Litchfield is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

in and former

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

Litchfield County Litchfield County is in northwestern Connecticut. As of the 2020 census, the population was 185,186. The county was named after Lichfield, in England. Litchfield County has the lowest population density of any county in Connecticut and is the ...

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. The population was 8,192 at the 2020 census. The

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle A ...

s of Bantam and Litchfield are located within the town. There are also three unincorporated villages: East Litchfield, Milton, and

Northfield Northfield may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Northfield, Aberdeen, Scotland * Northfield, Edinburgh, Scotland * Northfield, Birmingham, England * Northfield (Kettering BC Ward), Northamptonshire, England United States * Northfield, Connec ...

. Northfield, located in the southeastern corner of Litchfield, is home to a high percentage of the Litchfield population.

History

Originally called Bantam township, Litchfield incorporated in 1719. The town derives its name from

Lichfield Lichfield () is a cathedral city and civil parish in Staffordshire, England. Lichfield is situated roughly south-east of the county town of Stafford, south-east of Rugeley, north-east of Walsall, north-west of Tamworth and south-west o ...

, in England. In 1751 it became the county-seat of Litchfield county, and at the same time the borough of Litchfield (incorporated in 1879) was laid out. From 1776 to 1780 two depots for military stores and a workshop for the Continental army were maintained, and the leaden statue of George III., erected in

Bowling Green (New York City) Bowling Green is a small public park in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan, New York City, at the southern end of Broadway. Located next to the site of the original Dutch fort of New Amsterdam, it served as a public place before being de ...

, in 1770, and torn down by citizens on the 9th of July 1776, was cut up and taken to Litchfield, where, in the house of Oliver Wolcott it was melted into bullets for the American army by Wolcott's daughter and sister. During the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

several prominent Loyalists were held prisoner in the town, including

William Franklin William Franklin (22 February 1730 – 17 November 1813) was an American-born attorney, soldier, politician, and colonial administrator. He was the acknowledged illegitimate son of Benjamin Franklin. William Franklin was the last colonial G ...

, son of

Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher. Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the leading inte ...

, and

David Mathews David Mathews ( – July 28, 1800) was an American lawyer and politician from New York City. He was a Loyalist during the American Revolutionary War and was the 43rd and last Colonial Mayor of New York City from 1776 until 1783. As New York Cit ...

, Mayor of

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. In 1784, the first law school in the United States, the so-named

Litchfield Law School The Litchfield Law School of Litchfield, Connecticut, was the first independent law school established in America for reading law. Founded and led by lawyer Tapping Reeve, the proprietary school was unaffiliated with any college or university. (Wh ...

, was established by judge and legal scholar

Tapping Reeve Tapping Reeve (October 1, 1744 – December 13, 1823) was an American lawyer, judge, and law educator. In 1784 he opened the Litchfield Law School, the first law school in the United States, in Litchfield, Connecticut. Early life Tapping Reev ...

. Prior to its establishment Reeve had accepted several legal apprentices since he had settled there in 1773, but saw such demand for his expertise that he formally opened the one-room school within a decade. During the school's fifty year history it would accept more than 1,100 students, including Aaron Burr, Jr.,

Horace Mann Horace Mann (May 4, 1796August 2, 1859) was an American educational reformer, slavery abolitionist and Whig politician known for his commitment to promoting public education. In 1848, after public service as Secretary of the Massachusetts St ...

, and

Levi Woodbury Levi Woodbury (December 22, 1789September 4, 1851) was an American attorney, jurist, and Democratic politician from New Hampshire. During a four-decade career in public office, Woodbury served as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the U ...

, the first justice of the

US Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point of ...

to attend law school. Litchfield was also home to a pioneering institution of young women's education, the

Litchfield Female Academy The Litchfield Female Academy in Litchfield, Connecticut, founded in 1792 by Sarah Pierce, was one of the most important institutions of female education in the United States. During the 30 years after its opening the school enrolled more than 2 ...

, founded in 1792 by

Sarah Pierce Sarah Pierce (June 26, 1767 – January 19, 1852) was a teacher, educator and founder of one of the earliest schools for girls in the United States, the Litchfield Female Academy in Litchfield, Connecticut. The school having been established in ...

. Litchfield has a very rich history. The Litchfield Historical Society, located in the center of town, contains a wide variety of items with historical importance to the town.

Geography

Located southwest of Torrington, Litchfield also includes part of Bantam Lake. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the town has a total area of 56.8 square miles (147.1 km²), of which, 56.1 square miles (145.2 km²) of it is land and 0.7 square miles (1.9 km²) of it (1.3%) is water. Litchfield is about from

Central Park Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban park in the United States, with an estimated ...

in New York, about from the

Hudson River The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...

