The Chapman-Sullivan House (1850)

Chapman-Sullivan House

The home of Norwich’s twelfth mayor, Gurdon Chapman, was built on Broadway in 1850. When he died, he left the house to his niece and it remained in the family until 1946, when it was sold to the Sullivan family. According to The History of New London County, Connecticut (1882), compiled by Duane Hamilton Hurd:

Gurdon Chapman was born in North Stonington in 1792. He went to Norwich in early life and engaged in trade, which subsequently developed into a large grain business, which he prosecuted during the remainder of his life with great financial success. He died in 1862, aged seventy-two years. During his life he was a marked character in the public affairs of the city. Overcoming the obstacles presented by a lack of early education, so common among the country boys of his day, by dint of study and close observation, aided by strong, native, common sense and a remarkably retentive memory, he qualified himself for a leader among his fellow-men and for the high positions of trust which they conferred upon him. For many years he was a member in turn of both branches of the city government, and from 1843 to 1845 was mayor of the city. He was also frequently called to responsible positions in the affairs of the town. He was a clear thinker, a forcible and fluent public speaker, and in all his public and private relations was highly respected and esteemed for his integrity, the kindness of his heart, and the soundness of his judgment as an advisor.

Samuel Huntington House (1785)

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Samuel Huntington, born in Scotland, CT, had a notable career during the Revolutionary War and after. A signer of the Declaration of Independence, he also served as the last President of the Continental Congress (1779-1781) and the first “President of the United States of America in Congress Assembled” under the Articles of Confederation in 1781. He was later the Chief Judge of the Connecticut Superior Court (1784-1785) and Governor of Connecticut (1786-1796). Buried in the Old Norwichtown Cemetery, located behind his Norwich home, Huntington was re-interred in the Samuel Huntington Tomb in 2003. There has been an effort in Norwich to create a Huntington Presidential Library. Huntington’s house, on East Town Street, was built in 1783-1785 and has been extensively modified over the years, with later Greek Revival style additions.

The Joseph Teel House (1789)

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The Joseph Teel House, on the Chelsea Parade Green in Norwich, is a three-story brick Federal-style mansion, with a hip roof, built in 1789-90. It was originally built to be a tavern and inn: At the Sign of General Washington. The house was later occupied by a boarding school, run by William Woodbridge, and was for many years the home of General William Williams. He donated 7 1/2 acres to the Norwich Free Academy and his wife, Harriet Peck Williams, founded the Peck Library (1859) at the Academy (in honor of her father, Capt. Bela Peck of the Continental Army) and the Williams School in New London. The house next served as the parsonage of the Park Congregational Church and then the Norwich Free Academy headmaster’s house. The house is now for sale.

East District School (1789)

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The brick East District School in Norwich was built in 1789, on land donated to the town by Thomas Leffingwell IV. It was used for about 125 years and its students included Lydia Huntley Sigourney, who attended in 1795. The school was quite progressive, with boys and girls being taught the same subjects. Starting in 1891, the building was used by the School House Club for cultural and social events. Located on Washington Street, it is now a historical museum.

The John Johnson House (1840)

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The John Johnson House, a large Greek Revival home, was built around 1840 on Broadway in Norwich. Johnson’s father was a president of the Norwich Bank. Later residents included a Dr. Linnell and Henry E. Bourne, who taught history and psychology at the Norwich Academy from 1889 to 1892. Later, Bourne joined his brother and former roommate at Yale, Edward Gaylord Bourne, as a professor of history at Western Reserve University. Henry Eldridge Bourne wrote articles and books, including A History of Mediæval and Modern Europe, The Teaching of History and Civics in the Elementary and the Secondary School, A History of the United States and The Revolutionary Period in Europe. The house, which originally had a center-hall plan, was later subdivided into five apartments.