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: Flat Iron Building	Historic Name: Carroll Building
Town/City: Norwich	County: New London
Address:9-15	Street: Main Street
Owners:Joseph A. Rabitaille Jr. and Theresa M. Rabitaille	Private
Present Use: rental apartment	Historic Use retail stores; offices
Exterior is viewable to public	Interior is NOT accessible
Style of Building: Romanesque Revival	Construction Date: 1887
Materials Brick Cut Stone - brownstone trim	Structural System Load Bearing Masonry
Roof Flat Built Up
Stories: 4	Dimensions: east end 60, Main St. facade 85,
Structural Condition: Good	Exterior Condition: Fair
Alterations: storefront windows framed in
Outbuildings:
Environment: commercial High Building Density

Interrelationship of Building and Surroundings:

The Carroll Building occupies a triangle of land created by the intersection of Main and Water Streets. Approaching Norwich from the west, the building is highly visible, providing an introduction to the densely developed street-scape of the downtown. The Carroll Building is the dominant visual element in Washington Square, which is formed by the intersection of Main Street, Water, Church, and Washington Streets.

Features:

The building is triangular in form with a semicircular turret with conical roof at the western end, facing Washington Square. The storefronts on both Water Street and Main Street are comprised of cast iron columns by A. H. Vaughn and Sons, with display window and entrances between. Each side of the building is divided into three distinct sections by brick pieces with brownstone caps. The upper floors have brownstone lintels and sills joined by belt courses. Windows have 2-over-2 double-hung sash. On the Main Street side, the easternmost section has a gabled parapet with the inscription C l887 Diamond-shaped Terra-cotta inserts decorate the spandrels between second and third floors. Third floor windows are round-arched. The rest of the facade is less ornamented than this section. A checkered brick frieze and brick corbel table are used in both the Main Street facade and the Water Street elevation.

Architect: Stephen C. Earle

Builder:

Importance:

Built for Lucius W. Carroll, a local merchant with investments in textile mills, banks, etc., the Carroll Building was constructed as a real estate venture. Storefronts and offices were leased to a variety of businesses including the Southern New England Telephone Co. from l894 -l902. Carroll operated his own store, one of the largest in Norwich on the opposite side of Water Street. He sold wool, cotton manufacturer's supplies, dye stuffs, oil, paints, glass, etc. The Carroll Building represented a reinvestment of income from manufacturing and retailing into real estate, an important factor in the development of Norwich's downtown.

Earle, the architect, was a Worcester architect with close ties to Boston. In the Carroll Building, he succeeded in adapting a difficult site, with both uneven terrain and limited space for commercial use. The quality of workmanship and design in the building is very high. The dramatic siting of the building and the manner in which Earle maximized visual impact makes the Carroll Building an outstanding example of downtown Norwich architecture.

Sources:

Earle, Stephen C., Plans of a Building for L. W. Carroll, Norwich, CT, manuscript in possession of Joseph A. Rabitaille, 14 Park Ave., Groton, CT

Mercantile Publishing Co. The Leading Businessmen of Norwich, l890, p. 35.

Withey, H. F. and E. R. Dictionary of American Architects ( Deceased ), Los Angeles, Hennessey and Ingalls, Inc., l970, p. 186-7.

Norwich City Directories, 1886-1902.

Evaluations:

Threats None Private