Norwich ( ) (also called "The Rose of New England") is a city in

New London County, Connecticut New London County is in the southeastern corner of Connecticut and comprises the Norwich-New London, Connecticut Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Hartford-East Hartford, Connecticut Combined Statistical Area. There i ...

, United States. The Yantic, Shetucket, and

Quinebaug River The Quinebaug River is a river in south-central Massachusetts and eastern Connecticut, with watershed extending into western Rhode Island. The name "Quinebaug" comes from the southern New England Native American term, spelled variously , , etc ...

s flow into the city and form its harbor, from which the

Thames River The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...

flows south to

Long Island Sound Long Island Sound is a marine sound and tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies predominantly between the U.S. state of Connecticut to the north and Long Island in New York to the south. From west to east, the sound stretches from the Eas ...

. The population was 40,125 at the

2020 United States Census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

History

The town of Norwich was founded on the site of what is now

Norwichtown Norwichtown is a historic neighborhood in the city of Norwich, Connecticut. It is generally the area immediately north of the Yantic River between I-395 and Route 169. The portion of the neighborhood from the Norwichtown Green and east of it i ...

in 1659 by settlers from

Saybrook Colony The Saybrook Colony was an English colony established in late 1635 at the mouth of the Connecticut River in present-day Old Saybrook, Connecticut by John Winthrop, the Younger, son of John Winthrop, the Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. ...

led by Major John Mason and James Fitch. They purchased the land "nine miles square" that became Norwich from Mohegan Sachem

Uncas Uncas () was a ''sachem'' of the Mohegans who made the Mohegans the leading regional Indian tribe in lower Connecticut, through his alliance with the New England colonists against other Indian tribes. Early life and family Uncas was born n ...

. One of the co-founders of Norwich was Thomas Leffingwell who rescued Uncas when surrounded by his Narragansett enemies, and whose son established the Leffingwell Inn. In 1668, a wharf was established at Yantic Cove. Settlement was primarily in the area around the Norwichtown Green. The 69 founding families soon divided up the land in the Norwichtown vicinity for farms and businesses. By 1694, the public landing built at the head of the Thames River allowed ships to unload goods at the harbor; the harbor area is known as the Chelsea neighborhood. The distance from the port to Norwichtown was served by the East and West Roads which became Washington Street and Broadway. The original center of the town was a neighborhood now called Norwichtown, an inland location chosen to be the center of a primarily agricultural farming community. By the late 18th century, shipping at the harbor became far more important than farming, especially when industrial mills began manufacturing on the three smaller rivers. By the early 19th century, the center of Norwich had effectively moved to the Chelsea neighborhood. The official buildings of the city were located in the harbor area, such as the city hall, courts, and post office, and all the large 19th-century urban blocks. The former center is now called Norwichtown to distinguish it from the current city. Norwich merchants were shipping goods directly from England, but the Stamp Act of 1764 forced Norwich to become more self-sufficient. Large mills and factories sprang up at the falls on the rivers which traverse the town, the largest of which was the Ponemah Mill in the Taftville neighborhood. The ship captains of Norwich and

New London New London may refer to: Places United States *New London, Alabama *New London, Connecticut *New London, Indiana *New London, Iowa *New London, Maryland *New London, Minnesota *New London, Missouri *New London, New Hampshire, a New England town ** ...

were skillful at avoiding Imperial taxation during peacetime and were later just as successful eluding warships during the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...

. Norwich supported the cause for independence by supplying soldiers, ships, and munitions, and it was also a center of activity for the

Sons of Liberty The Sons of Liberty was a loosely organized, clandestine, sometimes violent, political organization active in the Thirteen American Colonies founded to advance the rights of the colonists and to fight taxation by the British government. It pl ...

. The

Oxford English Dictionary The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the first and foundational historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP). It traces the historical development of the English language, providing a com ...

attests the first recorded use of the word "Hello" to ''The Norwich Courier'' on October 18, 1826. Regular steamship service between New York and Boston helped Norwich to prosper as a shipping center through the early part of the 19th century. During the Civil War, Norwich once again rallied and saw the growth of its textile, armaments, and specialty item manufacturing. This was also spurred by the building of the

Norwich and Worcester Railroad The Norwich and Worcester Railroad (N&W) was a railroad in the U.S. states of Connecticut and Massachusetts. Its north-south mainline ran between its namesake cities of Worcester, Massachusetts, and Norwich, Connecticut, (later extended to Gr ...

in 1832–1837, bringing goods and people in and out of Norwich. By the 1870s, the

Springfield and New London Railroad The Connecticut Central Railroad was a railroad in Connecticut and Massachusetts, which connected East Hartford, Connecticut and Springfield, Massachusetts. Founded in 1871, it was built between 1874 and 1876, and operated independently until be ...

was also running trains through Norwich. In 1892, the city's first electric trolleys started service to the area and to some cities, including

, Willimantic, Putnam, and

Westerly, Rhode Island Westerly is a town on the southwestern shoreline of Washington County, Rhode Island, first settled by English colonists in 1661 and incorporated as a municipality in 1669. It is a beachfront community on the south shore of the state with a popula ...

