HISTORIC RESOURCES INVENTORY BUILDING AND STRUCTURES Norwich Heritage Trust, Inc, P.O.Box 185 Norwich, CT 06360	This Building sponsored by Rose City Renaissance
Building Name: Levy's Restaurant	Historic Name: Howland-Beatty House
Town/City: Norwich	County: New London
Address:115-119	Street: Main Street
Owners:Frances Levy, 546 New London Tpk., Norwich CT	Private
Present Use: restaurant	Historic Use dwelling house
Exterior is viewable to public	Interior is accessible	Explain: restaurant
Style of Building: Georgian	Construction Date: before 1798
Materials Brick	Structural System Load Bearing Masonry
Roof Gable Asphalt Shingle
Stories: 3	Dimensions: 36 X 42
Structural Condition: Fair	Exterior Condition: Fair
Alterations: First story storefront+windows somewhat altered
Outbuildings:
Environment: commercial High Building Density

Interrelationship of Building and Surroundings:

This building is made of brick like most buildings in the area. It is similar in scale to the buildings on either side, though somewhat smaller than most in the area.

Features:

The building is placed with its side facing the street rather than the gable end. It is five bays in width with a steeply pitched gable roof and end chimneys. The first floor has a central doorway and is divided into two store fronts. The second floor windows are coubled and have double-hung sash. Steel beams have been added above the store front and the second floor windows. The third floor windows have stone lintels and double-hung sash.

Architect:

Builder: John Beatty

Importance:

This is one of the oldest downtown buildings. It was owned first by Joseph Howland of the shipping firm of Howland & Coit, the largest shipping firm in Norwich. He apparently resided here with John Beatty, the builder, to whom he sold it in 1798. William Gurley was a tenant in 1807 when Beatty sold the property to Silar Johnson. Later owners included Elisha Mansfield, a land speculator and veteran of the War of 1812, Noah Davis until 1839, James Aspenwall, and John M. Brewer, who owned it from 1866 to 1885. The Tarrant family purchased the property in 1885. An early tenant was Charles A. Converse, later an important industrialist, who rented the building with Samuel C. Starr.

The building is important for its associations with several early Norwich business leaders. It is also a fairly well-preserved example of the Georgian style, unusual in the downtown area.

Sources:

Norwich Land Records

Caulkins, Frances M. History of Norwich, Connecticut

Read, Eleanor and Nettles, Diane, Norwich, A Century o Growth, Franklin Press, Norwich, CT, 1978.

Evaluations:

Threats Private 1