Hopkins & Allen Gun Factory

Hopkins and Allen Gun Factory. . Once upon a time in Norwich… , , Hopkins and Allen Gun Factory was the city’s largest employer. During the Civil War, Norwich provided more arms for the Union forces than any other city. As the nation’s largest armory, Hopkins and Allen was just one of many gun factories in Norwich. , , It was a cold February 4, 1900 when the four-story brick building on this site caught fire. It was February, and so at six in the morning it was dark, and the streets were lighted by gas lamps. The fire was discovered by the night watchman, Joe Skelly. By the time the fire department arrived, it was too late to save the building and Hopkins and Allen was destroyed in the biggest fire in the history of Norwich. It imposed a special hardship, for all of the gunsmiths’ tools were lost in the flames. Without those tools, the entire work force was unemployed. , , A new 80,000 square foot Hopkins and Allen was built on the same site and rededicated in March of 1901. The 220 foot long, 60 foot wide, four-story building cost approximately $55,000. , , Hopkins and Allen Company, which began operations in 1868, continued in business until 1917. The World War I Armistice was given as the reason for going out of business. , This plaque is sponsored by , David and Karen Warfield , in honor of Edward J. Rogalski.