. The town and city of Norwich were consolidated in 1952.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (3.87%) is water.

Climate

Neighborhoods

Several Norwich neighborhoods maintain independent identities and are recognized by official signs marking their boundaries. Neighborhoods of Norwich are

, Bean Hill, Yantic, Taftville, Greeneville, Occum, East Great Plains, Thamesville, Laurel Hill and

Chelsea Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to: Places Australia * Chelsea, Victoria Canada * Chelsea, Nova Scotia * Chelsea, Quebec United Kingdom * Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames ** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...

(the original "downtown" area.)

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000, there were 36,117 people, 15,091 households, and 9,069 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 16,600 housing units at an average density of . Twenty-nine percent of households had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.7% were married couples living together, 15.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.9% were non-families. Thirty-two percent of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.96. In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 24.1% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.3 males. In 2012, the population had risen to 40,502 and the

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the city was 70% White, 13% Hispanic or Latino, 10% Black or African American, 8% Asian, and 1% Native American. A significant influx of

Chinese Americans Chinese Americans are Americans of Han Chinese ancestry. Chinese Americans constitute a subgroup of East Asian Americans which also constitute a subgroup of Asian Americans. Many Chinese Americans along with their ancestors trace lineage from ...

has settled in Norwich since 2010. The 2012 median income for a household in the city was $51,300. Fifteen percent of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

Arts and culture

The Slater Memorial Museum, located on the campus of the

Norwich Free Academy The Norwich Free Academy (NFA), founded in 1854 and in operation since 1856, is a coeducational independent school for students between the 9th and 12th grade. Located in Norwich, Connecticut, the Academy serves as the primary high school for Norw ...

, is named for

John Fox Slater John Fox Slater (March 4, 1815 – May 7, 1884) was an American philanthropist who supported and funded the education of freedmen after the Civil War. Early life and career Slater, the son of John Slater ( Samuel Slater's brother and partner), wa ...

(1815−1884), corporator of The Norwich Free Academy for twenty years. The museum has grown to include the "Art of Five Continents"—North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Of particular interest are the Vanderpoel Collection of Asian Art, the Paul Zimmerman Collection of African and Oceanic Art, and a collection of 19th-century American paintings. Another wing of the museum displays souvenirs from the Slater family's circumnavigation of the globe.

Sports

The AA Eastern League

Connecticut Defenders The Connecticut Defenders were a Minor League Baseball team based in Norwich, Connecticut. The team, which played in the Eastern League, was the Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants major-league club from 2003 until following the 2009 ...

, previously the Norwich Navigators, were a farm team of the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...

and they played at

Senator Thomas J. Dodd Memorial Stadium Senator Thomas J. Dodd Memorial Stadium is a stadium in Norwich, Connecticut. It is primarily used for baseball, and since 2010, has been the home of the Norwich Sea Unicorns, who were previously known as the Connecticut Tigers. It was the ho ...

from both's inception in 1995 until the team announced its move to

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

for the 2010 season, where they are now known as the

Richmond Flying Squirrels The Richmond Flying Squirrels are a Minor League Baseball team based in Richmond, Virginia. The team, which is a part of the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants major league club, and plays at The Diamond. Th ...

. However, starting in 2010, Dodd Stadium became the home to the Connecticut Tigers (formerly the

Oneonta Tigers The Oneonta Tigers were a minor league baseball team located in Oneonta, New York. They were members of the New York–Penn League. The Tigers were the Short-Season A classification affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, and played their home games ...

, now named

Norwich Sea Unicorns The Norwich Sea Unicorns are a baseball team located in Norwich, Connecticut. From 2010 to 2020, they were members of Minor League Baseball's New York–Penn League (NYPL) as the Class A Short Season affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They play ...

) in the Class-A

short-season Class A Short Season (officially Short-Season A) was a level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States from 1965 through 2020. In the hierarchy of minor league classifications, it was below Triple-A, Double-A, Class A-Advanced (cre ...

