Norwich, Connecticut facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Norwich
City
Norwich City Hall
Seal
Nickname(s):  The Rose Of New England
New London County and Connecticut  Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region and Connecticut
Country	United States
U.S. state	Connecticut
County	New London
Region	Southeastern CT
Settled	1659
Incorporated (city)	1784
Consolidated	1952
Named for	Norwichtown
Government
• Type	Council-manager
Area
• City	29.41 sq mi (76.16 km2)
• Land	28.06 sq mi (72.68 km2)
• Water	1.34 sq mi (3.48 km2)
• Urban	123.1 sq mi (318.7 km2)
Elevation	56 ft (17 m)
Population  (2020)
• City	40,125
• Density	1,430/sq mi (552.1/km2)
• Metro	274,055
GDP
• Metro	$22.049 billion (2022)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (Eastern)
ZIP Codes	06360, 06380, 06389
Area codes	860/959
FIPS code	09-56200
GNIS feature ID	0209410
Interstates
State Routes

Norwich (pronounced NOR-wich) is a city in New London County, Connecticut, United States. It's often called "The Rose of New England". Three rivers, the Yantic, Shetucket, and Quinebaug River, meet in Norwich. They form the city's harbor, which then flows into the Thames River and out to Long Island Sound. In 2020, about 40,125 people lived here.

History of Norwich

Norwich was founded in 1659. It started in an area now called Norwichtown. Settlers from Saybrook Colony bought the land from the Mohegan leader Uncas. One of the founders, Thomas Leffingwell, was famous for helping Uncas.

At first, Norwich was a large area, about nine miles square. Over time, parts of it became new towns. For example, Franklin and Lisbon were once part of Norwich.

By 1694, a public dock was built at the Thames River harbor. This area became known as the Chelsea neighborhood. At first, Norwichtown was the main center for farming. But as shipping and factories grew, the harbor area became more important. By the early 1800s, the city's main center had moved to Chelsea. Today, the original area is called Norwichtown to avoid confusion.

During the 1700s, Norwich started making more of its own goods. This was partly because of the Stamp Act 1765, which made it harder to trade with England. Many mills and factories were built along the rivers. Norwich also played a big part in the American Revolution, providing soldiers and supplies.

Did you know the first recorded use of the word "Hello" was in The Norwich Courier newspaper in 1826? In the 1800s, Norwich became a busy shipping hub. This was helped by steamship service between New York and Boston. During the American Civil War, Norwich's factories grew even more, making textiles and weapons. Railroads, like the Norwich and Worcester Railroad, also helped the city grow. Electric trolleys started running in 1892, connecting Norwich to other towns. The town and city of Norwich officially joined together in 1952.

Norwich Geography

Norwich covers about 76.4 square kilometers (29.4 square miles). Most of this area is land, with about 3.0 square kilometers (1.34 square miles) being water.

Climate in Norwich

Norwich has a changing climate with warm summers and cold winters. Here's a look at the average temperatures and rainfall:

Norwich Neighborhoods

Norwich has several neighborhoods, each with its own feel. Some of these include Norwichtown, Bean Hill, Yantic, Taftville, Greeneville, Occum, East Great Plains, Thamesville, Laurel Hill, and Chelsea.

Norwich Population and People

In 2020, Norwich had a population of 40,125 people. The city is a diverse place. In 2012, about 70% of the population was White, 13% Hispanic or Latino, 10% Black or African American, and 8% Asian. Many Chinese Americans have moved to Norwich since 2010.

Arts and Culture in Norwich

The Slater Memorial Museum is a great place to visit. It's located on the campus of the Norwich Free Academy. The museum has art from all over the world, including North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. You can see amazing collections of Asian art and African art. There are also 19th-century American paintings.

Sports in Norwich

Norwich has a history with baseball! The Connecticut Defenders, a minor league baseball team, used to play here. They were a farm team for the San Francisco Giants. Now, the Norwich Sea Unicorns play at Senator Thomas J. Dodd Memorial Stadium. This stadium was even used to film parts of the TV mini-series The Bronx Is Burning.

Parks and Recreation in Norwich

Mohegan Park: Nature and History

Norwich Falls by John Trumbull, 1806

Pavilion and lake, 1912

Norwich, 2018

Mohegan Park is the biggest park in Norwich. It's a beautiful forested area with lots to do. You can find hiking and biking trails, picnic spots, and places to grill. There's also a beach, basketball courts, and playgrounds. The Rose Garden at the park's entrance is very popular for weddings because it has over a hundred types of roses. The Norwich Free Academy cross country team uses the trails for practice.

The park's main body of water is Spaulding Pond. In 1963, a big flood, known as the Great Norwich Flood, happened when the dam holding back Spaulding Pond broke. This caused a lot of damage to the city. Sadly, some people lost their lives during this flood. The dam has since been rebuilt and improved for safety. Mohegan Park also has a smaller pond called The Skating Pond.

Norwich Ice Rink

The Norwich Municipal Ice Rink is a great place for ice skating and hockey. It has a large ice surface and locker rooms. The Rose City Warriors, a senior women's ice hockey team, play here. Many local high school teams also call this rink home.

Education in Norwich

For younger students, Norwich has its own public schools for elementary and middle school. The middle schools are Teachers' Memorial Global Studies Middle School and Kelly STEAM Magnet Middle School. There's also the Integrated Day Charter School, which offers a different learning style.

For high school, most students in Norwich and nearby towns go to the Norwich Free Academy. This is a special independent school. Another option is Norwich Technical High School, which teaches students job skills along with regular subjects. For older students, Three Rivers Community College is also in the area.

Norwich skyline

Norwich Economy

Norwich has many different businesses that provide jobs for its residents. Here are some of the top employers in the city:

Norwich Transportation

Commuters boarding buses at the Norwich Transportation Center.

Public transportation in Norwich is provided by Southeast Area Transit (SEAT). The main bus station is the Norwich Transportation Center. You can also catch buses here to other towns like Willimantic, CT and Putnam, CT.

Norwich used to have a train station downtown, which is now an office for The Norwich Bulletin newspaper. Freight trains still use the tracks today. If you want to travel by passenger train, the closest station is in New London, CT. For air travel, the nearest airports are Bradley International Airport and Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport. There are also talks about bringing passenger train service back to Norwich in the future.

Notable People from Norwich

See also

In Spanish: Norwich (Connecticut) para niños