Norwich, Connecticut

Known as "The Rose of New England", Norwich is home to three rivers - Yantic, Shetucket, and Quinebaug. Founded in 1659, Norwich was first inhabited by seamen from Old Saybrook. These seamen bought land from the tribal kings residing here.

Presided by a mayor, the City Council is where the mayor sits, along with six other members. While the members of the council serve two year terms, the mayor can serve multiple four year terms. A town city clerk maintains the statistical information of the city.

Norwich is constituted by several independent neighborhoods. To name some are Norwichtown, Yantic, and East Green Plains.

Education is a key activity here, especially primary education. The Norwich Public Schools is the entity to which all primary education schooling providers align themselves. Thames River Academy is another educational setup that provides alternative schooling. Most locals in Norwich would have done their schooling from Norwich Free Academy. The school is funded by government agencies and private investors, and administered by private management. Norwich has an ice rink, the Norwich Municipal Ice Rink, which is an NHL regulation ice rink and provides a great opportunity for tourists and locals to skate on professional quality rinks.

Norwich is an attractive city for both local residents as well as tourists. There are intriquing options in entertainment, education, affordable living and many other benefits the city offers its residents. The city is known for its ambient social atmosphere and its lively residents.

Norwich History

In 1658, Major John Mason and Reverend James Fitch met the chief of Mohegan, which was an aboriginal tribe in this area at that time. After purchasing land from the chief, they set up a quay on the shore of Yantic Cove. Initially all houses of the original settlers were concentrated in the present day Norchwichtown Green area. Sixty-nine families soon dispersed, and took up individual lands. They set up sprawling farms and other enterprises.

At the head of River Thames, the wharf built for people helped to further populate the area. Known as Chelsea neighborhood, the harbor became an important place for connecting Norwich.

From the port to Norwichtown, two roads were made to connect them. They were called the East Road and West Road. Presently, these same roads are Washington Street and Broadway. Norwichtown was an inland town, and was chosen as the center of the territory. The main activity was agriculture, but the harbor created a lot more industrial opportunities, especially mills. Very soon, industrial mills along the three rivers started manufacturing activities.

By the 19th century, Norwichtown had expanded to the areas around the harbor. Prominent buildings were built. Some of them are City Hall, Pose Office, and urban centers. Norwichtown is still retained as a portion of the city, and to give it some historical identity.

England was the chief exporter of goods to Norwich traders. This was halted after the Stamp Act of 1764. Norwich started to look for ways to create raw materials on its own land and rely less on imports. So along with mills, raw material manufacturing factories came about soon. By the 19the century, Norwich was a chief manufacturer of textiles, armaments and other kinds of material manufacturing.

It was from Norwich a large number of men and material were used for the American Revolutionary war. It was also a central place for the Sons of Liberty.

Norwich's prosperity is attributed to the regular ship routes between Boston and New York. This created a stopover at Norwich, and soon it became a center for shipping activities. All through the nineteenth and twentieth century, Norwich was a city of mills. With manufacturing came the need for human resources. Multi-ethnic groups started pouring in, and the whole area became demographically diverse.

Today Norwich is thriving with modernity. A stable city, with a stable population, the city like its past, is always looking for ways to improve.

About Norwich, Connecticut

Norwich apart from the manufacturing mills is also famous for its leisure activities. The spa at Norwich Inn is voted as one of the best spas in the country. Visitors get the best of everything with the improvised rejuvenation package. It is a perfect getaway for couples and even families. Villas can be rented on location and have excellent amenities and even outdoor fireplaces.

Theatrical performances and amazing creative portrayals can be seen at the Spirit of Broadway Theater. The theater is quite a revelation to be in. The musical shows are developed over a period of time and are among the best in the country. Visitors get value for their money and most importantly make good use of their leisure time.  There are also gourmet treats available.

Apart from theatrical performances, there are things of historical interest to see in Norwich. A great historical place is the Slater Memorial Museum. Art and history are displayed in an aesthetic way here. Treating the human experience as an asset, all things in this museum are designed to create an experience. Artifacts and other things of historical interest are displayed from all over the world.

At the head of the Thames River, lies a beautiful marina - the Marina at American Wharf. It is a good way to shed away unwanted worries and be in unison with Mother Nature. There are restaurants, a fuel dock, bars, golf courses, and even concerts. There is a lot of things to do at this marine getaway.

There are places to go shopping in Norwich, and a good place for that is Norwichtown Mall.

To go golfing and experience open air across lush greens, the Norwich Golf Course fits the bill. Beautifully laid out, the 18-hole golf course has many hills. It is perfect to play a round of golf and also enjoy the scenic beauty when walking from hole to hole. For good golfers, it is reasonably challenging. It is designed to entertain rather than competition.

Another fun place to visit is the Norwich Municipal Ice Rink. Figure skating lovers and ice hockey players love this place.  For people who are new to ice hockey, this is a good place for trying this sport.

About New London County, Connecticut

Norwich, Connecticut is located in New London County. This county is located in the southeastern part of Connecticut State. The county has a population of more than two million. New London County has both inland and coastal water bodies.

Like other Connecticut counties, New London County does not have a county seat. All towns in Connecticut have a self-governing style, where they are responsible for their own administration. 

Originally, there were only four counties in the state, and New London was one of them. The Connecticut General Court passed an order on May 10, 1666, which established New London County's borders.

New London County is surrounded by seven counties. To the north are Windham County, Kent County, Tolland County, and Hartford County. To the south is Suffolk County, New York. To the west is Middlesex County, and to the east is Washington County, Rhode Island.

Some major cities, towns and villages in New London County are Bozrah, Colchester, East Lyme, Franklin, Griswold, Groton, Lebanon, Lisbon, Lyme, Montville, Ledyard, New London, North Stonington, Norwich, Old Lyme, Preston, Salem, Sprague, Voluntown, and Waterford.

As with other counties, New London County does not have a government structure. The municipal services are provided by township authorities. Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments is the umbrella body that supervises all towns of New London.

Some towns are under the aegis of Connecticut River Estuary Regional Planning Agency. These towns are Lyme, Old Lyme, and Lebanon, where Lebanon is also a member of Windham Regional Council of Governments.

Equally represented by most ethnicities in America, New London County is a unique place that supports equal opportunities and development for people. The town governmental style has micromanaged the county and seems to be working in favor of development.