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: Boy's Shop	Historic Name: Plaut-Cadden Building Norwich
Town/City: Norwich	County: New London
Address:146	Street: Main Street
Owners:Arnold Baker and Sidney Beller, trustees,20 Washington St.and 45 Main St. Norwich	Private
Present Use: Clothing store	Historic Use Jewelry and musical instruments store
Exterior is viewable to public	Interior is accessible	Explain: open during business hours
Style of Building: Early, 20th Century Commercial	Construction Date: c. 1910
Materials Brick	Structural System Load Bearing Masonry
Roof Flat Roll Asphalt
Stories: 5	Dimensions: 25 X 25
Structural Condition: Good	Exterior Condition: Good
Alterations: New first floor storefront
Outbuildings:
Environment: commercial High Building Density

Interrelationship of Building and Surroundings:

The tallest building on this section of Main Street. As the street rises to the west, the effect is not as marked as it might be.

Features:

The facade is of yellow and buff colored brick in a rusticated pattern. The second floor has four large windows with square, fixed panes and two-light transoms above. A steel girder forms a common lintel. The third floor has two large windows each flanked by narrow, rectangular windows either side. Lower panes are fixed, with a single light transom above. The lintels have stylized, rusticated keystones of brick. The rest of the lintels are also rusticated and joined by horizontal rusticated bands to their neighbors, creating a decorative effect. The fourth and fifth floor windows are set in two-story molded surrounds. Lintels of the fourth floor windows are rusticated. A metal cornice with modillions and corner brackets has a frieze bearing the legend Plaut-Gadden.

Architect:

Builder:

Importance:

The Plaut and Cadden families were early Jewish businessmen in downtown Norwich. Abraham Plaut was listed in the 1860 Norwich City Directory as a jeweler. Joseph Plaut was in Norwich by 1869. By the early 20th century the Plaut and Cadden families owned considerable downtown real estate. The Plaut-Cadden Building is of architectural importance also. The use of rusticated lintels as a decorative element is similar to the Eaton Chase Building across Main Street. The facade has a lively rhythm due the use of rustication and the articulation of window openings.

Sources:

Building Evaluation Form, c. 1979

Burpee, The Story of Connecticut Vol. IV, 1939, p. 1333-4.

Norwich City Directories

The Jew in Norwich. A Century of Jewish Life, Norwich, CT 1956,

Typewritten manuscript at Ct. State Library

Evaluations:

Threats None Private