Norfolk, NY

Norfolk is a hamlet and census-designated place in St. Lawrence County, set within the town of Norfolk north of Potsdam. The community is shaped by the Raquette River, which runs east through the northern part of the town, and by New York 56, the local north-south route. The town separated from Louisville in 1823, with a large swamp serving as the original dividing line. The surrounding town includes several distinct communities along the river and its roads.

Norfolk hamlet forms the upper village, Raymondville developed as the Lower Village, and East Norfolk was also known as Slab City. Local institutions include the Norwood-Norfolk School, Hepburn Library, American Legion, and churches, while Raymondville has a community hall and an 1886 lenticular truss bridge over the Raquette. The bridge closed to traffic in 1979, yet the river still figures in local events; Raquette River Racing has organized a recurring marathon using River Road in Raymondville. Norfolk is a river-side center within a town of separate hamlets and shared civic routines.