New York–Penn League The New York–Penn League (NYPL) was a Minor League Baseball league that operated in the northeastern United States from 1939 to 2020. Classified as a Class A Short Season league, its season started in June, after major-league teams signed th ...

. The ESPN mini-series '' The Bronx Is Burning'' was filmed at Dodd Stadium.

Parks and recreation

Mohegan Park

This forested area is Norwich's largest park. The park's property contains numerous hiking and biking trails, picnic tables, grills, pavilions for rent, a beach, basketball courts, a Mohegan monument, fountain and playgrounds. The Rose Garden at the entrance on Judd Road contains over a hundred varieties of roses and is a popular site for weddings. Many of the hiking trails are used by the Norwich Free Academy cross country team for practices, and in 2006 the team volunteered to improve the condition of trails. 5K "fun runs" are held in the park on Thursdays during the summer. As of 2009, the running course has been redesigned to incorporate much of the trails. The Park Center contains Spaulding Pond, the square, fountain, and Mohegan monument, both playgrounds and a dog pound run by the Norwich Police Department. The Park Center has declined somewhat. The zoo, reptile house, and concession stand have been closed for over a decade. However, much has been done to improve the appearance of the remaining park. Spaulding Pond, the main body of water in Mohegan Park, is held back by an earthworks dam, across which is a path bordered by pergolas and flowering plants. On March 6, 1963, long-term saturation of the over-100-year-old earthen content, along with unchecked shrub and tree growth, severely weakened the structural content of the dam and caused the waters of Spaulding Pond to burst forth into the city, causing the Great Flood of Norwich, elegantly chronicled in the 2013 book ''A Swift and Deadly Maelstrom; The Great Norwich Flood of 1963''. The break and subsequent flood flow pulverized houses with its large ice content, over-ran streets and cars while destroying the eastern half of the Turner-Stanton Mill, situated in the flood's direct path on Centennial Square. It was there that the building collapsed, claiming the lives of six of the seven total who would die that night while causing over six million dollars in damage. Mohegan Park also contains another, smaller pond, called The Skating Pond which is southeast of the main pond. This pond, which had always been designed as an overflow spillway for Spaulding Pond and, when frozen in the winter provided a wonderful ice skating area for the local youth, thus its sobriquet, was re-designed as part of Norwich's long-term flood plan in 1968 and currently still serves as a surge overflow volume for the upgraded Spaulding Pond Dam, although it is no longer open for public use.

Ice rink

The Norwich Municipal Ice Rink has a 200' × 85'

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

regulation ice surface, four large locker rooms and other amenities. Established in 1995, the Rose City Warriors are Norwich's Senior Women's Ice Hockey Team and a number of local high school ice hockey teams call the Rink home as well.

Government

The city elects a Mayor, who presides over the City Council, which includes six other members, all elected at large. The Mayor serves a maximum of two four-year terms; the council members serve two-year terms. The council appoints the Town and City Clerk, a City Manager who acts as chief executive officer of the city government, the city Planning Commission, and Zoning Board of Appeals.

Education

Elementary and middle school residents are zoned to

Norwich Public Schools Norwich Public Schools (NPS, Norwich School District) is the public school system for the town of Norwich, Connecticut. NPS serves approximately 3,600 students every year through 10 school locations within the City of Norwich. Operating one early l ...

. The middle schools of Norwich are Teachers' Memorial Global Studies Middle School and Kelly STEAM Magnet Middle School. Norwich is also home to the Integrated Day Charter School, an alternative to the area of public schools. Despite Norwich Public Schools serving the district, since 2007 NPS has not operated a high school after Norwich High School was closed and repurposed. The

is the primary

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

for students living in Norwich and several surrounding towns, including Bozrah, Canterbury, Franklin, Lisbon, Preston, Sprague, and Voluntown. The Norwich Free Academy was incorporated in 1855 by an act of the Connecticut Legislature, and operates as a privately endowed

independent school An independent school is independent in its finances and governance. Also known as private schools, non-governmental, privately funded, or non-state schools, they are not administered by local, state or national governments. In British Eng ...

governed by its Board of Trustees and funded by private, municipal, and state sources. In 2006,

Sidney Frank Sidney E. Frank (October 2, 1919 – January 10, 2006) was an American businessman and philanthropist. He became a billionaire through his promotion of Grey Goose vodka and Jägermeister. Early life, family, education Frank was born to a Jewish ...

donated $12 million to the Norwich Free Academy which resulted in the campus's newest building being named after him: the Sidney E. Frank Center for Visual and Performing Arts.

