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THE STORY OF NORWALK 3 DECKER STREET, NORWALK

Hats, pottery, corsets and dozens of other products are included in
the rich history of manufacturing in Norwalk. Dating back to the 18th • 5 Bedrooms, 4.5 Baths
century, the seaside location has long been regarded as a prime location • .14 Acres
for industry, which has thrived for generations of employees. • 4,380 sq ft

• Built in 1930 - Completely
"Norwalk was a hub of activity," said Historian and Norwalk Library volunteer Renovated

Ralph Bloom. "The city has been in the manufacturing business for hundreds of • Natural Gas/Central Air/Public
years. The oldest industry to be documented is pottery, it may even have been Sewer
made here before the Revolutionary War," Bloom said. • Spectacular Water Views!
Aside from pottery, one of the largest industries in Norwalk was hatting. "It was the • Rooftop Deck
biggest industry we ever had," Bloom said. "There were hat shops here from the 18th • Deeded Beach Access
century to 1960 that employed about 4,000 people in Norwalk.
Norwalk's seaside location was a contributing factor to the success of businesses in
the city, Bloom said.

With the waterfront, the onset of the railroad, and trolleys or "street railroads" as they
were formerly called in the city by the 1860s, Bloom said businesses (both small and
large in size) were situated in the perfect location.
"Norwalk wasn't a commuter town back then, it was a manufacturing city," Bloom
said. "Now it's the opposite.”

Oystering, or aquatic farming was and still is one of the largest industries

in Norwalk. "One of the great things about oystering in Norwalk is that
there are hundreds of acres of islands in the harbor, which shelters
them," Bloom said.

Of all of the oystering companies, only a few remain.
Other notable Norwalk industries include the
Burndy Corporation, which had a major part in
the manufacturing of the Hubbell telescope,
E. Lockwood & Sons, which started out

as a shipping and general store and
switched to a real estate company
that was located on the current
grounds of Fat Cat Pie on
Wall Street.