Valley, and about from the nearest sea coast, on

Long Island Sound Long Island Sound is a marine sound and tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies predominantly between the U.S. state of Connecticut to the north and Long Island in New York to the south. From west to east, the sound stretches from the Eas ...

Principal communities

* Bantam (borough) * East Litchfield (unincorporated village) * Litchfield (borough / town center) * Milton (unincorporated village) *

(unincorporated village)

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000, there were 8,316 people, 3,310 households, and 2,303 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 3,629 housing units at an average density of . The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the town was 96.99% White, 0.75% Black or African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.46% from other races, and 1.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.56% of the population. There were 3,310 households, out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.9% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.98. In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.2% under the age of 18, 3.6% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 28.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.3 males. The median income for a household in the town was $58,418, and the median income for a family was $70,594. Males had a median income of $50,284 versus $31,787 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $30,096. About 2.8% of families and 4.0% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 2.6% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.

Government and infrastructure

PostcardLitchfieldCTLitchfieldCountyJail1907

The 1812 Litchfield County Jail, the town's oldest public building, is in Litchfield. While controlled by the Connecticut state government, the facility historically held inmates convicted of minor offenses.

Governor of Connecticut The governor of Connecticut is the head of government of Connecticut, and the commander-in-chief of the U.S. state, state's Connecticut Military Department, military forces. The Governor (United States), governor has a duty to enforce state laws, ...

Lowell P. Weicker Jr. Lowell Palmer Weicker Jr. (; born May 16, 1931) is an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, and the 85th Governor of Connecticut. He unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for president in 1980. He wa ...

ordered the facility closed for financial reasons in 1993. It was converted into the McAuliffe Manor, a substance abuse treatment center for women operated by Naugatuck Valley HELP Inc., but in 2009 the contract between Naugatuck Valley HELP Inc. and the state expired, leading to the closure of McAuliffe Manor.

Transportation

U.S. Route 202 U.S. Route 202 (US 202) is a spur route of US 2. It follows a northeasterly and southwesterly direction stretching from Delaware to Maine, also traveling through the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massa ...

is the main east-west road connecting Bantam and Litchfield center to the city of Torrington and New Milford, Connecticut. Route 63 runs north-south through the town center. The Route 8 expressway runs along the town line with Harwinton. It can be accessed from the town center via Route 118. The town is also served by buses from the

Northwestern Connecticut Transit District The Northwestern Connecticut Transit District (NWCTD) is an agency that provides local service in Litchfield County, Connecticut. It provides local bus service in Torrington, Winsted and Litchfield, Monday through Saturday. The system, named Th ...

connecting to the city of Torrington. The Shepaug Valley Railroad opened a Litchfield terminal in 1872, but passenger service ended in 1930 and freight service in 1948.

Education

Litchfield Public Schools Litchfield Public Schools is the school district of Litchfield, Connecticut Litchfield is a town in and former county seat of Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 8,192 at the 2020 census. The boroughs of Banta ...

operates public schools. Litchfield High School is the area high school. Students may also attend Wamogo Regional Six to study agriculture, located in Litchfield, or Oliver Wolcott Technical School, located in

Torrington, Connecticut Torrington is the most populated municipality and only city in Litchfield County, Connecticut and the Northwest Hills region. It is also the core city of Greater Torrington, one of the largest micropolitan areas in the United States. The city p ...

. Litchfield Center School hosts children in grades K–3 with a Pre-K program available. Students then move on to Litchfield Intermediate School where they will remain through sixth grade. Students then finish their Litchfield Public School career at Litchfield High School. Litchfield is also home to

Forman School The Forman School is a co-educational Boarding school, boarding and day school in Litchfield, Connecticut, United States offering a college preparatory program in grades 9 to 12 and a postgraduate year, postgraduate program (PG) exclusively for st ...

, a private

boarding school A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. As they have existed for many centuries, and now exten ...

for students in grades 9–12/PG with learning differences such as

ADD Addition (usually signified by the plus symbol ) is one of the four basic operations of arithmetic, the other three being subtraction, multiplication and division. The addition of two whole numbers results in the total amount or '' sum'' of ...

/ ADHD and dyslexia.

Notable people

* Andrew Adams, political leader during and after the Revolutionary War *

Josephine Cables Aldrich Josephine Cables Aldrich (June 12, 1843 – August 12, 1917) was an American spiritualist, Theosophist, editor, and publisher from the U.S. state of Connecticut. Married to the politician, William F. Aldrich, she was the editor of '' The Occu ...

(1843–1917), spiritualist, Theosophist, editor, and publisher * Ethan Allen, one of the founders of

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

Catharine Beecher Catharine Esther Beecher (September 6, 1800 – May 12, 1878) was an American educator known for her forthright opinions on female education as well as her vehement support of the many benefits of the incorporation of kindergarten into children's ...