Norwich Technical High School Norwich Technical High School, or Norwich Tech, is a public technical high school located in Norwich, Connecticut. It is one of the Connecticut Technical Education and Career System schools located within the state, and receives students from n ...

, A

Connecticut Technical High School System The state of Connecticut funds and operates the Connecticut Technical High School System (CTHSS), also known as the Connecticut Technical Education and Career System (CTECS). It is a statewide system of 17 diploma-granting technical high schoo ...

School, also serves the area. This school is a public option to those within the Norwich area, and many other towns surrounding Norwich. To those within the Norwich area, transportation is provided by Norwich Public Schools via the same buses that serve Norwich Free Academy in the morning, and in the afternoon students are transported to Norwich Free Academy to use their buses to return home. Three Rivers Community College also serves the region.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Local public transportation in Norwich is provided by

Southeast Area Transit Southeast Area Transit (abbreviated to SEAT) is a provider of local bus service in eight towns and two cities in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Connecticut: East Lyme, Griswold, Groton (town and city), Ledyard, Montville, New ...

(SEAT). The main bus hub, the

Norwich Transportation Center Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the Episcopal see, See of ...

, is located on Holly Hock Island next to the downtown area. This station is also served by the

Windham Region Transit District Windham Region Transit District, or WRTD, is a bus operator for Windham County, with NECTD, SEAT, UConn Transportation Services in neighboring towns. Prior to August 2019, The company operated 4 routes in total, connecting with a small handful ...

with service to and from

Willimantic, CT Willimantic is a city located in the town of Windham in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. It is a former Census-designated place and borough, and is currently organized as one of two tax districts within the Town of Windham. Known as " ...

. Norwich is also served by the

Northeastern Connecticut Transit District The Northeastern Connecticut Transit District (NECTD) is an agency providing multiple forms of public transportation in northeastern Connecticut. Six fixed routes (with deviation on request) provide week-round service to the towns of Brooklyn, Killi ...

with service to and from

Putnam, CT Putnam is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 9,224 at the 2020 census. History Putnam, originally known as Aspinock, then part of Killingly, is a New England mill town incorporated in 1855. Created from s ...

. Historically, the city held a railroad stop at its downtown station, which is now in use as an office for The Norwich Bulletin. In the past, the city was served by the

, which today is still operated as a freight railroad, the

Connecticut Southern Railroad The Connecticut Southern Railroad is a long short-line railroad operating in Connecticut and Massachusetts. The company was formed in 1996 as a spinoff of Conrail by shortline holding company RailTex and subsequently acquired in 2000 by RailA ...

. The nearest passenger rail station to Norwich is

New London Union Station New London Union Station is a railroad station on the Northeast Corridor located in downtown New London, Connecticut, United States. Union Station is a station stop for most Amtrak ''Northeast Regional'' trains and all CT''rail'' Shore Line Ea ...

New London, CT New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States, located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut. It was one of the world's three busiest whaling ports for several decades ...

. The nearest options for air travel are

Bradley International Airport Bradley International Airport is a public international airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, United States. Owned and operated by the Connecticut Airport Authority, it is the second-largest airport in New England. The airport is about halfw ...

Windsor Locks, CT Windsor Locks is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 12,613. It is the site of Bradley International Airport, which serves the Greater Hartford-Springfield region and occupies approxim ...

, and

Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport is a public international airport in Warwick, Rhode Island, United States, south of the state's capital and largest city of Providence. Opened in 1931, the airport was named for former Rhode Islan ...

Providence, RI Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay ...

. Both of which are located 55–65 minutes away by vehicle. Up until the mid 2000s, there was a closer airport with commercial air service, Groton-New London Airport. In recent years, there have been discussions and proposals involving restoring passenger rail service to Norwich using the existing freight lines, providing service from

, through Norwich up to

Brattleboro, VT Brattleboro (), originally Brattleborough, is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The most populous municipality abutting Vermont's eastern border with New Hampshire, which is the Connecticut River, Brattleboro is located about nor ...

. The most recent and ongoing proposal is the Central Corridor Rail Line.

Notable people

* Richard Albertine (1944–2016), photographer, born in Norwich *

Christopher Anvil Christopher Anvil (March 11, 1925 – November 30, 2009) is a pseudonym used by American author Harry Christopher Crosby. Biography and work Crosby was born in Norwich, Connecticut, the only child of Harry Clifton Crosby and Rose Glasbrenner. ...

