Norwich dates to 1788, and 44% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 96% of U.S. towns · #120 of 758 in New York. What drives it
6 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 86 buildings between them. Below: 10 old photos and papers, maps from 1887 on, and the census since 1890.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1805.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Norwich’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Norwich is more historic than 96% of U.S. towns, #120 of 758 in New York. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest and its age lowest.
A+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Norwich’s overall grade.
New York towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical New York town has 12.3 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Norwich’s 134 sits above most of its state (79% of New York towns have fewer) while its 91 historic buildings outnumber those of 89% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±6.5 points). Two sources give 1788.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Norwich’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
The first log cabin was built in 1788 by Col. William Monroe, who served as a drummer boy during the Revolutionary War. The town of Norwich was formed in 1793 from the towns of Union (now in Broome County) and Bainbridge. Afterwards, Norwich, as a "mother town" of the county, lost substantial territory in the formation of new towns. In 1806, Norwich gave up territory to form the towns of Pharsalia, Plymouth and Preston. More of Norwich was lost in 1807 to form parts of the towns of New Berlin and Columbus. In 1808 and 1820, Norwich exchanged territory with the town of Preston.
The central community of Norwich set itself off from the town in 1816 by incorporating as a village, and later becoming the city of Norwich in 1914.
Passages that mention Norwich, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Norwich, Connecticut, from its settlement in 1660, to January 18451845 · page 32Read the page →
Read the text
No accurate list of the early inhabitants of Saybrook, the mother town of Norwich, can now be obtained. A fort was built at that place, and a garrison established by the younger Winthrop, in the winter of 1635, which took the form of a regular settlement, on the anival of Mr. Fenwick with his family, and other emigrants from England, in 1639. Accessions were afterwaids made to the planters from various other
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
A historical discourse delivered in Norwich, Connecticut, September 7, 1859, at the bi-centennial celebration of the settlement of the town1859 · page 102Read the page →
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At a very full meeting of the Inhabitants of the Town of Norwich, legally warned and convened in the Town house, in said Norwich, on the 6* day of June, A. D. 1774, the Honorable Jabez Huntington, Esqr., Moderator, Voted, That this meeting be adjourned to the meeting house, and there immediately opened, that more convenient room may be had for the number of the people now assembled. The meeting was opened at the meeting house accordingly, where the following resolves were passed almost unanimously :
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
A historical discourse delivered in Norwich, Connecticut, September 7, 1859, at the bi-centennial celebration of the settlement of the town1859 · page 29Read the page →
Read the text
The circumstances which attended this "renewal" are worthy of mention. The war w4th King Philip was then raging. Norwich, though much exposed by its situation on the frontier, had freely contributed more than its quota to the active army; so freely, indeed, that the general court sent on from Hartford ten men, from New Haven eight, and from Fairfield eight, " to lye in garrison at Norwich," as a guard to
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Norwich, Connecticut, from its settlement in 1660, to January 18451845 · page 68Read the page →
Read the text
Norwich was a convenient place of rendezvous for troops who were collecting for expeditions against the enemy. Major Treat at one time, and Major Talcott twice, marched from this point with their bands of two and three hundred soldiers, and their Indian allies, amounting to nearly as many more. In the New London accounts, under date of 1676, are various charges against the colony, for arms and provisions, sent to the
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Timeline
Norwich, 1788 to 1995
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Norwich High SchoolschoolWard School Number 1schoolWard School Number 2schoolWard School Number 3schoolWard School Number 4schoolWard School Number 5school
1cemetery inside Norwich
Mount Hope
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Help out
Finish Norwich’s story
Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.
Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
2 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
In 1788, according to Wikidata. Norwich’s post office opened in 1805, and the census of 1890 counted 5,212 people here.
How does Norwich rank for history?
Norwich is more historic than 96% of U.S. towns, #120 of 758 in New York. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Norwich?
6 listings: 4 buildings and 2 historic districts, the Chenango County Courthouse District and the North Broad Street Historic District, with 86 contributing buildings. 91 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Norwich?
44% of Norwich’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.5 points), against a typical 27% for a New York town; the median home was built in 1946.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (10), the Library of Congress (1), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (6), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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