Norfolk, Connecticut Cornelius Brown of Windsor settled Norfolk, Connecticut in 1774. The town was incorporated in 1758. Mainly an industrial town relying on the waterpower of the Blackberry River, Norfolk continued to thrive after the industrial decline in the later 19th century. This was due to both the coming of the Western Railroad in 1871 and to the town’s natural beauty. Norfolk has remained a cultural center, with the Stoeckel Estate and the Music Shed visited by some of the world’s greatest musical artists. It is also the home of the Yale Summer School of Music and Art.