(1925–2009), science fiction author *

Benedict Arnold Benedict Arnold ( Brandt (1994), p. 4June 14, 1801) was an American military officer who served during the Revolutionary War. He fought with distinction for the American Continental Army and rose to the rank of major general before defect ...

(1741–1801), born in Norwich, American Revolutionary War general and later British defector; a commemorative plaque is on the lot where his house used to stand; city library has a prominent portrait of Arnold on its north wall * Hannah Arnold (1708–1758), born in Norwich, mother of Benedict Arnold *

Isaac Backus Isaac Backus (January 9, 1724November 20, 1806) was a leading Baptist minister during the era of the American Revolution who campaigned against state-established churches in New England. Little is known of his childhood. In "An account of the lif ...

(1724–1806), a delegate to the

First Continental Congress The First Continental Congress was a meeting of delegates from 12 of the 13 British colonies that became the United States. It met from September 5 to October 26, 1774, at Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, after the British Navy ...

, born in the city * Isaac H. Bromley (1833–1899), born in Norwich; lawyer, editor, politician, railroad director, and humorist * Allyn L. Brown (1883–1973), Chief Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court (1950–1953), was born in the city and graduated Norwich Free Academy *

William Alfred Buckingham William Alfred Buckingham (May 28, 1804 – February 5, 1875) was a Republican who served as the governor of Connecticut during the Civil War and later as a United States senator. Biography Born in Lebanon, Connecticut, the son of Samuel Bucki ...

(1804–1875), Mayor of Norwich, 41st governor of Connecticut, and United States Senator *

Oliver A. Caswell Oliver A. Caswell (May 26, 1826 – May 1, 1885) was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. Biography Caswell was born on May 26, 1826, in Norwich, Connecticut. Later, he settled in Mount Sterling, Wisconsin. He died at his home near Mount S ...

, Wisconsin politician, born in the city *

Asa Child Asa Child (December 2, 1798 – May 11, 1858) was an American attorney who served as the United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut under Andrew Jackson. Biography Asa Child was born on December 2, 1798. He was the oldest of nine c ...

(1798–1858), United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut under President Jackson * Calvin G. Child (1834–1880), United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and a Norwich City Judge * Benjamin Church (1734–1776), surgeon general of the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...

, suspected of spying for the British, was confined in the city *

Elisha Clark Elisha Clark (September 22, 1752—December 12, 1838) was a Vermont veteran of the American Revolution who was active in government, including serving as the state's first Auditor of Accounts. Biography Clark was born in Norwich, Connecticut on Sep ...

(1752–1838),

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

veteran *

Richard Falley Cleveland Richard Falley Cleveland (June 19, 1804 – October 1, 1853) was an American Congregationalist and Presbyterian minister. A graduate of Yale College and Princeton Theological Seminary, he spent most of his life as a pastor, outside of a brief per ...

(1804–1853), born and raised in Norwich, Christian minister known as the father of President

Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. Cleveland is the only president in American ...

Margaret Coit Margaret Louise Coit ( Margaret Louise Elwell) (May 30, 1919 in Norwich, Connecticut - March 15, 2003 in Amesbury, Massachusetts) was a writer of American history books for both adults and children. In 1935 when she was still in high school in Gr ...

(1919–2003), historian, born in the city *

Erastus Corning Erastus Corning (December 14, 1794 – April 9, 1872) was an American businessman and politician from Albany, New York. A Democrat, he was most notable for his service as mayor of Albany from 1834 to 1837, in the New York State Senate from 1842 ...

(1794–1872), businessman and politician, born in the city *

Rajai Davis Rajai Davis (; born October 19, 1980) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants, Oakland Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays, Detroit Tigers, Clevel ...

(born 1980),

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

outfielder * Roger Wilson Dennis (1902–1996), American plein air impressionist painter and art conservator *

Costa Dillon Constantine Dillon (born 1953), usually known as Costa, is a retired U.S. National Park Service Superintendent and a writer and actor of Greek ancestry. He is most famous as the creator of the film '' Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!'' and its ...

(born 1953) filmmaker, creator of ''

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes ''Attack of the Killer Tomatoes'' is a 1978 American parody film produced by J. Stephen Peace and John DeBello, and directed by John DeBello based upon an original idea by Costa Dillon. The screenplay was written by Dillon, Peace, and DeBello ...

''. *

Thomas J. Dodd Thomas Joseph Dodd (May 15, 1907 – May 24, 1971) was an American attorney and diplomat who served as a United States Senator and Representative from Connecticut. He is the father of former U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd and Thomas J. Dodd Jr., ...

