveler and […]
Norfolk Then—October 2018
This imposing brick building once stood on what is now the site of Meadowbrook Apartments. Designed by architect Ehrick Rossiter, Center School was built in 1915 for students in Kindergarten through 8th grade. At that time, Norfolk high school students attended Gilbert School in Winsted. The construction of Center School was made possible through generous […]
Norfolk Then . . .
Marie Kendall took most of her photographs in Norfolk. With four children and a household to manage, she did not venture too far afield. In addition, her husband John’s medical practice likely kept the family close to home. So this photograph offers us a rare glimpse of the Kendall family on an outing to New […]
Norfolk Then . . .
In this photograph, taken about 1890 by Marie Kendall, children gather on the porch of the Kendall house on Greenwoods Road to watch an itinerant organ grinder who has wandered into the village. A popular form of entertainment, the organ grinder would travel from town to town, hoping to earn a few dollars or a […]
