NORWICH ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY

ON TUESDAY NIGHT, DECEMBER 9, 2008, THE NORWICH HISTORICAL SOCIETY HELD A SEMINAR ON NORWICH ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY, AT THE SLATER MUSEUM IN NORWICH, CONNECTICUT. THE SLIDE PRESENTATION WAS PRESENTED RACHEL CARLEY, AN ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN.

MS. CARLEY, WAS QUITE INFORMATIVE ABOUT NORWICH HAVING FOUR (4) DIFFERENT GREENS (PARK LIKE AREAS) IN NORWICH. SHE TOLD ABOUT THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF ARCHITECTURE IN THE DIFFERENT COMMUNTIES IN NORWICH. SHE EXPLAINED HOW THE DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES DEVELOPED. AN INTERESTING FACT WAS THAT RICH PEOPLE AND MIDDLE CLASS PEOPLE ENJOYED THE SAME KIND OF ARCHITECTURE. THE POORER PEOPLE DID THEIR HOUSES LESS ELEGANT BUT USED THE SAME DESIGN FEATURES AS THE MORE WEALTHY RESIDENTS.

ALTHOUGH, RACHEL CARLEY WAS VERY INFORMATIVE, MY RESEARCH DISAGREES WITH SOME OF THE CONCLUSIONS AND FACTS SHE PRESENTED.

FIRST THE ROYAL INDIAN BURIAL GROUNDS (MOHEGAN) IN NORWICH WAS ORIGINALLY 16 ACRES NOT THE 26 SHE SAID.

SECOND, SHE SAID THAT SHE BELIEVED THAT UNCAS' HEAD STONE WAS IN POSSESSION OF THE SLATER MUSEUM. THERE HAD BEEN A HEAD STONE THERE AT ONE TIME BEFORE IT WAS RETURNED TO THE MOHEGAN TRIBE. THE HEAD STONE IS PRESENTLY IN FULL VIEW AT SHANTOK BURIAL GROUND, IN UNCASVILLE.

THIRDLY, SHE BELIEVED THAT SAMSON OCCUM WAS A MOHEGAN. MY RESEARCH SHOWS HE WAS A MOHEGAN.

FINALLY, MY RESEARCH REVEALED (NOT CONCLUSIVELY) THAT THE GINGER BREAD, LATTICE, PILLSTERS, HEADS, AND MOLDINGS WERE MADE IN THE SHIP YARDS LOCALLY. SHE STATED THAT THEY HAD COME FROM THE MIDWEST. THE MATERIALS PROBABLY CAME FROM THE MIDWEST. EVEN SOME OF THE DECORATIVE MOLDINGS COULD HAVE COME FROM THE MIDWEST, HOWEVER I BELIEVE THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE DECORATIVE MOLDING WERE MADE RIGHT HERE LOCALLY.

IT WAS A GOOD EXPERIENCE. MS. RACHEL CARLEY, IS QUITE INFORMATIVE. IT WAS GREAT TO LEARN ABOUT THE HISTORY OF NORWICH THROUGH HER EYES. A JOB WELL DONE. .