(1907–1971), U.S. Senator and Representative; father of U.S. Senator

Christopher J. Dodd Christopher John Dodd (born May 27, 1944) is an American lobbyist, lawyer, and Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party politician who served as a United States senator from Connecticut from 1981 to 2011. Dodd is the List of United Sta ...

, was born in the city *

Arielle Dombasle Arielle Dombasle (born April 27, 1953)Dombasle's year of birth has been a subject of much debate, and various sources have given dates ranging from 1953 to 1958. is an American-born French singer, actress, director and model. Her breakthrough ro ...

(born Arielle Sonnery de Fromental in 1958 in Norwich), singer and actress working mostly in French films * Terence P. Finnegan (1904–1990), Chief of Chaplains of the

U.S. Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sign ...

Lafayette S. Foster Lafayette Sabine Foster (November 22, 1806 – September 19, 1880) was a nineteenth-century American politician and lawyer from Connecticut. He served in the United States Senate from 1855 to 1867 and was a judge on the Connecticut Supreme C ...

(1806–1880), U.S. Senator and 57th

President Pro Tempore of the United States Senate The president pro tempore of the United States Senate (often shortened to president pro tem) is the second-highest-ranking official of the United States Senate, after the Vice President of the United States, vice president. According to Articl ...

; died in the city *

Jonas Galusha Jonas Galusha (February 11, 1753September 24, 1834) was the sixth and eighth governor of Vermont for two terms in the early 19th century. Biography Galusha, born in Norwich in the Colony of Connecticut, moved with his siblings and his parents, ...

(1753–1834), Governor of Vermont for two terms in the early 19th century; born in the city *

Charlotte Perkins Gilman Charlotte Perkins Gilman (; née Perkins; July 3, 1860 – August 17, 1935), also known by her first married name Charlotte Perkins Stetson, was an American humanist, novelist, writer, lecturer, advocate for social reform, and eugenicist. She wa ...

(1860–1935), author and social reformer, lived for a short time in the city *

Daniel Coit Gilman Daniel Coit Gilman (; July 6, 1831 – October 13, 1908) was an American educator and academic. Gilman was instrumental in founding the Sheffield Scientific School at Yale College, and subsequently served as the second president of the University ...

(1831–1908), educator, college president, foundation president * Calvin Goddard (1768–1842), former mayor of Norwich, Judge, and Senator *

Roger Griswold Roger Griswold (; May 21, 1762 – October 25, 1812) was a nineteenth-century lawyer, politician and judge from Connecticut. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives, judge of the Connecticut Supreme Court and the 22 ...

(1762–1812), Governor of Connecticut, practiced law for a time in Norwich * Galusha A. Grow (1822–1907), speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1861 to 1863, studied law in the city *

Benjamin Hanks Benjamin Hanks is generally accepted to be the first person to make bronze cannons and church bells in the United States. He was a goldsmith, Scientific instrument, instrument maker, clockmaker, bellfounder, and foundry owner. Early life Accor ...

(1755–1824), goldsmith, instrument maker, first maker of bronze cannons and church bells in America *

Benjamin Huntington Benjamin Huntington (April 19, 1736 – October 16, 1800) was an eighteenth-century American lawyer, jurist and politician from Connecticut and served as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress and as a member of the U.S. House of Re ...

(1736–1800), delegate to the Continental Congress and later a Congressman, resident of the city *

Ebenezer Huntington Ebenezer Huntington (December 26, 1754 – June 17, 1834) was an officer in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, and afterwards United States Representative from Connecticut. Early life Ebenezer was born on December 26, 1 ...

(1754–1834), member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

, 1817–1819 * Samuel Huntington (1731–1796), delegate to the

Second Continental Congress The Second Continental Congress was a late-18th-century meeting of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that united in support of the American Revolutionary War. The Congress was creating a new country it first named "United Colonies" and in 1 ...

and signer of the

Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence or declaration of statehood or proclamation of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the ...

; first President of the United States, under the

Articles of Confederation The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union was an agreement among the 13 Colonies of the United States of America that served as its first frame of government. It was approved after much debate (between July 1776 and November 1777) by ...

Samuel Kirkland Samuel Kirkland (December 1, 1741 – February 28, 1808) was a Presbyterian minister and missionary among the Oneida and Tuscarora peoples of present-day central New York State. He was a long-time friend of the Oneida chief Skenandoa. Kirkland g ...

