HISTORIC RESOURCES INVENTORY BUILDING AND STRUCTURES Norwich Heritage Trust, Inc, P.O.Box 185 Norwich, CT 06360	This Building sponsored by Norwich Heritage Trust, Inc.
Building Name: New London County Mutual Fire Insurance Co.	Historic Name: Geer's Block Geer's Building
Town/City: Norwich	County: New London
Address:59	Street: Broadway
Owners:City of Norwich	Public
Present Use: Youth Services	Historic Use office and factory
Exterior is viewable to public	Interior is accessible	Explain: Public building
Style of Building: Romanesque Revival	Construction Date: c. 1878
Materials Brick	Structural System Load Bearing Masonry
Roof
Stories: 3	Dimensions: 25' X 50'
Structural Condition: Good	Exterior Condition: Good
Outbuildings:
Environment: commercial High Building Density

Interrelationship of Building and Surroundings: The building is on the east side of lower Broadway near Union Square, forming part of the dense development on this section of the street. On the other side of Broadway St. Mary's T. A. & B. Building is similar in scale, materials and style.

Features: The facade is organízed in two sections. On the left, a gable dormer set flush with the facade has the storefront and office windows set below. To the right, the entranceway and windows above it occupy a narrow portion of the facade. The strefront is divided into two windows by a cast iron column. Large square, fixed panes have two light transoms aBove each. Vertical pilasters on either side continue to the second story. The second floor has a large window with pedimented hood above it. The hood has a trefoil ornament. Flanking this window are two smaller ones. 1 -over- 1 double-hung sash A. is used. Pilasters separate the windows. Between the second and third floor is a plaque bearing the inscription. L. Mutual Fire Ins. Co Third floor windows feature a larger central window divided by pilasters from smaller flanking windows. 2 -over- 2 double hung sash is used. The eak of the gable has courses of cut brickwork and sunbusts decorating it. The en rance is recessed within a round - arched opening. Flanking the entrance are pierswith brownstone caps with an incised fish scale design. The second and third floor .windows have 1 -over- 1 and 2 - over- 2 double- hu sash res ectivel. The cornice has a cutbrick corbel table. The roof has a steep pitch to the peak and slopes more gently down to the rear of the building.

Architect:

Builder:

Importance: Dr. Sidney L. Geer, a dentist, had his office here. In the basement he manufactured Rose Pearl Dentifrice. Tons of this product were shipped annually throughout the The building itself is a well - preserved example of eclecticism characteristic of late- 19th centuy American architecture. Although Romanesque in character the building so shows the influence of both the High Victorian Gothic and even the Queen Anne style.

Sources: Common Council Journal 1878 1889-90
Harby, Stephen, Norwich Çonnecticut: A Guide to its Architecture, 1976.
Norwich City Directories
Norwich Land Records, Vol. 83, p. 465.
Norwich the Rose of New England Norwich: Modern Norwich Publishing Co., 1895

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