Marker Front:Forged by the determination and skills of early settlers, Norwich's legacy survives in its Georgian, Federal, and Greek Revival buildings. With commercial, residential, and public buildings clustered near its green, Norwich remains an engaged, vibrant. The village is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. On July 4th, 1761 the Royal Governor Benning Wentworth of the Province of New Hampshire granted a charter for the town. The 1820s - 1904s were prosperous and the town exported agricultural and manufacturing products. Norwich University and Dartmouth College, across the river, attracted residents. In 1866 the South Barracks of Norwich University burned, and the school relocated to Northfield, VT.
Marker Reverse:Home to Norwich University founder Alden Partridge, artist Paul Sample, and many Olympians. Norwich has long attracted people of purpose and ingenuity. The 1843 Norwich Female Abolition Society and the c. 1894 Women's Christian Temperance Union pressed for change. The first Vermont YMCA band played on the green for years. In 1963 President Kennedy established the Dresden School District, the first interstate school system in the country.
The Lewis House, on whose grounds this marker sits, was built c. 1807. from 1846-1892 General William Lewis was the first of five generations of the family to live and work here, where he served as the Town Clerk and Treasurer. The house remained in the family until 2003 when the Historical Society purchased the house.
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