, educator *

Henry Ward Beecher Henry Ward Beecher (June 24, 1813 – March 8, 1887) was an American Congregationalist clergyman, social reformer, and speaker, known for his support of the abolition of slavery, his emphasis on God's love, and his 1875 adultery trial. His r ...

, Congregationalist clergyman *

Lyman Beecher Lyman Beecher (October 12, 1775 – January 10, 1863) was a Presbyterian minister, and the father of 13 children, many of whom became noted figures, including Harriet Beecher Stowe, Henry Ward Beecher, Charles Beecher, Edward Beecher, Isabella B ...

, Presbyterian minister * Mary Charlotte Ward Granniss Webster Billings, writer, evangelist, and missionary * * Solyman Brown, creator of the first dental school *

Adelaide Deming Adelaide Deming (December 12, 1864 – 1956) was an American painter, associated for much of her life with Litchfield, Connecticut. She was the 1908 winner of the Beal Prize for her watercolor ''Moon Shadows''. Biography Born on December 12, 18 ...

, painter * Dick Ebersol, television executive *

Caroline Fitzgerald Caroline Fitzgerald (September 22, 1865 – December 25, 1911) was an American poet and litteratrice who spent most of her adult life in Europe, particularly Italy. Although not fabulously rich, she was wealthy enough to move to and fro between ...

(1865–1911), poet * Eugene Fodor, travel writer *

Jerome Fuller Jerome Fuller (June 26, 1808 – September 2, 1880) was an American lawyer and chief justice of Minnesota Territorial Supreme Court from 1851 to 1852. Fuller was born in Litchfield, Connecticut in 1808, but details are scarce about his early ...

, chief justice of

Minnesota Territorial Supreme Court Minnesota () is a U.S. state, state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 12th largest U.S. state in area and the List of U.S. states and territories by population, 22nd m ...

, 1851–1852 *

Elizabeth Gilbert Elizabeth Gilbert (born July 18, 1969) is an American journalist and author. She is best known for her 2006 memoir, '' Eat, Pray, Love'', which has sold over 12 million copies and has been translated into over 30 languages. The book was also ma ...

, author of ''Eat, Pray, Love'' *

Jane Grant Jane Grant (May 29, 1892 – March 16, 1972) was a New York City journalist who co-founded ''The New Yorker'' with her first husband, Harold Ross. Life and career Jane Grant was born Jeanette Cole Grant in Joplin, Missouri, and grew up and w ...

, writer * F. Norton Goddard, Republican politician *

Benjamin Hanks Benjamin Hanks is generally accepted to be the first person to make bronze cannons and church bells in the United States. He was a goldsmith, Scientific instrument, instrument maker, clockmaker, bellfounder, and foundry owner. Early life Accor ...

(1755–1824), goldsmith, instrument maker, and first maker of bronze cannons and church bells in America *

Uriel Holmes Uriel Holmes (August 26, 1764 – May 18, 1827) was a United States representative from Connecticut. He was born in East Haddam, Connecticut, and then moved with his parents to Hartland, Connecticut. He attended the common schools and graduated ...

, US congressman *

Isabella Beecher Hooker Isabella Beecher Hooker (February 22, 1822 – January 25, 1907) was a leader, lecturer and social activist in the American suffragist movement. Early life Isabella Holmes Beecher was born in Litchfield, Connecticut, the fifth child and secon ...

, women's suffrage activist *

Susan Saint James Susan Saint James (born Susan Jane Miller; August 14, 1946) is an American actress and activist, most widely known for her work in television during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, especially the detective series ''McMillan & Wife'' (1971–1976) and ...

, actress * Daniel Albion "Jumping Jack" Jones (1860–1936), professional baseball pitcher * Madeleine L'Engle, author * Thomas McKnight, painter * Charles B. McVay III, US naval officer * Phineas Miner, US congressman *

Joseph Robert Morris Joseph Robert Morris (April 24, 1828 December 6, 1885) was a metal worker, business owner, investor, and inventor. He briefly served as mayor of Houston, Texas. Early life and family Joseph Robert Morris was born on April 24, 1828 in Milton, Co ...

, entrepreneur, investor, mayor of Houston, Texas; born and raised in Milton * Samuel S. Phelps, US senator from Vermont *

, teacher, educator and founder of the

John Pierpoint John Pierpoint (January 10, 1805 – January 7, 1882) was a Vermont attorney and judge. He served as a justice of the Vermont Supreme Court from 1857 until his death, and was Chief Justice beginning in 1865. Biography John Pierpoint (sometimes s ...

, Chief Justice of the

Vermont Supreme Court The Vermont Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority of the U.S. state of Vermont. Unlike most other states, the Vermont Supreme Court hears appeals directly from the trial courts, as Vermont has no intermediate appeals court. The Court ...

