Dan & Whit’s at 70
On exhibit at NHS through June 2026
Celebrating Dan & Whit’s 70th birthday with documentary photographs, oral histories, and memorabilia. It also traces close to 200 years of general store history on the site going back to the building of the very first store in 1829.
Kay McCabe’s photographs capture the spirit of Dan & Whit’s and reveal how both the building and the employees work to run this beloved store which is at the heart of our community.
There has been a general store at the site of Dan & Whit’s since 1829 and throughout these years the stores were at the center of the community. Some people say that the store-keepers’ degrees were in business administration, political science, public relations, family counseling, public speaking, first aid, and veterinary medicine—all earned within the four walls of the store.
For 70 years, Dan & Whit’s has been a vital part of community life in Norwich. When Dan Fraser and Whit Hicks went to work for Merrill’s General Store, they delivered goods all over town, learning about their customers and the business.
In 1955 Leon Merrill sold his business to Dan and Whit. Store expansions in the 1963, 1968, and 1972 provided space for over 250,000 items, truly fulfilling the phrase “if we don’t have it, you don’t need it.” The countless small acts of kindness and the impressive “19 Days of Norwich” campaign have endeared this store to all of Norwich.