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: Rexall Drug Store	Historic Name: Captain Stephen Culver House
Town/City: Norwich	County: New London
Address:46-50	Street: Main Street
Owners:Mary C. Leone, Niantic, CT	Private
Present Use: Vacant (Formerly drug store)	Historic Use Residence
Exterior is viewable to public	Interior is NOT accessible
Style of Building: Federal with Italianate alterati	Construction Date: 1787
Materials Clapboard	Structural System Wood Frame
Roof Gable Asphalt Shingle
Stories: 3	Dimensions: 30 x 40
Structural Condition: Fair	Exterior Condition: Fair
Alterations: new 1st story storefront probably c 1930
Outbuildings:
Environment: commercial High Building Density

Interrelationship of Building and Surroundings:

The building lies within a stretch of about a dozen pre-1860 structures forming a harmonious street-scape.

Features:

The longitudinal axis of the building parallels Main Street. The building rests on a raised brick basement, onto which a modern aluminum and glass storefront has been added. The facade is six bays in width. Upper floor windows are boarded up. The second story has rounded wooden hoods over the windows. A boldly projecting cornice is supported by brackets and scroll modillions. The central third of the cornice is arched. The gable roof changes in pitch at the rear of the building. A side entrance on the second floor suggests that the house was raised in the mid-nineteenth century to accommodate a brick storefront underneath.

Architect:

Builder:

Importance:

Three sea captains occupied this house for a period of 80 years, until 1867. Captain Stephen Culver, a packet master, the original owner built several local bridges and patented and built a dredging machine. The next occupant, Captain Moses Benjamin was a merchant in his later years. Benjamin was succeeded by Captain Cushing Eels, who formed the firm of Lathrop and Eels with Joshua Lathrop, operating a cotton mill.

The Culver house has undergone fewer alterations than several nearby contemporaries. The Italianate cornices and hoods added later are of interest.

Sources:

1790 Census

Norwich City Directories

Norwich Land Records

Caulkins History of Norwich

Perkins, Old Houses of the Ancient Town of Norwich

Evaluations:

Threats Private