(1741–1808), Presbyterian missionary among the Oneida and Tuscarora people; founder (in 1793) of the Hamilton-Oneida Academy (later Hamilton College), was born in the city *

Paul Konerko Paul Henry Konerko (; born March 5, 1976) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a first baseman from 1997 to 2014, most prominently as a member of the Chicago White Sox, where he was a si ...

(born 1976), Major League Baseball player *

Wally Lamb Wally Lamb (born October 17, 1950) is an American author known as the writer of the novels '' She's Come Undone'' and ''I Know This Much Is True'', both of which were selected for Oprah's Book Club. He was the director of the Writing Center at N ...

(born 1950), author of ''She's Come Undone'' and ''I Know This Much Is True''; director of the Writing Center at the

in the city from 1989 to 1998 *

Edwin H. Land Edwin Herbert Land, ForMemRS, FRPS, Hon.MRI (May 7, 1909 – March 1, 1991) was an Russian-American scientist and inventor, best known as the co-founder of the Polaroid Corporation. He invented inexpensive filters for polarizing light, a ...

(1909–1991), inventor of the Polaroid camera * James Lanman (1767–1841), United States

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

(1819-1825) *

Cato Mead Cato Mead (17611846; also spelled Meed) is the only known Black Patriot (American Revolutionary War veteran) buried west of the Mississippi River. Mead is buried in or near Montrose Cemetery in Montrose, Iowa. According to historian Barbara MacL ...

(–1846), African-American Revolutionary War veteran *

Miantonomoh Miantonomoh (1600? – August 1643), also spelled Miantonomo, Miantonomah or Miantonomi, was a chief of the Narragansett people of New England Indians. Biography He was a nephew of the Narragansett grand sachem, Canonicus (died 1647), with whom he ...

(–1643), chief of the Narraganset tribe, captured and executed by the

Mohegan The Mohegan are an Algonquian Native American tribe historically based in present-day Connecticut. Today the majority of the people are associated with the Mohegan Indian Tribe, a federally recognized tribe living on a reservation in the easte ...

chief

with a tomahawk in Norwich *

Elisha Perkins Elisha Perkins (January 16, 1741September 6, 1799) was a United States physician who created a fraudulent medical device, the Perkins Patent Tractors. Although they were made of steel and brass, Perkins claimed that they were made of unusual meta ...

(1741–1799), popular quack doctor whose magnetic therapy "Perkins Tractors" (made up of two steel and brass rods with points at the ends) convinced even

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

to buy a set *

Simeon Perkins Colonel Simeon Perkins (February 24, 1735 – May 9, 1812) was a Nova Scotia militia leader, merchant, diarist and politician. Perkins led the defence of Liverpool from attacks during the American Revolution, French Revolutionary Wars and the Nap ...

(1735–1812), Nova Scotia merchant, diarist, and politician; outfitted Loyalist privateers during the American War for Independence; born and raised in this city until moving to Liverpool, Nova Scotia with the

New England Planters The New England Planters were settlers from the New England colonies who responded to invitations by the lieutenant governor (and subsequently governor) of Nova Scotia, Charles Lawrence, to settle lands left vacant by the Bay of Fundy Campaign ( ...

Bela Pratt Bela Lyon Pratt (December 11, 1867 – May 18, 1917) was an American sculptor from Connecticut. Life Pratt was born in Norwich, Connecticut, to Sarah (Whittlesey) and George Pratt, a Yale-educated lawyer. His maternal grandfather, Oramel Whittle ...

, sculptor, born in Norwich in 1867 *

E. Annie Proulx E is the fifth letter of the Latin alphabet. E or e may also refer to: Commerce and transportation * €, the symbol for the euro, the European Union's standard currency unit * ℮, the estimated sign, an EU symbol indicating that the weigh ...

, journalist and author; born in 1935 in the city *

Edith Roosevelt Edith Kermit Roosevelt ( née Carow; August 6, 1861 – September 30, 1948) was the second wife of President Theodore Roosevelt and the First Lady of the United States from 1901 to 1909. She also was the Second Lady of the United States in 1901 ...

(1861–1948), second wife of

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

, born in the city *

Ellis Ruley Ellis Walter Ruley (December 3, 1882 – January 16, 1959) was an American folk artist and laborer. He began painting in the 1930s at his home in Norwich, Connecticut using house paint on cardboard and Masonite. During his lifetime, Ruley sold ...