Robert Pierpoint Robert Pierpoint may refer to: * Robert Pierpoint (journalist) (1925–2011), American broadcast journalist * Robert Pierpoint (British politician) (1845–1932), member of parliament for Warrington * Robert Pierpoint (Vermont politician) Robert ...

Lieutenant Governor of Vermont The lieutenant governor of Vermont is elected for a two-year term and chosen separately from the governor. The Vermont Lieutenant Governor's main responsibilities include acting as governor when the governor is out of state or incapacitated, presi ...

* Austin M. Purves Jr., 20th century artist and educator *

, lawyer, judge, and law educator *

Mary Livingston Ripley Mary Moncrieffe Livingston Ripley (May 11, 1914 – April 15, 1996) was a U.S. horticulturist, entomologist, photographer, and scientific collector. Early life Mary Livingston was born in New York City in 1914. She was the daughter of Gerald M ...

, horticulturist, entomologist, and photographer * Richard Skinner,

governor of Vermont The governor of Vermont is the head of government of Vermont. The officeholder is elected in even-numbered years by direct voting for a term of 2 years. Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold gubernatorial elections every ...

Roger Skinner Roger Skinner (June 1, 1773 – August 19, 1825) was an attorney and government official from New York. He was most notable for his service as United States district judge for the Northern District of New York from 1819 to 1825. A native of ...

, judge of the

United States District Court for the Northern District of New York The United States District Court for the Northern District of New York (in case citations, N.D.N.Y.) serves one of the 94 judicial districts in the United States and one of four in the state of New York. Appeals from the Northern District of Ne ...

* Charles Smith (cowboy), Arizona lawman and friend of Wyatt Earp *

Elihu Hubbard Smith Elihu Hubbard Smith (September 4, 1771 – September 19, 1798) was an American author, physician, and man of letters. Early life and education Smith was born in Litchfield, Connecticut, to Dr. Reuben Smith and Abigail Hubbard Smith. He entered ...

, physician and man of letters, one of the

Hartford Wits The Hartford Wits were a group of young writers from Connecticut in the late eighteenth century and included John Trumbull, Timothy Dwight, David Humphreys, Joel Barlow and Lemuel Hopkins. Originally the Connecticut Wits, this group formed in t ...

* Harriet Beecher Stowe, abolitionist and author *

Benjamin Tallmadge Benjamin Tallmadge (February 25, 1754 – March 7, 1835) was an American military officer, spymaster, and politician. He is best known for his service as an officer in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He acted as leade ...

, American military officer during the Revolutionary War * Frederick A. Tallmadge, lawyer and New York politician *

Frank Livingston Underwood Frank Livingston Underwood (July 26, 1844 – March 17, 1918) was a US banker and copper magnate who built several Western United States railroads which afterward became parts of larger systems. Biography Underwood was born in Walden, Vermont, ...

(1844–1918), banker, copper magnate, railroad founder * Emily Noyes Vanderpoel (1842–1939), painter, writer, philanthropist * Louis Fenn Wadsworth (1825–1908), early baseball pioneer * Paul Winter, saxophonist * Oliver Wolcott Sr., signer of the

U.S. Declaration of Independence The United States Declaration of Independence, formally The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen States of America, is the pronouncement and founding document adopted by the Second Continental Congress meeting at Pennsylvania State House (l ...

* Oliver Wolcott Jr., US Secretary of the Treasury, 24th governor of Connecticut

On the National Register of Historic Places

* Capt. William Bull Tavern – CT 202 (added July 30, 1983) * Henry B. Bissell House – 202 Maple St. (added October 7, 1990) *

J. Howard Catlin House The J. Howard Catlin House was a historic house at 14 Knife Shop Road in Litchfield, Connecticut. Built about 1879, it was a distinctive vernacular example of Carpenter Gothic architecture. It was built for J. Howard Catlin, one of the owners o ...

– 14 Knife Shop Rd. (added September 6, 1993) (Since demolished) * Litchfield Historic District – Roughly both sides of North and South Sts. between Gallows Lane and Prospect St. (added December 24, 1968) * Milton Center Historic District (added March 14, 1978) * Humaston Brook State Park (added May 8, 1997) * Oliver Wolcott House – South St. (added December 11, 1971) * Rye House – 122–132 Old Mount Tom Rd. (added September 10, 2000) * Tapping Reeve House and Law School – South St. (added November 15, 1966) * Topsmead – 25 and 46 Chase Rd. (added December 19, 1993)

References

External links

Official town websiteLitchfield Historical Society
at City-Data.com
ePodunk Profile for Litchfield, Connecticut

{{authority control Towns in Litchfield County, Connecticut Towns in the New York metropolitan area Towns in Connecticut