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:	Historic Name: Bulletin Building
Town/City: Norwich	County: New London
Address:77-85	Street: Main Street
Owners:Carl Edward Berkhoff, 3 Lathrop Lane, Norwich, CT	Private
Present Use: music store and dance school	Historic Use newspaper press, offices, retail stores
Exterior is viewable to public	Interior is accessible	Explain: open during business hours
Style of Building: Italianate	Construction Date: l865-1867
Materials Brick Cut Stone - granite sills, first floor piers	Structural System Load Bearing Masonry
Roof Shed Roll Asphalt
Stories: 3	Dimensions: 50 x 70
Structural Condition: Good	Exterior Condition: Good
Alterations: new storefronts
Outbuildings:
Environment: commercial High Building Density

Interrelationship of Building and Surroundings:

The building extends the width of the block, thus fronting on Water Street. It is an integral part of a cluster of brick buildings of similar scale and material.

Features:

The first floor of the facade has two modern storefronts. The second and third floors are divided into seven bays which are recessed slightly. Between the fourth and fifth bay is a slightly wider division with a vertical incision. Second floor windows fill each bay entirely. Large square fixed sash have five-light transoms above. The third floor windows are smaller and have segmentally arched openings. Two-over-two double-hung sash are used. The cornice is supported by heavy brackets. At each corner of the building, heavier brackets define the building edges. Between the fourth and fifth bays, two heavy brackets are placed, suggesting two buildings built side by side. The Water Street elevation is five stories in height. It is eight bays wide. The storefront contains original elements such as large 6-over-6 double-hung sash. The upper four stories have windows with segmentally-arched openings and granite sills. Two-over-two double-hung sash is used. Windows are grouped by fours with a wide space in the center of the building. The wooden cornice is similar to that of the Main Street facade. Paired heavy brackets are placed in the center of the cornice, again suggesting the division of the building into two parts.

Architect:

Builder:

Importance:

The Norwich Bulletin founded in the l8 th century, built this building and was located here until l906, when the present Bulletin Building on Franklin St. was occupied. The building was shared with other businesses such as the Post Office, t e bookstore of Battin & Taylor, etc. Hislop, Porteous & Mitchell, a large dry goods firm, was located here for a time.

The building is a good example of the Italianate style. The care with which the architect defined the separation of the building into two parts is noteworthy. Preserving many of its original features, the building also relates well to nearby brick buildings similar in scale.

Sources:

Building Evaluation form, l979

Carey, Frederick W. History of Norwich, Norwich Board of Trade Quarterly, July l909.

Harpin, Matthias P. Harpin's Connecticut Almanac Norwich Edition, l972-3, Oneco, CT, l972.

Modern Norwich Publishing Co. Norwich, The Rose of New England, Norwich, l895.

Norwich City Directories

Norwich Evening Record, May 3l, l9l5, p. 7 photo

Norwich, The Rose of New England, Souvenir Book of Ten Broadcasts, the Bulletin Co. Norwich, l930.

O. H. Bailey & Co. City of Norwich Bird's Eye View, Milwaukee, Wisc. l876.

Evaluations:

Threats None Private