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: Raymond's	Historic Name: Main Street Fire Station
Town/City: Norwich	County: New London
Address:65-69	Street: Main Street
Owners:Raymond Paulak Sr. 226 Main St. Norwich CT.	Private
Present Use: Fabric store	Historic Use Fire station
Exterior is viewable to public	Interior is accessible	Explain: open during business hours
Style of Building: Renaissance Revival	Construction Date: c. 1847 c. 1923
Materials Brick	Structural System Load Bearing Masonry
Roof Flat Roll Asphalt
Stories: 2	Dimensions: 32.5 X 44 with west addition 5.5
Structural Condition: Fair	Exterior Condition: Fair
Alterations: Facade remodeled c. 1923 side addition
Outbuildings:
Environment: commercial High Building Density

Interrelationship of Building and Surroundings:

One of a series of Commercial buildings along Main Street, this building is very similar in scale to the former Merchants National Bank immediately to the East.

Features:

The storefronts of the building have plate glass display windows. The right storefront has a large-light transom above the display windows. The left storefront has a rectangular pane surrounded by small panes over the display. rusticated piers of brick frame the storefronts. The second floor has a large segmentally-arched window opening with two smaller ones on each side. The arches consist of yellow brick. The center arch contains 1-over-1 double-hung sash above which is an elliptical stained glass window. The smaller windows have a single 1-over-1 sash each. The wooden cornice has brackets and dentils. The frieze has a garland design running its length.

Architect:

Builder:

Importance:

The building was constructed as a fire station about 1847. Due to the compact nature of the downtown and the ever-present danger of fire, Norwich was always concerned about providing adequate fire protection. In 1895 this station housed the largest steam fire engine in the country. With the automobile however, engines became larger yet, forcing the City to dispose of the station in 1923, Abraham Ableman, a shoe store owner, purchased the building, rebuilt the facade totally, and operated his store here. The upstairs was used for doctor's offices. The Ablemans owned the building until 1978. This long period of ownership is probably responsible for the well-preserved 1923 facade. An interesting example of "adaptive reuse" where alterations have produced a building of architectural merit in its own right.

Sources:

Assessor's Records, Norwich

Building Evaluation Form, c. 1979

Bailey,. O. H. City of Norwich (Bird's Eye View, Milwaukee, Wisc., 1876

Common Council Journal, 1906

Marshall, Ben Tinkham, Modern History of New London County Vol. II, 1927 p.479

Modern Norwich Publishing Co. Norwich the Rose of New England, Norwich, CT, 1895

Norwich City directories, 1846-1976

Norwich Land Records, Vols 170, p.451; 266, p.220; 170, p.123; 54, p. 619

Evaluations:

Threats None Private