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: Bliss Jewelers	Historic Name: Bliss Jewelers
Town/City: Norwich	County: New London
Address:126	Street: Main Street
Owners:William Robert Wilson, 27 Canterbury, Turnpike, Norwich	Private
Present Use: jewelry store	Historic Use jewelry store
Exterior is viewable to public	Interior is accessible	Explain: open during business hours
Style of Building: Italianate	Construction Date: 1869
Materials Brick Cut Stone - brownstone trim	Structural System Load Bearing Masonry
Roof Flat Roll Asphalt
Stories: 3	Dimensions: 25 x 30
Structural Condition: Good	Exterior Condition: Good
Alterations: early 20th century storefront
Outbuildings:
Environment: commercial High Building Density

Interrelationship of Building and Surroundings:

Bliss Jewelers is an integral part of the Main Street street-scape. It is similar in scale and materials to many of the buildings nearby.

Features:

The facade is three bays in width. The storefront is of polished pink granite and a dark red glassine material framing the display windows. Above the storefront is a large sign bearing in raised gold letters, "John & Geo. H. Bliss, Inc.". The second floor has round-arched window openings with molded hoods. Corbel stops are used. Double-hung sash has a single lower pane. The upper pane has arched mullions dividing it. The third floor windows are identical except that the sills are supported by corbels. A projecting metal cornice is supported by four large brackets between which is an arcaded corbel table. The interior features a coffered sheet metal ceiling.

Architect:

Builder:

Importance:

C. C. Bliss, a Norwich jeweler, founded the Bliss Jewelers in 1869. The store has continued on the site since then. The building was constructed on the site of the 1826 Thames Bank, a brick building, and probably incorporates some of the earlier structure. The facade is an excellent example of a commercial building in the Italianate style. Although early 20th century, the storefront complements the rest of the facade, the colors matching well with the red brick. Even the sheet metal ceiling is well-preserved and of interest.

Sources:

Assessor's Records, Norwich, 1981

Building Evaluation form, 1979

Bailey s Bird's Eye View of Norwich 1876.

Harby, Stephen W., Norwich, CT. A Guide to its Architecture, 1976.

Evaluations:

Threats None Private