(1882–1959), African-American folk artist *

Lottie B. Scott Lottie B. Scott (born November 5, 1936) is an American civic leader and civil rights advocate who is a past president and co-founder of the NAACP branch in Norwich, Connecticut. Life and education Eldest of eight children, Scott was born to J ...

(born 1936), civic leader and civil rights advocate, lived in Norwich since 1957 *

William Albert Setchell William Albert Setchell (April 15, 1864 – April 5, 1943) was an American botanist and marine phycologist who taught at the University of California, Berkeley, where he headed the Botany Department. Among his publications are the ''Phycotheca ...

(1864–1943), botanist and UC Berkeley professor, born in the city *

Matt Shaughnessy Matthew K. "Matt" Shaughnessy (born September 23, 1986) is a former American football defensive end. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Wisconsin. Early years Shaughne ...

(born 1986), football defensive end for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League, graduate of

* Charles Sholes (1816–1867), Wisconsin politician, born in the city *

Lydia Sigourney Lydia Huntley Sigourney (September 1, 1791 – June 10, 1865), ''née'' Lydia Howard Huntley, was an American poet, author, and publisher during the early and mid 19th century. She was commonly known as the "Sweet Singer of Hartford." She had a ...

(1791–1865), extremely popular poet from the early-to-mid-19th century, born in the city *

(1815–1884), industrialist and philanthropist, founder of million-dollar Slater Fund for the Education of the Southern Freedmen in 1882 * Horace Smith (1808–1893), partnered with Daniel B. Wesson in Norwich in the early 1850s to develop the first repeating rifle, known as the Volcanic rifle; the two founded Smith & Wesson in 1852 *

James Lindsay Smith James Lindsay Smith (ca. 1816 – ca. 1883) was an American slave narrative author, minister, and shoemaker. His memoir ''Autobiography of James L. Smith'' (1881) was one of only six slave narratives published in Connecticut. Life Born a slav ...

(–), African American

slave narrative The slave narrative is a type of literary genre involving the (written) autobiographical accounts of enslaved Africans, particularly in the Americas. Over six thousand such narratives are estimated to exist; about 150 narratives were published as s ...

author and minister *

Sarah Lanman Smith Sarah Lanman Smith (also known as, Sarah L. Huntington Smith; June 18, 1802 – September 30, 1836) was a 19th-century American Christian missionary, memoirist, and school founder. In 1835, she established the American School for Girls, which becam ...

(1802–1836), American Christian missionary, memoirist, school founder *

Albert H. Tracy Albert Haller Tracy (June 17, 1793 – September 19, 1859) was an American lawyer and politician from New York. Life Tracy pursued classical studies, and later studied medicine. In 1811, Tracy removed to New York, where he stopped studying m ...

(1793–1859), former US Congressman * Phineas L. Tracy (1786–1876), former US Congressman *

Dean Trantalis Dean J. Trantalis (born October 14, 1953) is an American politician and mayor of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Before his election as mayor, Trantalis served as a city commissioner for Fort Lauderdale from 2009 to 2017. Biography Trantalis was bo ...

(born 1953), mayor of

Fort Lauderdale, Florida Fort Lauderdale () is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and largest city in Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the 2020 census, making it the tenth ...

* Ariel. L. Varges (1890–1972), newsreel cameraman and war photographer, died in Norwich *

John T. Wait John Turner Wait (August 27, 1811 – April 21, 1899) was a U.S. Representative from Connecticut. Biography Born in New London, Connecticut, Wait moved with his mother to Norwich, Connecticut. He attended the common schools and Trinity ...

(1811–1899), Connecticut politician and lawyer, U.S. Representative from 1876 to 1887 * Henry S. Walbridge (1801–1869), former US Congressman *

Daniel B. Wesson Daniel Baird Wesson (May 18, 1825 – August 4, 1906) was an American inventor and firearms designer. He helped develop several influential firearm designs over the course of his life; he and Horace Smith were the co-founders of two companies n ...

(1825–1906), firearm designer; see Horace Smith * Bernard Widrow (born 1929), electrical engineer *

William Woodbridge William Woodbridge (August 20, 1780October 20, 1861) was a U.S. statesman in the states of Ohio and Michigan and in the Michigan Territory prior to statehood. He served as the second Governor of Michigan and a United States Senator from Mic ...

(1780–1861), Governor of Michigan, also represented the state in the U.S. Senate, was born in the city

References

External links

*
Norwich Community Development Corporation
* {{authority control Cities in Connecticut Cities in New London County, Connecticut Populated places established in 1659 1659 establishments in Connecticut Populated places on the Thames River (Connecticut)