Norwich City Map Poster

About Norwich

Norwich is the home of the University of Connecticut School of Business and is a center for musical instrument manufacturing. The first European settlers were colonists from England and officially founded the town in 1659. The government was led by a board of selectmen, which included one representative from each settlement on Long Island Sound—Norwich, Saybrook Colony (later renamed Old Saybrook), New London, and Lyme (later renamed Old Lyme). It had been called "Saybrook" until after King Philip's War when residents found it necessary to change the name because they no longer trusted anyone named "Sabbath-breaker." In 1675–76, during King Philip's War against English colonists in Massachusetts Bay Colony-controlled territory eastward into Maine colony territory; Native Americans burned down all but one house in Norwich village. This attack was part of a larger uprising that destroyed 32 townships around Boston; many others were abandoned before being attacked.[3] The original central meeting house has been replaced twice since then: once due to fire[4] and once to improve its function as city hall.