| Norwich | |
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| — Township — | |
| Motto: Beautiful, Agricultural, Historical | |
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Norwich
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Ontario |
| County | Oxford |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Donald Doan |
| • MPs | Dave Mackenzie |
| • MPPs | Ernie Hardeman |
| Area[1] | |
| • Land | 431.28 km2 (166.5 sq mi) |
| Population (2006)[1] | |
| • Total | 10,481 |
| • Density | 24.3/km2 (62.9/sq mi) |
| Time zone | Eastern Standard Time (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (UTC-4) |
| Postal Code | N0J 1P0, N0J 1P1, N0J 1P2 |
| Area code(s) | 519 and 226 |
| Website | www.twp.norwich.on.ca |
The Township of Norwich is a municipality located in Oxford County in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Preferred pronunciation of the town name is 'NOR-witch' (pronounced with 'w'), different from the city of Norwich, England, though its origin is more likely Norwich in Upper New York State, the area from which the pioneering families emigrated in the early 19th century, an abbreviation of the original Norwichville.
Formerly North and South Norwich Townships, Norwich includes the communities of Beaconsfield, Bond's Corners, Brown's Corners, Burgessville, Cornell, Creditville, Curries, Eastwood, Hawtrey, Hink's Corners, Holbrook, Lambeth, Milldale, Muir, Newark, New Durham, Norwich, Oriel, Otterville, Oxford Centre, Rock's Mills, Rosanna, Springford, Summerville and Vandecar.
Oxford County Road 59 (formerly Highway 59) is the major north-south highway through much of the township, including the community of Norwich proper.
The local economy is largely agricultural, based on dairy farming in the north part of the township and tobacco and ginseng farming to the south. Slowly, ginseng is replacing the former cash crop - tobacco, as demand shrinks.
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The township government, Norwich Township Council, consists of four councillors based on wards and a mayor. Donald Doan is the current mayor, re-elected for a four year term in November 2006, re-elected again for a four year team in October 2010.
For provincial and federal elections, Woodstock is included in the riding of 'Oxford'. Currently, the Federal MP of Oxford is Dave MacKenzie (Conservative), and the Provincial MPP is Ernie Hardeman (Progressive Conservative).
In 1793, Abraham Canfield a United Empire Loyalist from Connecticut, settled in the "Township of Oxford on the Thames" (This township was later divided into North, West and East Oxford Townships: East Oxford later became part of the Township of Norwich in 1975.)
Norwich was founded by two men . Peter Lossing and Peter De Long . Both where from New York . Peter Lossings house was the first one in Norwich . It now stands by the old Quaker Meeting House . Both men where Quakers . The town of norwich used to be all quaker settlers , but they died of .
In 1799, the Township of Norwich was laid out by surveyor William Hambly into lines and concessions and 200-acre (0.81 km2) lots.
In 1809 Peter Lossing, a member of the Society of Friends from Dutchess County, New York, visited Norwich Township, and in June, 1810, with his brother-in-law, Peter De Long, purchased 15,000 acres (61 km2) of land in this area. That autumn Lossing brought his family to Upper Canada and early in 1811 settled in Norwich Township. The De Long family and nine others, principally from Dutchess County, joined Lossing the same year and by 1820 an additional group of about fifty had settled within the tract. Many were Quakers and a frame meeting house, planned in 1812, was erected in 1817. These resourceful pioneers founded one of the most successful Quaker communities in Upper Canada.
Built in 1845 by Edward Bullock, the mill is run by water power supplied by a dam on the river. The South Norwich Historical Society, on a lease basis, maintains this historic site and offers tours on request. A beautiful setting in the center of the village, the mill and its surrounding meadow is the site of an annual barbecue.
On the afternoon of June 2, 1998, a severe weather outbreak affected Southern Ontario. At around 3:50 PM, there was a report of a tornado touching down in Holbrook and heading straight for Norwich. The tornado hit Norwich around 4:05 PM, damaging trees, farm equipment, barns, houses, and the wooden Holy Trinity Anglican Church (1867). Three people were injured, and the next day, Environment Canada confirmed that an F1 or F2 tornado had hit the village. Following a decision by the parish, Holy Trinity Anglican Church was not rebuilt as the congregation opted to join with St. John's Anglican Church, Otterville. However, a stone monument commemorating the church continues to mark to site. [2]
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Population trend:[5]
The Norwich and District Museum is one of Ontario's longest operating rural community museums and contains a collection of artifacts relating to the agricultural and social history of the area. The museum is actually housed inside a former meeting house (built in 1889) which was donated by The Society of Friends donated a former meeting house to the Pioneer Society for this purpose.
Norwich District High School, home to the Norwich Knights, was opened in 1952 in the south end of the village of Norwich. On October 28, 2008 Thames Valley District School Board trustees made the decision to close Norwich District High School due to declining enrollment in the area and the school board at large. A reunion for past NDHS alumni was held on June 5-6th, 2010.
The South Norwich Historical Society has restored this 1875 station to its condition as a 1881 Grand Trunk Railway station. The waiting room and office are restored authentically, the baggage room is an interpretation room for displays of the area's history. Permanent displays feature railway construction of the 1880s with many artifacts of all periods. The Underground Railroad and early Black settlement of the area is another highlight, as well as the story of early Quaker heritage in the area.
In 1982 during the 175th celebrations of the community, a plaque was placed at the cemetery to commemorate the black settlement of freed families who made their homes in this area.
Just north of the main corner, and through the stone gates, is 10 acres (40,000 m2) of parklands graced with beautiful tall pines, with a swimming pool, ball diamond, horseshoe pitch, tennis and basketball courts, and children's playground.
The local newspaper is the Norwich Gazette, published by Sun Media/Bowes.
| Woodstock, Blandford-Blenheim | ||||
| South-West Oxford | County of Brant | |||
| Norwich | ||||
| Tillsonburg | Norfolk County |