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:	Historic Name: St Mary's Temperence, Abstinence & Benevolence
Town/City: Norwich	County: New London
Address:60	Street: Broadway
Owners:James E Vendola, 20 Trading Cove Dr. Thamesville, Ct.	Private
Present Use: Health Food Store, beauty Parlor, ackancar	Historic Use Temperance society headquarters
Exterior is viewable to public	Interior is accessible	Explain: Open during business hours
Style of Building: Richardsonian Romanesque	Construction Date: 1891
Materials Brick	Structural System Load Bearing Masonry
Roof
Stories: 3	Dimensions: 30' X 60'
Structural Condition: Good	Exterior Condition: Good
Alterations: New first floor storefronts
Outbuildings:
Environment: commercial High Building Density

Interrelationship of Building and Surroundings: To the north there is a small parking lot between this building and the old Otis Library. To the south is a continuous line of buildings of about the same scale The St. Mary's Temperance, Abstinence and Benevolence Society Building relates well to the New London County Mutual Fire Insurance Co., Building across the street.

Features: A central doorway is set in a round-arched opening. The door has been replaced with an aluminum and glass door. The storefronts are also of recent date. A round - arched central opening on the second floor has brick pilasters supporting the arch and a keystone. An iron balcony is set between the pilasters. On either side are seg - mentally - arched window openings each containing three 1 - over- 1 double hung sash. A belt course of brick forms the sills of these windows. The brickwork is supported by cast iron corbels. The third floor featues round - arched windows with 2 -over- 2 double- hung sash. Molded brick arches above these are connected to form an arcade. A brick belt course forms the sills Above this floor is an elaborate cut - brick cornice with a central gable containing three round arched windows. A trefoil finial caps the gable. A panel beneath the cornice bears the legend " St Mary's T. A. & B. Building."

Architect: James A. Hiscox

Builder:

Importance: James A. Hiscox was a graduate of the Norwich Free Academy and the Boston Institute of Technology. He worked in Richardson's office in Boston before returning to Norwich in 1888. The St. Mary's T. A. & B Building is the best surviving example of his work. An elaborate example of the influence of Richardsonian Romanesque it also demonstrates the relative power and wealth of temperance societies in the late 19th centuy.

Sources: Building Evaluation Form, c. 1979
Harby Stephen W., Norwich Ct A Guide to its Architecture, 1976.
Norwich City Directories 1888 - 1892.
Modern Norwich. What to See and How See it, 1895 p. 48.

Evaluations:

Threats None Private