Litchfield is a

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 Ag ...

in, and the village center of, the

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 ...

of Litchfield in

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 cap ...

, United States. The population was 1,258 at the 2010 census. The entire borough was designated a Connecticut

historic district A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from c ...

in 1959 by special act of the state General Assembly and is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. Part of the borough is also a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

, the Litchfield Historic District.Borough of Litchfield Historic District Commission
Town of Litchfield website, accessed January 28, 2010

History

LitchfieldHD EastStreet houses on North side

The borough of Litchfield was incorporated as a village in 1818, one of only two villages ever established in the state. In 1879 it was rechartered as a borough.

Old and Historic Litchfield Historic District

In 1959, the entire borough was designated an historic district by a special act of the Connecticut General Assembly, with the name "Old and Historic Litchfield Historic District". It was the first such district in Connecticut. Subsequently, on November 24, 1968, a central portion of the borough was given National Historic Landmark status as the " Litchfield Historic District", and on November 29, 1978, the entire borough was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) as an historic district. The 1978 NRHP listing was an area including 459 buildings. and As a result of the state historic district designation, exterior changes to structures in the district that are visible from a public way must be reviewed and approved by the Litchfield Historic District Commission. The review process is intended to prevent changes that would be "incongruous with the District's historic and architectural character."

Geography

Litchfield borough is at the center of the town of Litchfield and of Litchfield County.

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 ...

passes through the center of the borough at the Litchfield Green, leading northeast to Torrington and southwest to New Milford.

Connecticut Route 63 Route 63 is a secondary state highway in the U.S. state of Connecticut, from New Haven up to Canaan, running for . It connects the Greater New Haven area to Northwestern Connecticut via the western suburbs of Waterbury. Route description Route 63 ...

runs north from the Litchfield Green to Goshen and south to

Watertown Watertown may refer to: Places in China In China, a water town is a type of ancient scenic town known for its waterways. Places in the United States *Watertown, Connecticut, a New England town **Watertown (CDP), Connecticut, the central village ...

, and

Connecticut Route 118 Route 118 is a state highway in northwestern Connecticut, running from the borough of Litchfield via the village of East Litchfield to the town center of Harwinton. Route 118 is a scenic road at both ends. The section from the western terminus ...

leads east to Harwinton. 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 borough has a total area of , all land.

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 1,328 people, 573 households, and 350 families residing in the borough. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was 368.9/km (953.5/mi²). There were 624 housing units at an average density of 173.3/km (448.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the borough was 97.97%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 0.30%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.15% Native American, 0.30%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.38% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.90% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 1.51% of the population. There were 573 households, out of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.8% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.9% were non-families. 35.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.94. In the borough the population was spread out, with 22.6% under the age of 18, 4.0% from 18 to 24, 23.3% from 25 to 44, 29.7% from 45 to 64, and 20.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.6 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $58,333, and the median income for a family was $77,843. Males had a median income of $59,375 versus $35,156 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 borough was $38,789. About 4.6% of families and 4.8% 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 5.5% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Residents are zoned to

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 ...

including Litchfield High School.

References

External links

Borough of Litchfield official websiteTown of Litchfield
{{DEFAULTSORT:Litchfield (Borough), Connecticut Boroughs in Connecticut Boroughs in Litchfield County, Connecticut Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut National Register of Historic Places in Litchfield County, Connecticut