Norwich ― For the first time since the mid-19th century, something new could be built on a vacant, overgrown Cedar Street property where the 19th century New London County jail once stood overlooking .
Published January 07. 2021 12:01AM
Brian Barganier, Special to The Times
Jail Hill District is loosely described on the Internet as Cedar Street in Norwich, but that area encompasses much more than that.
Jail Hill gets its rather unoriginal name after a jail that was built on a hill there in 1834, which stood between Fountain and Cedar streets. The jailhouse overlooked the city’s downtown area. If you want to see the original spot, it’s a currently vacant lot at 16 Cedar St.
The roughly 37-acre district included the areas of School, John, Fountain, Cedar, Happy, and Old Division streets. Development of the area began in the 1830s and was largely complete by 1865 after the Civil War.