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Norfolk, Connecticut: The Icebox and a Century of Chamber Music

Norfolk, Connecticut

Pictures from Norfolk

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Soldiers' Monument, Norfolk village green Haystack Mountain State Park tower Infinity Hall, Norfolk

The land that became Norfolk was divided into fifty-three rights of four hundred acres each and offered for sale by the Colony of Connecticut in 1738, though the dense hemlock 'Green Woods' terrain drew few early buyers. Settlement began in 1744 and the town incorporated in 1758, in Litchfield County's northwest corner bordering Massachusetts, taking its name from Norfolk, England. At 1,230 feet elevation, severe winters and cool summers earned it the nickname 'the Icebox of Connecticut.' Norfolk evolved from farming to small 19th-century factories making tools and farm implements from locally mined iron ore, then became a resort destination for visitors from Connecticut, New York, and Massachusetts by the late 1800s. Physician William H. Welch, a celebrated Norfolk native, and the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival — a Yale School of Music program running more than 120 years — are among the town's lasting legacies.

  1. An intimate historic music venue with a busy touring calendar.

  2. A 1929 stone tower with views into three states.

  3. A former summer residence and WWII lookout atop a 1,627-foot summit.

  4. Free museum on the Village Green with a walking tour of the architecture.

  5. A Yale School of Music summer festival running more than 120 years.

  6. Downtown deli-cafe for breakfast, coffee, and sandwiches.

  7. Contemporary American dinner attached to the concert hall.

  8. An 1898 Victorian Tudor estate with nine suites.

  9. A colonial mansion B&B overlooking Canaan Mountain.

  10. An 1880 Victorian converted to a seven-bedroom luxury inn.

Green Woods to the Icebox of Connecticut

Norfolk's fifty-three 400-acre rights went up for sale in 1738, but the dense hemlock forest — locally called the Green Woods — meant settlement waited until 1744 and incorporation until 1758. At 1,230 feet, the town's severe winters and cool summers earned it the nickname 'the Icebox of Connecticut.' Small streamside factories turned locally mined iron ore into tools and farm implements through the 19th century before Norfolk reinvented itself as a summer resort for visitors from Connecticut, New York, and Massachusetts. James Mars is buried in Center Cemetery, a stop on the Connecticut Freedom Trail.

Getting there

Norfolk sits at the junction of US Route 44 and CT Route 272 in the Litchfield Hills, reached via CT Route 8 north from I-84 at Waterbury and then US 44 west, or via US 44 west roughly 35 miles from Hartford. There's no passenger rail service in or near town.

Music, mountains, and Station Place

Infinity Hall, an intimate music venue in the town center, and the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival's Music Shed on the Ellen Battell Stoeckel Estate give Norfolk an outsized concert calendar for its size — the festival's roster of faculty quartets-in-residence has included the Emerson, Brentano, Miró, Tokyo, Guarneri, Cleveland, and Vermeer quartets. Haystack Mountain and Dennis Hill state parks both offer free summit views over the Berkshires. On Station Place, Berkshire Country Store covers breakfast and lunch, and Manor House Inn, Blackberry River Inn, and Wildwood 1880 are the town's historic bed-and-breakfasts.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get to Norfolk?
By car, via CT Route 8 north from I-84 at Waterbury then US Route 44 west, or US 44 west about 35 miles from Hartford. There's no passenger rail service in Norfolk.
Why is Norfolk called the "Icebox of Connecticut"?
At 1,230 feet elevation, Norfolk's severe winters and particularly cool summers earned it the nickname.
What is the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival?
A Yale School of Music summer chamber music program with a tradition of more than 120 years, held in the Music Shed on the Ellen Battell Stoeckel Estate. Its faculty quartets-in-residence have included the Emerson, Brentano, and Tokyo quartets, among others.
Are Haystack Mountain and Dennis Hill free to visit?
Yes, both state parks have free admission and are open 8 a.m. to sunset. Haystack's summit road is drivable late April through November; Dennis Hill's pavilion shelters are rentable May through October.
Where can I eat and stay in Norfolk?
Berkshire Country Store on Station Place covers breakfast and lunch, with Norfolk Bistro at Infinity Hall for dinner. Manor House Inn, Blackberry River Inn, and Wildwood 1880 are the town's historic bed-and-breakfasts.

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