Chelsea Parade, located within a National Register Historic District, is a large grassy triangle at the intersection of Broadway and Washington Streets in what is primarily a late 19th century residential neighborhood of fine homes. To the east is another smaller triangle bounded by Broadway and Crescent Street. Both triangles are bordered by Chelsea Parade South along the southern border and together comprise 3.4 acres. The larger triangle is a level, evenly graded open expanse surrounded by deciduous trees, mostly maples, planted along the border. The only circulation is provided by a sidewalk around the perimeter. In the center is a tall flagpole (c. 1930), but the focal point is a 27-foot, 6-inch Civil War Monument at the southern end. It consists of a Union soldier on a tall octagonal granite base erected in 1783 and surrounded by a metal fence. Inside the fence is a small stone marker indicating that a time capsule was buried on the site in 1959, to be unearthed in 2059. At the southeast intersection is a rough stone marker that replaces an earlier metal marker dedicating the site to the town of Norwich to be used as a park. In the southeast corner is a fountain.

The southern tip of the triangle is separated from the larger triangle by Chelsea Parade North. A stone marker indicates that "this tract of land is dedicated to Veterans of all Conflicts and Wars by the Veterans Council of the Norwich area" (1968). The most impressive object is a tall stone watering trough (1889) at the northern tip with four troughs (now planters). With the exception of the Howitzer (c. 1920); a bronze plaque on a boulder dedicated to Samuel Chester Reid (1932); a Norwich native who designed the U.S. flag adopted by Congress in 1818); and a World War I memorial (c. 1920; a large granite tablet with a bronze plaque), the remaining monuments date from the second half of the 20th century. These include a memorial to prisoners of war and those missing in action (P.O.W.s and M.I.A.s); a World War II and Vietnam Memorial; a World War I memorial; a memorial to those who fought in all wars; and a "Freedom Tree" dedicated to Colonel Paul G. Underwood. There are four shade trees on this tiny triangle of land and many of the monuments have flowers planted at their base.

The large triangle is well-maintained, but the smaller triangle to the east is suffering from erosion around the edges. On it are planted a couple of deciduous trees and a large coniferous tree in the center. At the northern tip is a small boulder dedicated to the U.S.S. Marines, its plaque cast from metal recovered from the vessel destroyed in Havana's harbor. Near the center, the Public Works Department is preparing a site for a new monument honoring Columbus to be erected in October 1992 by the Italian Ladies Club.

The streetscape around Chelsea reflects the evolution of the area as a home for Norwich's upper class and later a place for their institutions. It is dominated by the larger institutional buildings on the east and a six-story, flat-roofed, brick apartment building on the west. The Norwich Free Academy owns all the land to the east of the park. The larger buildings, including the Slater Memorial Museum, are located along the northern part on the east side. Built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, these buildings are set farther back from the street than the homes around the park and are shielded from it by many lush trees. The dominant element is the conical tower of the museum and Park Congregational Church (c. 1880) to the north. The two-story houses in the Italianate style also used by the Academy are at the southern end of Broadway. A new building is currently being erected between them. It has similar volume but is made of different materials.

The houses on the east side provide a cohesive streetscape with the exception of the c. 1960 apartment building that is larger than its domestic neighbors and set further back from the street. However, its scale mirrors the Masonic Temple (1828) to the south of it. The oldest property facing Chelsea Parade is the Joseph Teel House, on the southwest corner erected in 1789 before Chelsea Parade was set aside as a park.

Although the larger buildings around Chelsea Parade are most evident, they do not dominate it because of its wide expanse. In fact, the variety of buildings -- in scale, function and materials -- provides a visually and historically rich setting for the open space.