Norwich, Historic port city in New London County, Connecticut
Norwich is a city in southeastern Connecticut, set at the point where the Yantic and Shetucket rivers join to form the Thames River, which flows south toward Long Island Sound. The city is built across a series of hills and river valleys, giving it a layered look with older neighborhoods on the slopes and flatter areas near the water.
The settlement was founded in 1659, when English colonists from Saybrook bought land from Mohegan leaders and established their first homes near what is now Norwich Town Green. By the following century, rivers running through the area powered mills that turned the town into a regional center for trade and manufacturing.
Norwich is the birthplace of Benedict Arnold, a name that carries a complicated legacy in American history, and locals are well aware of this fame. Walking through the older parts of the city, visitors can spot 18th-century merchant buildings that reflect the town's long commercial past.
The city's hilly layout means some areas feel steeper than expected on foot, so comfortable shoes are a good idea if you plan to walk between neighborhoods. Parking is generally easy to find near the main commercial streets and along the riverfront.
Norwich was once known as the 'Rose of New England', a nickname tied to its prosperity in the 1700s when it ranked among the wealthiest towns in the region. A handful of the old merchant houses from that era still stand in the historic district near the Town Green.
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