In Old Houses of the Antient Town of Norwich (1895), Mary E. Perkins writes of a property along Washington Street:
Here Joshua Prior builds a house, perhaps about 1766, the time of his marriage to Sarah Hutchins of Killingly, and resides here for a time, but in 1789 he is living on the road near Elderkin’s bridge, and in 1790 he sells this house and land to Gideon Birchard, who also buys in 1795 a small piece of adjoining land (1 1/2 rods frontage) of his son Elisha, who has purchased the property on the north. Gideon Birchard (b. 1735), was the son of John and Jane (Hyde) Birchard and great-grandson of John Birchard, the first town clerk of Norwich. He married in 1757, Eunice Abel, daughter of Capt. Joshua and Jerusha (Frink) Abel, and had eight children. He was a carpenter by trade, and before 1799 moves to Whitestown, New York, and sells, in 1799, his house and land to Jeremiah Griffing. The house is still often called by old residents the Griffing house. In 1858, it is sold by the Griffing heirs to Daniel W. Coit, who sells it in 1871 to William Alfred Jones, who still resides here [William Alfred Jones died in 1900].
Hi!
I really enjoy your site! Come visit us down here in Fairfield County – we have a lot of historic architecture here too (especially Easton where I live).
Best regards!
I want to visit Fairfield County! I just need to find the time to make the trip down there, although I have taken a few pictures in Bridgeport and Darien.
It is great to see the history, genealogy and architecture in one place. For the icing on the cake, maybe the floorplans as PDF files would be great to make doll houses! I’d like to know more about Joshua Prior’s lineage. There are also conflicting genealogies regarding his wife. Is Gideon Birchard related to Rutherford Birchard Hayes? Sardis Birchard was the president’s uncle.
“Norwich a College Town?” A major school like Yale University could establish a satellite campus in the Norwich downtown district. This plan would encourage high tech and other companies to move to Norwich. Think about it.