Norfolk Downs Shelter facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Norfolk Downs Shelter
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | Golf Dr., Norfolk, Connecticut |
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| Area | 0.5 acres (0.20 ha) |
| Built | 1907 |
| Architect | Taylor & Levi |
| MPS | Taylor, Alfredo S. G., TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 84001085 |
| Added to NRHP | February 22, 1984 |
The Norfolk Downs Shelter is a historic building in Norfolk, Connecticut. It was once a clubhouse for a golf course. This course was called Norfolk Downs. The shelter was built in 1907. It was designed by Alfredo S.G. Taylor, a famous architect from New York City. The building is special because of its link to him. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
About the Norfolk Downs Shelter
The Norfolk Downs Shelter is located in Norfolk, Connecticut. It stands near the Norfolk Curling Club. It is also close to the Norfolk Country Club. The land around it is now mostly woods.
What Does the Shelter Look Like?
The building has one story. It has a main section shaped like an octagon. On each side of the octagon, there are open, rectangular areas. The middle part has a low, octagonal roof. The walls are made of rough stones. There is also a stone chimney on one side. You can enter the shelter by wide steps on the east side. The building once had glass windows. These windows and other inside parts are now gone. Inside, you can see the rough wooden beams of the roof.
History of the Golf Course
The Norfolk Downs golf course was a public course. It had nine holes. Two sisters, the Eldridge sisters, started it in 1897. They asked Alfredo S.G. Taylor to design this shelter in 1907. Taylor was an architect from New York. He spent many summers in Norfolk. He designed over thirty buildings there.
The Eldridge sisters did not want the golf course used on Sundays. Because of this, other people started the private Norfolk Country Club nearby. There were attempts to combine the two golf courses. They wanted to make one big eighteen-hole course. But these plans did not work out. The Norfolk Downs golf course was eventually closed. The shelter is still standing today. It is seen as an early example of Taylor's work. It is similar to the Tamarack Lodge Bungalow, another building he designed in Norfolk.
